Michelangelo's The Last Judgement Analysis

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Since the Renaissance period, many things have changed, from the way we act and the way we dress, but one thing that has not changed is our appreciation for art. Art, then and now, captures the worries and problems that are going on in the World around us. Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” (1536-1541), has many scenes within the painting that show the people’s facial expressions, mostly of worry, for whether or not they will be sent to Heaven or Hell. Michelangelo (1475-1564) just may as well be one of the greatest Italian artists of the Renaissance period, creating some of the most creative and inspiring artwork during his lifetime. Looking at all of his paintings and sculptures, one can definitely tell that his artwork is very detailed …show more content…
In Michelangelo’s “The Last Judgement”, there are at least eight scenes where many people are working, waiting, and hoping to get sent to Heaven rather than the Hell. “The Last Judgement”, although in a few ways biblical, the painting also deviates from the Bible as Hell is not wanted or tolerated in the church. This is shown in the Bible as part of Luke 13:23-28, “...Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” For many, there is a point of no return for being able to make into that golden place known as Heaven. The people try and try to make themselves in a way “good” again by doing anything anyone asks. Christ wants nothing less than to send people to Heaven but if one cannot abide by all of his rules then he will not send them to that place. In the painting, it is very easy to pick out Jesus Christ and Mary since the two are located in the middle of the painting as well as there is some sort of glow shining behind them. Like many of Michelangelo’s paintings, the people are nude or lightly clothed. This shows that everyone is different in their own ways, whether that means their body shape, personality, or …show more content…
In “The Last Judgement”, Michelangelo, had pretty much everyone at a nude as a way to not show rank, and to portray the saying that “everyone is created equal”. In addition to their imperfections and rank, the people’s faces and scenes also show their passion. Passion is another object that is very hard to portray in paintings and sculptures that Michelangelo captures very well. Michelangelo shows passion in “The Last Judgement” with the many scenes of the population trying their hardest to gain Christ’s approval. Resurrection is supposed to be universal, so every single person must face their “Last Judgement” with Christ, which is why the painting shows so much movement and activity between the people. This painting depicts all of mankind’s redemption period, and has universal appeal among the people and the world fills with hope to be redeemed by Christ. Throughout the painting, spectators can see that the people within the painting are holding on to one another either for comfort and support or out of anger trying to push the others away in order to get redemption from Christ. When looking at Christ in the painting, one can see that his two hands are facing two different directions, his right hand is facing up, as in a way pushing the people towards the top to Heaven, and his left hand is facing down pushing the people

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