View of the chapel vaulting

This fresco of the chapel vaulting in the Duomo di Orvieto, Italy, was painted by Fra Angelico in the mid-15th century. Angelico renders a traditional Christian theme: the Last Judgement. We see Christ in Majesty surrounded by angels and saints. This imagery was typical of church decoration at the time. But, rather than simply accepting tradition, Angelico brings a new humanism. The faces of the saved are individualized, and their expressions are full of emotion. Painted during the early Renaissance, a period of renewed interest in classical learning, Angelico would have been influenced by the humanist movement, which emphasized human experience. This, combined with the wealth of the Catholic Church, allowed art and architecture to flourish. By studying patronage records and theological texts, we can gain a richer understanding of this fresco's historical context. Art is never made in a vacuum: It is always shaped by the social, cultural, and institutional forces of its time.