A blessed soul lifted to heaven, after Michelangelo's 'The Last Judgment' fresco in the Sistine Chapel 1591

This engraving, after Michelangelo’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel, was made by Cherubino Alberti. It depicts a soul rising to heaven, framed by an ornate oval border. The figure's muscular back is powerfully rendered, as it twists upwards from a cloud. Alberti meticulously translates Michelangelo's painterly style into the graphic language of engraving. Notice how the dense, parallel lines create tonal gradations, giving volume to the body and a sense of dynamism to the upward movement. The frame is adorned with cherubs and decorative elements. The composition is a study in contrasts: the organic, fluid rendering of the human form set against the rigid geometry of the frame. This contrast serves to highlight the tension between earthly existence and spiritual transcendence. It encapsulates the Mannerist aesthetic, characterized by its exaggeration and distortion of classical ideals. Through line and form, Alberti captures not just an image, but an idea about the body's potential to exceed its earthly bounds.