The Last Judgment 1525 - 1530

Joos van Cleve painted "The Last Judgement" in the Netherlands around 1530, using oil on wood. This image visualizes a key moment in Christian eschatology, a time of reckoning that reflects the social anxieties of the period. The painting's visual codes are deeply rooted in the religious culture of the time. Christ is shown in triumph surrounded by hosts of angels. Below him the dead rise from their graves to be judged, some rising to heaven and others descending to hell. Painted at a time of great religious and social change, the Protestant Reformation challenged the authority of the Catholic Church and beliefs about salvation. The painting reflects the intense spiritual atmosphere of the 16th century when people were highly attuned to religious ideas. Using sources like religious treatises, sermons, and even popular songs, helps us decode the meanings that Joos van Cleve embedded in his art. This image is a window into the past, revealing the hopes, fears, and beliefs of a society on the cusp of transformation.