Michelangelo's Fresco The Last Judgment

1231 Words3 Pages

Art, by definition, is “something that is created with imagination and skill and that is beautiful or that expresses important ideas or feelings”. Throughout history, one way that art has been used is to reflect a multitude of ideas and beliefs. Christian beliefs and ideas have been portrayed in artwork since the beginning of Christianity, although, it was not always acceptable to do so. The idea of the final judgement is a Christian idea that has been displayed in art repeatedly in a variety of ways. Michelangelo’s fresco the Last Judgment (1536-1541) is a piece that visualizes this idea. Since the time it was finished, this significant piece found in the Sistine Chapel has been continuously critiqued and analyzed. Many Christians struggle to interpret the event of a final judgment after reading it through Scripture. In analyzing Michelangelo’s piece, it is similar difficult to determine what he exactly meant to portray and what the various part of his masterpiece represent exactly. Many have examined this piece and made different regarding what exactly the various figures and objects are supposed to represent. The diverse interpretations of this work further shows the idea that when Christian ideas are reflected through artwork, it is hard to ascertain exactly what an artist intended to demonstrate. In addition, the controversies surrounding this piece represent the idea that when Christian ideas are revealed through art, there is potential for disagreement regarding what should and should not be included in Christian art. Michelangelo’s Last Judgment is just an example of what results when Christianity is brought into art.

In 1535, Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Paul III to complete the Last Judgm...

... middle of paper ...

...
Art Bulletin 77, no. 1: 64. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 24, 2014).

Hall, Marcia B. 1976. "Michelangelo's Last Judgment: Resurrection of the Body and

Predestination." Art Bulletin 58, no. 1: 85. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 24, 2014).

Partridge, Loren. 1998. “Michelangelo: The Last Judgment A Glorious Restoration. The

Sixteenth Century Journal, no 2:20. JStor (accessed March 24, 2014).

Preston, Patrick A. 2005. "The Critical Reception of Michelangelo’s ‘The Last Judgment’: The

Theological Context." Reformation & Renaissance Review: Journal of The Society For Reformation Studies 7, no. 2/3: 337-346. Academic Search Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed March 24, 2014).

Shrimplin, Valerie. 1994. “Hell in Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment.” Artibus et Historiae, no.

15:30: 83-107. JStor (accessed March 24, 2014).

Show More
Related

  • Compare and Contrast Religion during Reformation, Industrial Revolution, and World at War

    1402 Words  | 3 Pages

    Martin Luther inspired another thinker of the time that questioned the Church’s beliefs. That man was John Calvin. The Catholic belief during the Renaissance and Reformation was that one’s good deeds hel...

    Read More

  • European Witch Hunts 1350-Present

    1339 Words  | 3 Pages

    Roper, H. R.. The crisis of the seventeenth century; religion, the Reformation, and social change. [1st U.S. ed. New York: Harper & Row, 19681967. Print.

    Read More

  • Tolerance in Benjamin Kaplan´s Divided by Faith

    1001 Words  | 3 Pages

    If we look at Kaplan’s book as a summary of most of the events that we have discussed throughout the class this semester, it helps solidify the complexity of the reformation in early modern Europe. It fits along the lines that recent historians have argued that traditional views on toleration and the reformation are outdated and need to be more closely examined. When viewed from all angles (or at least the ones we can look at) the reformation takes on a very vast and difficult social, political, and religious situation that will be continually revisited.

    Read More

  • To Believe Or To Believe: No Question About It: An Analysis of Hamlet's Fatal Flaw

    1240 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Predestination." Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6Th Edition (2013): 1. Literary Reference Center. Web. 19 May 2014.

    Read More

  • Michelangelo: The Gates of Paradise

    1745 Words  | 4 Pages

    Michelangelo, renowned Renaissance painter and sculptor, called the doors “The Gates of Paradise,” a golden gateway leading into the Heavens. The name stuck, but more so because of the significance of the doors’ location at The Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, Italy, where during the Middle Ages, converts came yearly at the parade dedicated to St. John the Baptist, to be anointed and earn paradise; hence, the “paradise” in The Gates of Paradise (“Baptistery of San Giovanni”). Before naming the work of art though, it had to have first been built. Commissioned to goldsmith Lorenzo Ghiberti in 1425 by the Arte di Calimala, a guild of wool merchants in Florence, the golden-bronze doors took twenty-seven years to construct and were finally installed in The Baptistery in 1452. As seen in Figure 1, the doors contain ten square panels depicting the following scenes from the Old Testament: Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel, The Drunkenness of Noah, Abraham and Isaac, Esau and Jacob, Joseph Sold into Slavery, Moses and the Ten Commandments, The Fall of Jericho, David and Goliath, and Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (“Baptistery of San Giovanni”). Furthermore, a frieze consisting of flowers and small statues of prophets, sibyls (female seers), and busts surround the ten panels as extra décor. Built during a time of flourishing art and culture known as the Renaissance, this Early Renaissance piece exhibits various characteristics of the time period’s art style in subject-matter, appearance, representation, and even more artistic aspects. However, before further describing the Renaissance and its characteristics, it should be noted that Italy was at the center of the new Renaissance movement and that later, the Florentines’ victory against the...

    Read More

  • Marburg Colloquy Analysis

    1457 Words  | 3 Pages

    The aim of this paper is to explore firstly the political issues and theological issues that contributed to the convening of the Marburg Colloquy and then briefly discuss the impact these events had on the immediate course of the Reformation. The colloquium was convened in the German town of Marburg-on-the-Lahn over the days of the 1st-4th October 1529,at a time of great political and social upheaval both in Germany, Switzerland and in Europe as a whole. The Landgrave, Phillip I of Hesse (1504-1567) called it with the aim of reaching agreement between the two 'branches ' of the magisterial reform movement. A movement with opposing views polarised around the issue of Eucharistic understanding, an issue, which at its core had implications for

    Read More

  • British and Ottoman Empire Imperialism

    1934 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...ced by permission of." Renaissance and Reformation Reference Library. Ed. Julie L. Carnagie, Peggy Saari, and Aaron Saari. Vol. 1: Vol.1: Almanac. Detroit: UXL, 2002. World History in Context. Web. 30 Apr. 2014.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between The Renaissance And The Renaissance

    1116 Words  | 3 Pages

    The individualism that characterized the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation may still be seen today. Research has shown that modern people, especially in western countries, tend to describe themselves using individualizing characteristics, like their appearance, occupation, or interests. Additionally, the Protestant Church is still influential in society, with hundreds of millions of worshippers: understanding the Protestant mindset, at least at the start of the Protestant Reformation, may help scholars better understand the Renaissance, based on the close link between the two

    Read More

  • The Protestant Reformation

    1573 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Protestant Reformation during the sixteenth century established a schism between Christian beliefs that lead to the emergence of divergent interpretations of the Bible. Through this transformation the Papacy was prosecuted for its unrelenting and restricted renditions of the gospel that was seen to oppress the populace and corrupt the true meaning of God’s Word. Though there were individuals such as Desiderius Erasmus who greatly criticized the Catholic Church yet remained loyal there were others who broke away entirely. With the increasing dissatisfaction across Europe factions began to be founded providing elucidation on the “truthful” interpretations of the Bible. Two various factions were known as Lutheranism after German priest Martin Luther and Calvinism after John Calvin a French theologian. These new ideologies shared a basic belief system in reference of humanity’s position with God and their place on earth. However, there was also various interpretations of the bible amongst the newly formed Protestant groups. In response of the emerging Protestant groups the Catholic Church established counter agencies in the pursuit of reconverting Protestants and the conversion of Pagans such as the Mayans and Aztecs. The various views expressed through the primary documents explored in this analysis demonstrate the conflicting and complex nature of religion and humanity and how individuals attempt to reconcile the two in their truest forms.

    Read More

  • Worship in the Middle Ages Compared With Worship in the Reformation Period

    836 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this paper I will compare and contrast the different elements of worship in the Middle Ages with the worship in the Reformation period. To begin with I will point out the difference in languages. In the previous period we see that the Western church was more rigid in using Latin in its services, whereas the Eastern church was more adaptable to the common language. In the middle ages we start to see a similar break up in the Western churches, with the churches in the Protestant movement moving towards the common peoples vernacular. So during the Middle ages people did not participate as much because they did not understand what was going on, while in the Reformation period they did not participate as much because there was a move away from the liturgical style towards a longer homily/preaching (Shields & Butzu, 2007, p. 257).

    Read More

  • Michelangelo's Motivation

    1901 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much of the art created during the Renaissance was geared toward religion, and with Michelangelo this was no exception. By th...

    Read More

  • Renaissance and Reformation

    797 Words  | 2 Pages

    The renaissance and the reformation were two of the most significant changes in history that has shaped our world today. Both of these great time periods are strikingly similar in some ways and totally different in others. This is because the renaissance was a change from religion to humanism whether it is in art or literature; it is where the individual began to matter. However, the reformation was,” in a nutshell,” a way to reform the church and even more so to form the way our society is today. The first half of this paper will view the drop in faith, the economic powers, and the artistic and literary changes during the renaissance, while the second half will view the progresses and changes the church makes during the reformation.

    Read More

  • Michelangelo's Controversy

    351 Words  | 1 Pages

    The great artist Michelangelo once said, “The greater danger for the most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” Do you agree or disagree with Michelangelo’s statement? Take a position on the issue. Support your response with details and specific examples. I agree with this but at the same time I don’t completely agree with the second part. Yes, we sometimes won’t go the full mile for something because we fear that we won’t make it. Although just because it may seem like nothing got accomplished since you didn’t reach your goal doesn’t mean you didn’t accomplish anything. I agree with this statement for the most part. I see where a person can fear they won’t accomplish

    Read More

  • Art Is Important To Religion

    611 Words  | 2 Pages

    Art is important to religion in many different ways. Perhaps none has analyzed how art and religion have influenced and affected each other through the ages. Pictures painted of past events that help to bring back the feeling and importance of the past have been forgotten by some. To the one’s that haven’t forgotten are able to see the event’s as the bible says they happened. Not only can you see the events, but it also allows the younger students of the church to understand the events. The use of images of God became widespread after the second century. This religious art has defiantly been around for centuries and plays an important role to the history of religion as well as the future.

    Read More

  • The Christian Reformation Era

    1873 Words  | 4 Pages

    The evolving typologies of Reformation views on authority maintain distinct differentiating characteristics among the early

    Read More

More about Michelangelo's Fresco The Last Judgment

Open Document