Symbolism Of The Last Judgement By Michelangelo

The Last Judgment is, in my belief, the most superior piece of Renaissance art. Michelangelo focused on the individual aspect of the spiritual world. The painting basically symbolizes the painter’s view on Christianity and how he perceives life after death. Religion is actively portrayed in The Last Judgment, as Christ is present as the center of attention (which Michelangelo did not intend to do but goes well with the painting) along with many more religious references. Many sources believe that the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew holds is the painter’s “hidden self-portrait” (6). Another symbolic feature of this painting is the difference between the Hell and the Heaven, as we see, the Hell is symbolized by the dull colors of the land, the proximity to the underside of the
Arguments state that humanism is infact present in the painting. “St. Bartholomew holding his own skin and the knife used to flay it off. St. Bart's face (actually a portrait of the poet Pietro Aretino) doesn't match that of his skin's. Many hold that the droopy, almost terminally morose face on the skin is a psychological self-portrait of sorts by Michelangelo, known throughout his life to be a sulky, difficult character (and most likely a severe manic-depressive)” (8). Although this was stated above, it applies to the humanistic knowledge. According to Michelangelo’s background history and current sources the alive Bartholomew could either be poet Aretino or the Pope that commissioned this painting. Michelangelo’s was a stressed man, he most likely portrayed Bartholomew as Aretino because a rivalry between the two was affecting Michelangelo’s life drastically. The other argument was that Michelangelo guilt overtook his emotional values, he was guilty to have to paint such a disastrous and unhuman like painting (he felt it was inequal/ almost a sin to have to describe multiple human’s entry to Hell and Heaven at the same