The Last Judgement – On the Symbols of Redemption
Year mention: 1564
Subject:
Last Judgement ; Symbols of Redemption
Conflict:
Capriccio
Judging art
Untruthfulness/Not probable/Not corresponding to history
Criticism:

The angels sound their trumpets and summon the people to the Last Judgement; Michelangelo decided to paint in favour of the “satisfaction of art” rather than “historical truth”

Agent:
Gilio, Giovanni Andrea
Niccolò della Casa, After Michelangelo Buonarroti, set of prints of the Last Judgement, 1548
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, www.metmuseum.org

In this part of the critique of Michelangelo’s “Last Judgement”, the characters focus on the depiction of the symbols of redemption and the angels calling to the Last Judgement with their trumpets.
On the one hand, they criticise the fact that the angels carrying the symbols of redemption are gathered in groups and perform movements reminiscent of dances or feats. Likewise, they dislike the composition of the symbols, not centred but sideways and askew.
On the other hand, M. Ruggiero in particular criticises the fact that the seven angels with their trumpets do not belong in the scene in this form, since they do not appear directly on the Day of Judgement, but beforehand during “the tribulation that the Church suffers from the moment (of the angels’ appearance) until the Day of Judgement”.

“‘Let us come back to our subject’, said M. Troilo. ‘Start by telling the story [istoria] of the judgment’.
[…]  M. Ruggiero resumed the discussion: ‘Once the aforesaid signs have passed, and men nevertheless preserve in their evil ways, at a moment no one will be expecting it, the glorious symbols of our redemption will appear in the midst of the heavens, not bend over or sideways, as Michelangelo has made them and as you can see them here, nor in ugly, material form as they were at the time of the Passion, but resplendent, shining, glorious, and in majesty. They will be supported with great magnificence by thousands of angels, with none of those movements, dances, and tricks performed by tangled groups of them, in a way you can see that Michelangelo has done. That they have to be resplendent and bright into opinion of the learned scholar Origen and of Basil, and it is likely that this will be the case, as a way of humiliating unbelieving tyrants and prosecutors of the Cross. And we can put what happens here down to a personal conception of Michelangelo’s [capriccio], satisfying more what the art of painting fancies [capriccio] than the truth. Afterward our Lord will come in majesty, power, and glory, surrounded by all the angels of heaven. The, as John says, all the tribes of the earth shall bewail themselves, and the world, filled with horror and fear, we’ll see the Son of Man in glory among the heavenly clouds. But it is not known at what time this coming will take place. Some have said that it will be a dawn, as when he was resurrected; others have said (it will be) at the time he ascended into heaven, when the angels told the Apostles: «(He) shall so come, as you have seen him going into heaven.» Others say that it will be at midday, when he rendered up his spirit to God on the cross, undead it will also be on the same day of Friday: and this is the opinion that I find most convincing. Afterward he will send his angels with their trumpets to gather the elect from all four corners of the world’.
M. Vincenzo said: ‘Michelangelo respected this here is a group of seven angels, who sound their trumpets and summon the people to judgment, as John says’.
M. Ruggiero said: ‘As for the seven angels, which are described by Saint John in that passage, this mystery should be understood not as the day of judgment but as the tribulations suffered by the church from the moment (of the angels appearance) until the day of judgment. As proof that this is true, the apostle says that each sounded his trumpet in turn, announcing the future tribulation at the appropriate moment. Afterward, they remain grouped together in one place; and did gospel says that they shall be sent to the four corners of the world to gather the elect’.
M. Silvio said: ‘Take note, M. Ruggiero: the words of the gospel do not say that «He will send his angels to the four corners of the earth,» but that they shall I gather together the elect from the corners of the earth’.
‘This does not matter,’ said M. Ruggiero. ‘When the Lord says «from the four winds, from the farthest parts of the heavens to the utmost bounds of them» I think he did not wish to infer anything other than that from the four corners of the world, namely from the whole world, the mortal remains of all the dead will be gathered. the good angels will gather those of the elect and the demons those of the damned and they will carry them to the valley of Josaphat, there rigorous hearings will take place’. ”

“‘Ritorniamo al propogito nostro’, disse M. Troilo: ‘cominciate a dechiarare l’istoria del Giudizio’.
[…] Il quale così ripigliò il ragionare: ‘Passati dunque i sopradetti segni, perseverando gli uomini tuttavia nel male, quando niuno a ciò pensarà, compariranno in mezzo del cielo le gloriose insigne de la nostra redenzione, non chinate né per traverso, come Michelagnolo l’ha fatte e qui le vedete, né materiali e brutte come furono al tempo de la Passione, ma risplendenti, lucide, gloriose, in maestà, sostenute con gran magnificenza da migliaia d’angeli, non con quei groppi, né sforzi, né moresche, né bagattelle, che voi gli miriate che Michelagnolo gli ha fatti. Che abbino a essere così splendenti e chiari, è opinione del gran dotto Origene e di Basilio, et è verisimile che così sia, per ismacco degli infedeli tiranni e persecutori de la Croce; e questo potiamo mettere per un capriccio di Michelagnolo, nel quale più del capriccio dell’arte che del vero s’è compiaciuto. Dopo’ verrà esso Signor nostro in maestà, in potenza et in gloria, e seco tutti gli angeli del cielo. Allora, come dice Giovanni, piangeranno le tribù de la terra, et il mondo, tutto pieno d’orrore e di spavento, vederà il Figliuolo de l’uomo ne le nuvole del cielo, glorioso. Ma a che ora abbia da essere questa venuta non si sa; alcuni hanno detto che sarà ne l’aurora, nel tempo che egli risuscitò; altri ne l’ora che ascese al cielo, avendo gli angeli detto agli Apostoli: ‘In quel modo che salire l’avete veduto, egli verrà’; altri nel mezzo giorno, quando su la croce posto rese lo spirito a Dio, e che sia anco del medesimo dì di Venere: e questa opinione assai mi piace. Dopo manderà gli angeli suoi con le trombe, a congregare gli eletti da le quattro parti del mondo’. Disse M. Vincenso: ‘Michelagnolo questo ha osservato: ecco quivi in un groppo sette angeli, che suonano le trombe e chiamano le genti al giudizio, come dice Giovanni’.
Rispose M. Ruggiero: ‘Quanto ai sette angeli, che da San Giovanni sono in quel luogo mostrati, non si deve quel mistero intendere per il giorno del giudizio, ma per le tribu lazioni che doveva aver la Chiesa da quel tempo insino al giorno del giudizio. Che ciò vero sia, dice l’Apostolo che ciascuno sonò la tromba la sua volta, annonziando la futura tribulazione al tempo suo. Dopo’, questi stanno tutti in un groppo et in uno stesso luogo; e l’Evangelio dice che saranno mandati ne le quattro parti del mondo a congregare gli eletti’.
Disse M. Silvio: ‘Avvertite, M. Ruggiero, che ‘l testo de l’evangelio non dice manderà gli angeli suoi ne le quattro parti de la terra’ ma che da le quattro parti de la terra congregheranno gli eletti suoi’.
‘Questo non importa’, disse M. Ruggiero. ‘Dicendo il Signore ‘dai quattro venti e da la sommità de’ cieli insino a’ termini loro’, penso che altro inferir non volesse che da le quattro parti del mondo, cioè da tutto il mondo, raccoglieranno le cenere de tutti i morti, gli angeli buoni quelle degli eletti et i demoni quelle de’ reprobi, e le porteranno ne la valle di Giosafat, dove si faranno i rigorosi esamini’.”

Quoted Authorities

Matthew 24:36-44, Revelation 13:4-5, Thessalonians 2:3-4, John 17:12, Matthew 24:6-8, Luke 21:9-11, Revelation 6:12-13, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 8:2-13, Revelation 9:1-19, Joel 3:2, Joel 3:12,
Aristotele, Meterologica

Keywords
capriccio, Last Judgement, Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel: Vatican, Souls

Terminology
capriccio
Artist
Buonarroti, Michelangelo
Beatrizet, Nicolas
Bonasone, Giulio
Ghisi, Giorgio

Date mention
1564

Date artwork
1535-1541
Historical Location

Vatican City, Vatican Palace

Vatican City


Current Location
Vatican City, Vatican Palace
Vatican City
Iconclass Number
11U;

Source
Gilio, Dialogue on the errors and abuses of painters (2018), 162-165; Gilio, Dialogo. Nel quale si ragiona degli errori e degli abusi de’pittori circa l’istorie. In: Due dialogi di M. Giouanni Andrea Gilio da Fabriano (1564), 56-59
Literature

Gilio 2018, 162-165, n. 210- 224, fig. 19-22

Permanent Link
https://www.sacrima.eu/case/the-last-judgement-on-the-symbols-of-redemption/