Artwork
Last Judgment
Last Judgment is a print by Unknown. It dates from 1650 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
The work is a paper print dating from around 1650 that reproduces Michelangelo’s famous fresco of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. An inscription in the lower left corner attributes the original design to Michelangelo, identifying him as the inventor of the composition.
Subject & Meaning
The image presents a crowded tableau of figures caught in various states of ascent and descent, evoking the biblical scene of the final judgment. Angels, saints, and the damned intermingle amid clouds and crags, suggesting the divine assessment of souls and the contrast between salvation and condemnation.
Technique & Style
Rendered in black-and-white line work, the print relies on strong chiaroscuro to model forms and create spatial depth. Bold, intersecting strokes outline muscular bodies, while lighter areas recede, producing a sense of movement and drama that mirrors the original fresco’s theatrical composition.
History & Provenance
Produced in the mid‑seventeenth century, the print circulated as a devotional and educational image, allowing viewers far from Rome to encounter Michelangelo’s composition. The presence of the “M. Angel. inventor” legend confirms its role as a faithful reproduction rather than an original design by a later artist.
Artist & collection
Domestic Scene
Giacomo and Cardinal Marco, investing Andrea, Abbot of San Zeno, with his Benefice
The Nymph of Fontainebleau
Portrait of a Woman
Madonna and Child with Saints in the Enclosed Garden
Venus and Minerva
Family Group of Four on Sofa
Wall painting from Room H of the Villa of P. Fannius Synistor at Boscoreale
