The Last Judgment

Michelangelo returned to the Sistine Chapel 25 years after finishing the ceiling to paint The Last Judgment on the altar wall. Completed in 1541, this massive fresco depicts Christ's second coming and the final judgment of humanity. Over 300 figures swirl in a cosmic drama of salvation and damnation.

Christ stands at center, his arm raised in judgment. The saved rise on the left while the damned fall to hell on the right. Michelangelo included his own face on the flayed skin held by Saint Bartholomew, suggesting his personal torment. The nudity of the figures caused immediate controversy. Later popes hired artists to add drapery to the most exposed areas. These additions, called "breeches," remain on some figures today. The work hangs behind the altar at the Vatican Museums.