This path was created by Thomas Leimkuhler. The last update was by Amanda Luyster.
The Last Judgment (1923.34)
The Last Judgment, probably early 1300's
Egg Tempera and gold leaf panel
Italy, possibly Venice
The Last Judgment is understood, in Catholicism, to take place at the end of time, when Jesus returns to earth (the Second Coming) and all souls are judged. Here, Jesus’s body displays the wounds from his crucifixion, showing the sacrifice he made as the savior of humanity. A river of fire flows from Jesus’s feet, separating the souls of the blessed on the left, who are fully clothed and kneeling in worship of Jesus, and the souls of the damned on the right, who are naked and beaten by demons. The Virgin Mary, John the Baptist, and angels appear behind Jesus. While this painting was created in early 14th century Italy, the materials used to create it came from many faraway places. Blue pigments, as seen in the shape behind Jesus, could incorporate the semiprecious stone lapis lazuli, mined in Afghanistan, and Italian gold leaf often came from the Ghanaian region of Africa, known as “the Gold Coast.”
