Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6, 1475, to the wife of a podesta in the diocese of Arezzo. As podesta, his father held an executive and judicial office of the Republican city-states. When his term in office ended, Michelangelo's father moved the family to their villa right outside of Florence. Michelangelo spent the better part of his childhood secretly drawing because his father regarded drawing as "an unworthy undertaking for their ancient house" and he "was scolded and sometimes beaten by his father and his elders" when he got caught.
[...] The figure of Christ is the personification of the concept of psychomachia in itself. In the mind of mankind, Christ is simultaneously revered and intensely feared. In order for Christ to permit one's ascension into heaven, one must have lived their life a certain way. This means that they must have allowed virtue to triumph over vice and devoutness to triumph over desire in the warfare existing internally within every man's soul and mind. The next concept that can be used to analyze Michelangelo's Last Judgement is Aristotle's notion of catharsis. [...]
[...] He painted Minos “with a large serpent wrapped around his legs in a heap of devils” Michelangelo's fresco of the Last Judgement, painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel can be analyzed in terms of several art historical philosophical themes or concepts. The first of these is psychomachia. Psychomachia is a struggle between opposites. In the case of the Last Judgement, we find examples of psychomachia in both concept as well as composition. The Last Judgement, as a universal event, is a dramatic moment composed of layers upon layers of battles between opposing forces. [...]
[...] Michelangelo's Last Judgement is probably one of the most cathartic works of art ever produced. the figures of the sinners we can recognize their sins along with the fear of eternal damnation” When the audience sees the “damned descend, dragged down by devils and horrified by the future awaiting they not only experience feelings of pity and fear for the figures in the painting, but more intensely, the audience feels these emotions for themselves on a deeper, personal level. Because Michelangelo has shown the audience the specific sins of the people in his painting, each viewer automatically assesses their own sins. [...]
[...] It is in these moments of catharsis that the viewers of Michelangelo's Last Judgement are made more confident and virtuous, and therefore better people. The third and final analysis of Michelangelo's Last Judgement will be based on the fresco's adherence to the principles of istoria set forth by Alberti. its energetic power conveying the drama of the end of earthly time and the transition to eternity, Michelangelo's image can be seen to fulfill Alberti's notion of istoria on a vast scale” The Last Judgement fits with Alberti's most important aspect of istoria, invention. [...]
APA Style reference
For your bibliographyOnline reading
with our online readerContent validated
by our reading committee
