The Last
Judgment c.1467-71
By Hans Memling
Memling’s interpretations of the Last Judgment are very
clear in this painting. Memling
like Van Leyden has separated the story of the judgment into three different
panels. The center panel is the
panel of the judgment. The panel to
Jesus’ right is heaven, and the panel to Jesus’ left is hell.
Heaven is represented as an actual kingdom, and hell is represented as a
dark and fiery mess. What sets this piece apart from the other paintings is the
presence of the intermediary angel that seems to be in the middle of Jesus
casting judgment upon mankind. In
the text The Apocalypse of Peter This
angel is mentioned. “The angel of God, Ezrael, allows themt o come forth out
of this fire and sets forth a judgment of decision.” This may not be the angel
that Memling is depicting; however, he has included the presence of an
intermediary angel between God and the humans.
This painting is extremely naturalistic. Jesus
looks like a Middle Eastern man which is historically accurate according to
where he was from. The people being
judged do not look completely different from each other, but their bodies and
the modeling used are believably human. The
expressions on the faces of the people are also believable. They look on in amazement at Jesus and the judgments that are
being cast upon them. There is true
suffering on the faces of those who are being sent to hell for eternity.
Their bodies are just stretched and posed in such suffering in the pits
of hell. It is fearful for the
viewer to see this extreme destruction that comes with the judgment.
The image of Jesus is important in this piece as well.
Like Leyden’s piece Jesus lacks the mandorla and halo, but he sits upon
the golden crescent. He too next to his head has the fig branch and the sword
which are very symbolic of peace and destruction.
The facial expression and otherwordliness of Jesus also adds to his
divinity. He floats above everyone
else suggesting his being supernatural, and his face is far from compassionate.
He looks like a frightening, and serious Jesus; setting him apart from
the human aspects of Jesus. What
brings Jesus to a human level is that he is in the flesh.
He is depicted as a human man, despite all his divinity.
Like the other paintings this is the artists own impression of the Last
Judgment. It does include the ideas
of separation of heaven and hell, and the judgment that will occur which is
accurate of the texts.
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JESSICA SAUNDERS