1471, English, Art work edition: The Last Judgement Triptych Memling, Hans, ca. 1430- 1494

User activity

Send to:
The Last Judgement Triptych
 
Bookmark: http://trove.nla.gov.au/version/239206
Physical Description
  • Cross-Platform, 333.591 KB
  • Slide
Published
  • 1471 AD
Language
  • English

Edition details

Title
  • The Last Judgement Triptych
Creator
  • Memling, Hans, ca. 1430- 1494
Other Creators
  • Brigham Young University
Published
  • 1471 AD
Physical Description
  • Cross-Platform, 333.591 KB
  • Slide
Subjects
Notes
  • Although born in Germany, Hans Memling (or Memlinc) spent most of his career working in the Flemish town of Bruges. Last Judgment is a wonderful example of his distinct style, which combines Germanic spirituality and gracefulness with the Flemish obsession for rich, naturalistic detail in oil. During his successful career, Memling painted the portraits of and religious scenes for the wealthy burghers of Bruges as well as the many foreign businessmen linked to the city. This particular triptych was commissioned by Angelo Tani (1415-1492), a Florentine agent of the Medici bank in Bruges, for his new chapel in the church of Badia Fiesolana in Florence. Tani and his new bride, Caterina Tanagli, appear on the outside of the side panels and would have been visible when the triptych was closed, thus indicating their piety. Memling worked on the painting from 1467-71 and in 1473 it was shipped to Porto Pisano, only to be seized by a Polish warship and transported to Danzig (Gdansk), where it still remains today. This triptych, one of the earliest and most remarkable of Memling’s works, depicts Christ’s Last Judgment of humankind, a theme commonly treated in art of the time. Scenes, like this one, depicting an apocalyptic vision of Judgment Day were often intended to warn against sin by illustrating the potential fate of those who turned away from the Christian Church. The influence of the celebrated Rogier van der Weyden, with whom Memling may have studied, is apparent in several compositional components, particularly the traditional Gothic elements of Christ as Judge seated on a rainbow surrounded by angels bearing instruments of the passion, St. Michael weighing the souls of men, the intercessors Mary and John the Baptist flanked by the apostles and various saints, and the nude figures of resurrected humankind. However, Memling’s portrayal is more complex and splendidly detailed. In contrast to Rogier, Memling includes the battle between the angels and demons for the souls of the resurrected, with Michael now clad in armor, as well as the horrific torments executed upon the wicked by devilish creatures in hell. In Memling’s more optimistic interpretation, there is a greater balance between those entering paradise, symbolized by the elegant Gothic cathedral in the far left panel, and those souls doomed to the fires of hell; this equilibrium is emphasized by the symmetrical layout of the Heaven and Hell panels. Typical of Memling’s style with oil paint is the brilliant coloring, graceful figures and the convincing representation of various textures.
  • 87 x 63.4 in (central panel), 87.8 x 28.3 in (each wing)
  • civ metadata CID; Civ Archive 025 correct picture; 98400537.jpg
  • S:\PROJECTS\Civilization Digital Lib\Final Source\Resource Documents\Images\CD Archive 025\98400537.jpg
Source
Terms of Use
Language
  • English
Contributed by
OAIster

Get this edition

  • Set up My libraries

    How do I set up "My libraries"?

    In order to set up a list of libraries that you have access to, you must first login or sign up. Then set up a personal list of libraries from your profile page by clicking on your user name at the top right of any screen.

  • All (1)
  • Unknown (1)
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.
None of your libraries hold this item.

User activity


e.g. test cricket, Perth (WA), "Parkes, Henry"

Separate different tags with a comma. To include a comma in your tag, surround the tag with double quotes.

Be the first to add a tag for this edition

Be the first to add this to a list

Comments and reviews

What are comments? Add a comment

No user comments or reviews for this version

Add a comment