The Last Judgment: Michelangelo’s Second Breakthrough

In the previous lesson, we discussed Michelangelo’s first major turning point in his artistic career, which was the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Today, let’s talk about the second turning point in his career, which is also a fresco in the Sistine Chapel — The Last Judgment.

The Last Judgment: Michelangelo’s Second Breakthrough

1. “Ironclad Michelangelo, fleeting popes” – the long-lived Michelangelo served under seven popes during his lifetime. In his sixties, he was invited by Pope Paul III to paint another fresco in the Sistine Chapel – The Last Judgment. Starting in 1534, Michelangelo spent nearly seven years completing this grand and magnificent work, another piece of art with immense artistic value. For Michelangelo, it represents the second milestone in his artistic career, symbolizing a new breakthrough and transformation in his style.
2. The Last Judgment, located on the entire altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, is Michelangelo’s second major creation in the chapel, 25 years after completing the ceiling fresco. For the aging Michelangelo, this was an immense task. The mural covers nearly 200 square meters and features over 400 figures. It is grand and powerful, yet rich in details, leaving the world with numerous artistic expressions that are worth studying.
3. The Last Judgment is vastly different from Michelangelo’s earlier works. It is no longer something that feels light and enjoyable; instead, it is filled with tension. The postures and figures in the painting are striking and intense. All the expressions are forceful, even exaggerated in some places. This unrestrained style represents a new breakthrough in Michelangelo’s later years.
4. The creation of The Last Judgment was influenced by the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in Europe in 1517. To suppress this movement, the pope organized the “Counter-Reformation.” The Catholic Church greatly valued the educational role of art for its followers. Therefore, Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to paint this fresco, hoping it would serve as a warning to the people.
5. The Last Judgment is set against the theological backdrop of Heaven and Hell as described in the Bible. It depicts the moment when the world ends, and Jesus sends seven angels to blow the trumpet of the apocalypse from a volcano. All the dead and the living are awakened to receive judgment, either ascending to Heaven or descending to Hell. Michelangelo divides the painting into four tiers: the top layer is Heaven with angels, the middle layer is Jesus Christ, the lower layer is the people being judged, and the bottom layer is Hell. Mozart believed that the trombone was the most divine of all instruments, and it is fittingly represented in this painting.
6. In The Last Judgment, originally all the figures were depicted naked, and the loincloths we see today were added later. Michelangelo’s approach was highly controversial at the time, especially since this was a fresco in a church. However, Michelangelo believed that the first humans created by God were naked, and if this seemed obscene, it was the corruption of human thought, not the depiction itself.
7. In terms of composition, earlier religious paintings often followed specific rules, with figures such as Jesus, the Virgin Mary, angels, and clergy having fixed positions. However, The Last Judgment breaks this harmony and creates an extremely “disharmonious” composition. In the chaotic scene of the apocalypse, Michelangelo centers the composition around Jesus, merging many figures and complex scenes together, depicting the terror and confusion of the end times, thus achieving a warning effect and forming a new type of harmony.
8. In the middle of the painting, a saint holds a human skin, which represents Michelangelo himself. He wanted to express that his soul had been freed from the confines of the body and had entered a higher realm. At the age of 60, Michelangelo’s reputation was at its peak, and he was undoubtedly considered the greatest of his time. People even called him “the divine Michelangelo,” reflecting his supreme status. Therefore, he boldly gave himself a prominent role in the painting. Additionally, the horrifying human skin symbolizes his reverence for religion and reflects a sense of guilt or atonement.