Het laatste oordeel 1548

Nicolò della Casa created this print, "The Last Judgement," sometime in the mid-16th century. It reproduces Michelangelo’s famous fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. This print was made during the Catholic Counter-Reformation, a period of intense religious and political upheaval. Consider the male figures, their bodies idealized and muscular, actively carrying Christ's cross. What does it mean to consider how the emphasis on the male nude and the glorification of physical strength reflect the prevailing patriarchal structures of the time, where male dominance was deeply entrenched in both religious and social spheres? Della Casa’s print invites us to think about the politics of bodies, the intersection of faith and power, and the ways in which art can both reinforce and challenge social norms. The print echoes the emotional weight of facing mortality, while also reflecting the social tensions of its time.