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Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel

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Michelangelo's Last Judgment

Michelangelo’s Last Judgment

Most of us know that when we get to the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City, we need to look up to see the masterpiece that is Michelangelo’s ceiling. There’s another Michelangelo in the chapel, however, that’s equally important – his enormous Last Judgment painting behind the altar.

Michelangelo began work on The Last Judgment in 1536, 24 years after the completion of the ceiling panels, and the piece took five years to complete. The two massive projects took so long they even spanned the rein of three different popes. The painting is huge – it’s 45 feet tall and 39 feet wide.

On the left of the painting, you can see the souls Christ (who is in the upper center of the scene) is raising into heaven with his upturned right arm. His left arm points down, and the souls on the opposite side of the painting are being sent into hell. The result is a visual tornado of bodies, some floating upwards and others writhing in agony. You can identify some of the figures as saints, often bearing their symbols of their martyrdom. Michelangelo even added a self-portrait in the face of Saint Bartholomew’s flayed skin.

All of the figures in the painting were originally nude. After Michelangelo’s death, it was determined that nudity wasn’t appropriate for such a holy place. A pupil of Michelangelo’s was commissioned to paint drapery over the privates of the figures, for which he was dubbed “the maker of breeches.” Despite the initial shock at the nude figures, the painting remains one of the top attractions in Vatican City.

There are so many stories within The Last Judgment, it’s incredibly helpful to have a guide explain what you’re looking at during a Sistine Chapel tour.

-Jessica Spiegel

Michelangelo’s Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel from Vatican City Things To Do


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