The Last Judgment from Les Sept Articles de la Foi by Jean Chappuis c. 1470

Curator: Before us is Jean Chappuis’s "The Last Judgment from Les Sept Articles de la Foi," dating back to around 1470. The piece is currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago and employs tempera, watercolor and drawing techniques in its construction. Editor: It strikes me as an anxious vision, even considering the subject. The relatively pale palette combined with the sheer number of figures creates an effect that’s less grand spectacle and more claustrophobic reckoning. Curator: The choice of such pallid tones resonates with the theme. These aren’t robust, celebratory colors; rather, they evoke the ethereal, liminal space between life and death, between judgment and eternal fate. Look closely at Christ. He is framed within luminous halos, but His humanity is visible; he is fragile and empathetic to our fears. Editor: You're right; it is a decidedly humanized depiction of the divine. Note the careful organization within the apparent chaos. Chappuis uses distinct zones – the heavenly host, the blessed, the damned – each rendered with varying degrees of detail and saturation, creating a hierarchy within the composition. The negative space in the artwork's illuminated lettering on the page, is very much related. Curator: Precisely. And the narrative unfolding around the figure of Christ is steeped in symbolic language: Angels brandishing swords, a river of fire, supplicating souls ascending and falling. Each element represents aspects of divine judgment. In many cultures, light, like what emanates from the figure of Christ in the art piece, is perceived as the supreme good that allows one to be moral, rational, wise, and capable of judgment. But we shouldn't forget the "seven articles of faith." It highlights a focus on doctrine within personal salvation. Editor: That's insightful. Reflecting on our discussion, I appreciate how Chappuis uses both color and composition to express deep-seated cultural anxieties about faith and judgment. Curator: And I am reminded of the power of visual language to express the inexpressible—the profound mystery of salvation.