Dissertation

The Last Judgment in early Netherlandish painting: Faith, authority, and charity in the fifteenth century. (Volumes I and II)

Levy, Janey L

1988

Overview

This study examines fifteenth-century Netherlandish paintings of the Last Judgment in their cultural and historical context. The representations invite investigation both because of the popularity of the theme and because of the variety of ways in which it is depicted. The Last Judgment occurs both as an independent subject and as part of larger iconographic programs. Not only the portrayal of the Last Judgment itself, but also the iconographic context in which it occurs must be considered for a full understanding of the paintings. In addition, patronage and original site, when known, shed light on the meaning of the images. Examined with these considerations in mind, fifteenth-century Netherlandish depictions of the Last Judgment are found to address a variety of contemporary religious, political, and social issues. One group of paintings presents the Last Judgment as an element in pictorial catechisms and reflects the fifteenth-century concern with the cure of souls that was part of a reform movement within the Church. A second group of paintings depicts the Last Judgment as part of a pilgrimage of life that celebrates the Church as the path to salvation in response to challenges to the Church's authority. One painting in the second group presents an unusual image of the blessed returning to the terrestrial rather than the celestial paradise. This painting belongs to a third group of images that reflects not only the influence of popular visionary literature but also the hope, aroused by fifteenth-century voyages of exploration, that the earthly paradise could be rediscovered. A fourth group of paintings uses the depiction of the heavenly court to address contemporary conflicts between the papacy and conciliar forces for authority within the Church. A fifth group of paintings, originally placed in town halls, similarly uses the heavenly court to address contemporary conflicts between local and ducal judicial authority. Finally, a sixth group of paintings, associated with charitable institutions, uses the Last Judgment as the conceptual framework within which charity and poor relief are depicted.

• Publisher: ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
• Subject: European history / Religious history
• ISBN: 9798206712193