Die Strafe Des Höllenfeuers (das Jüngste Gericht), detail 1538

Domenico Beccafumi painted this section of ‘The Last Judgement,’ sometime in the first half of the 16th century. Painted in Italy during the High Renaissance, this section depicts the torments of hell, in an era where religious art was employed both to inspire faith, and to terrify the masses into obedience. Consider how the figures in the painting – twisted, contorted, and seemingly in endless agony - reflect the widespread anxieties of the time, anxieties about sin, damnation, and divine retribution. There's a visceral, emotional quality to the suffering that Beccafumi depicts. The figures aren’t just bodies in pain; they're embodiments of human frailty and fear, caught in a moment of eternal despair. In a society marked by rigid social hierarchies, art served as a reminder of the consequences of moral transgression. Beccafumi uses the painting to remind us of the importance of empathy and social justice in our own lives.