This page was created by Thomas Leimkuhler. The last update was by Jeffrey Forgeng.
The Last Judgment: What Does This Tell Us About The Medieval Globe?
The Last Judgment can tell us a lot about the medieval globe. The depiction of Christ and the story of the afterlife reminds us of the importance of religion in the Middle Ages. From the different pigments and materials used in this painting, we can also learn a lot about trade around the medieval globe. The use of Lapis Lazuli in Italian paintings is evidence that the Venetian Republic was connected to Afghanistan via the trade routes of the Silk Roads. The use of gold leaf suggests that Venice was also connected to trans-Saharan trade in Africa. Venice played a central role as a hub for medieval trade, and The Last Judgment highlights this in various ways.
