The Last Judgment

Today, it is time for something truly spectacular.

The absolute masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance, The Last Judgment adorns the entire altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It depicts the Second Coming of Christ and the final, eternal judgment by God of all humanity, where the deceased rise and meet their eternal fates under Christ's scrutiny, flanked by notable saints. The piece features over 300 figures, with the males and angels initially depicted nude, although many were later modestly covered with draperies during restorations, some of which were removed in later cleanings to restore the artist's original vision.

Michelangelo began this monumental work 25 years after completing the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, at nearly 67 years of age. 

In this grand fresco, Michelangelo adopts a traditional layout with the saved ascending to the left and the damned descending to the right. The upper section integrates the heavenly hosts with the newly redeemed, rendered in a palette dominated by flesh and sky tones, which recent restorations have shown to include a broader range of colors like orange, green, yellow, and blue, adding vibrancy and unity to the scene.

We would need to write a book to describe it fully; we don't have space for this unfortunately, so we recommend you to just zoom in on the painting and look at all these marvelous details!

P.S. Guess what? This iconic fresco is featured in our Italian Renaissance 50 Postcards Set, which you can buy in the DailyArt Shop.  :) 

P.P.S. How well do you know Michelangelo? Test yourself in our quiz! If you want to explore some additional interesting facts about today's masterpiece, here's all you need to know about The Last Judgment!