Arcadópolis
Nudity. This work is shown blurred, as in the Museum.Show work
The Last Judgment: Charon’s Boat (detail)
Michelangelo, 1536–1541
What you see
Charon stands at one end of a wooden boat on the left, raising an oar with both hands, ready to strike. His skin is greenish, his ears pointed and his eyes wide. On the right, nearly naked men huddle together, cowering, covering their faces or clutching their heads. Above, the legs of other figures dangle as they fall or float.
Muted, greenish flesh tones stand out against the pale blue sky. The curved planks of the boat lead the eye toward the crowd. Spot the man at the center gripping his head with wide, staring eyes, the faces half hidden under hoods and, at the lower left, a dark piece with a gold edge set in front of the painting.
About Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti saw himself above all as a sculptor, but the pope asked him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. He worked for four years on scaffolding, painting hundreds of giant figures above his head. He was also an architect and a poet, and lived to be almost 89.
More by Michelangelo
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