Laatste Oordeel 1804

Damiano Pernati created this print of the Last Judgement with etching techniques at an unknown date. A grand subject for an expansive medium. The print visualizes the Christian idea of Judgement Day, replete with angels and demons, heaven and hell, with the saved rising to paradise, and the damned hurled into the fiery pit. It's a scene of cosmic reckoning, and such images served a vital public role. Made in an era before mass media, images like this were powerful tools for religious and moral instruction. Pernati lived in an age of revolution and upheaval, and the church’s role in society was also being questioned. His art can be seen as a reaffirmation of traditional values. To understand this artwork, it’s worthwhile researching the religious and political context of the time. Consider how the church used art to shape beliefs, and how artists responded to changing social norms. What does the choice of Last Judgement as a subject tell us about the artist and the expectations of his audience?