Last Judgment; after Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel 1545

Giorgio Ghisi created this engraving, "Last Judgement," after Michelangelo's fresco in the Sistine Chapel. Ghisi's work translates Michelangelo's monumental vision into a more portable medium, reflecting the 16th-century fascination with making art accessible. The engraving captures the drama of the final reckoning, where souls rise or fall based on divine judgment. It was made at a time of intense religious and social upheaval, marked by the Reformation and Counter-Reformation, with the Catholic Church seeking to reaffirm its authority. Michelangelo’s fresco, and Ghisi's print, encapsulate the anxieties surrounding salvation, sin, and the human body. Consider how the figures are rendered: nude, vulnerable, yet also heroic. These bodies challenge conventional notions of beauty, reflecting the artist's own experiences and beliefs about the human form and the spirit. The artwork invites us to confront our own mortality and moral responsibility. It's not just a religious scene, but a profound reflection on the human condition, our desires, and our fears.