Many artists have painted Christ’s second coming, or otherwise known as the final judgement. This painted version of the event, called “The Last Judgement,” is painted by the artist Crispijn van den broeck. Crispijn is a Flemish painter who was born in 1523 in Mechelen, Belgium; however, back in the 1500’s it was known as the Flanders. Similarly, Crispijn’s family members were also artists and he was trained by his father. Throughout his life, he worked as a painter, craftsman, and engraver. In 1559, Crispijn became a citizen of Antwerp and was a collaborator of the famous artist Frans Floris, who was a leading figure in the Northern Renaissance movement, otherwise known as Romanism. This movement was a huge influence on artists, like Crispijn, that caused for a great evolution in the world of art. With this movement came great unsurpassed technical skill, an eye and technique for details, and vibrant materialism. Just like other Flemish artists, Crispijn was a great artist with technical skill and details. Based on this scholarly article, what made Flemish artists different from one another was that individual piety was the prime motivating force. Crispijn, like other Flemish artists, painted with this individual piety; however, he decided to draw a religious event based on his piety and beliefs, drawing it in his own Catholic views and interpretations.
The Northern Renaissance was an artistic movement that referred to the rapid developments in art, which occurred in the Netherlandish Low Countries of Flanders and Holland, as well as, Germany. Artworks from this time period were known for their vibrant materialism and technical skill. Painting was very important in this time period. Artwork during this time period was able to flourish, because of the good economy and international trade of the area. There were many buyers when it came to art, so artists were able to practice freely and not have to worry about their income. With all this time artists were also able to practice and hone their art skills. People during this time, and even today, are amazed of the technical skill and high quality of the paintings. Crispijn’s piece was no exception to this. A central feature of this art movement was religious art, and, just like many of the paintings during his time, Crispijn drew a piece of religious art. However, he drew “The Last Judgement” in his own views, explaining why his version is different from others that drew the same event. Even though there are similarities, Crispijn’s version of “The Final Judgment” had differences, such as the type of clothing the people in the painting wore and the action of the angels.
One aspect of paintings from the Northern Renaissance, is the great detail put into the artwork. From Crispijn’s painting of “The Last Judgement” you can see how much effort he put into making the details of the painting. For example, you can see the muscle outlines of all the people in the painting and the single feathers of the angels. Everything is very detailed to the point where it looks very realistic.
During this time period, there was a religious and political struggle in the Low Countries. This area had just been overtaken and ruled by Spain. The Low Countries were split in two based on their religious views. The north became Protestant, while the South remained Catholic. Since Crispijn was from the south he was also Catholic, this is why Crispijn decided to draw a very important event in the Catholic world, the final judgement. This is when Christ comes back to earth and makes the final judgment on all humans, deciding if they go to Heaven or Hell. This can be seen in the painting as some of the people are lifted to Heaven by angels, while others are dragged and tormented to Hell by demons and the devil. One difference that Crispijn makes in this painting is that the demons look human but have animal heads. For example, in the bottom right corner of the painting one demon is depicted to have an animal head that almost looks like a lion.
During this religious battle and the turmoil that was going on, the Spanish and the Flemish were Catholic. In Flanders the Catholic Church, encouraged by the Spanish government, tried to awaken religion through art. This explains the popularity of religious pictures during this time period. One of the possible reasons Crispijn could have drawn this painting was to influence others to stay Catholic or to convert others to Catholic.
One detail that can be seen in the painting is that most of the people in heaven are fully clothed, while those suffering in hell are naked. This is because Crispijn, with his own religious beliefs, deemed that those sent to Hell are not worthy of having clothes. There are some similarities in Crispijn’s “The Last Judgment” and other versions. One thing these paintings have in common is that Christ is always the main character in the drawings. In Crispijn’s painting Christ is seen standing on top of an orb with those in Heaven surrounding him. Other similar paintings also depict Christ as the centerpiece, standing out from others as he is always given more space from other people in the paintings. Crispijn’s version of the final judgment is different from the famous painting of “The Last Judgement” that Michelangelo did, where he also painted this noteworthy event. In Michelangelo's version of the painting many of the people in Heaven were not wearing any clothes, whereas in Crispijn’s they are. One thing that the two paintings have in common; however, is that all of the people drawn in Hell are fully unclothed, with only a couple of them holding small rags or sheets. Another difference between the two paintings is the action of the angels. In Michelangelo’s version, you can see the angels beating and punching those that are trying to rise up to Heaven as while there is no such action in Crispijn’s painting. This is most likely because Crispijn sees them as holy figures that are not violent in any way. The only action that the angels are seen doing in Crispijn’s version is lifting people up and bringing them to Heaven. I believe that Crispijn thought that violence was never the answer. During the time that Crispijn drew “The Last Judgement” a war was occurring between the Netherlands and Spain. Crispijn could have made the angels and Christ in his painting as non violent to represent and express that violence will not solve any issues and that those who are violent and sin will be sent to Hell. Another noteworthy difference in Crispijn’s painting is that he also focuses on the Devil, making him an important part of the painting. The Devil is never really drawn in Michelangelo’s version or other versions, but in Crispijn’s painting the devil is drawn right in the front of the painting, while also being a focus of many of the people that were sent to Hell.
Before the division of the Low Countries, Dutch and Flemish paintings had been very similar. Even after the division the styles still remained the same; however, their favorite subjects for their artwork changed. The Dutch, who were now mostly Protestant, no longer painted religious pictures, while the Catholic Flemish still did. This can explain why Crispijn decided to paint a religious picture. The ideology of many of the Flemish had three points: God’s work is evident in the world itself; although things in this world are mortal and transitory, no facet of God’s creation is too insubstantial to be noticed, valued, or represented; and that they were chosen people, favored and blessed by God’s protection. The Flemish people were also very moralizing. Even though they enjoyed the pleasures of life, they were well aware that there were consequences to wrong behavior. This could be the reason why Crispijn painted “The Last Judgment.” Crispijn may have believed that Spain’s overtaking of the Low Countries was a sin, so he drew Christ sending the Spanish to Hell while the people of the Low Countries were saved and sent to Heaven. This could also be supported by the fact that Flemish painters were very symbolic in their drawings. Paintings often provided reminders of the brevity of life and the need for moderation and temperance in one’s conduct. During this time, subjects from the Bible, mythology, and ancient history were commonly used to establish parallels between the people’s experience and historical, literary, and political events. Crispijn used this to his advantage and drew a great picture, using Christ’s judgment as a moral message to tell others not to sin. If people were to sin, Crispijn drew the outcome, which was eternal pain and suffering in Hell, where the Devil and demons would torture you. With these details I believe that Crispijn was trying to send this message to the Spanish through his painting.
There are many similarities of Crispijn’s painting of “The Last Judgment” to other versions of this religious event. However, there are differences that make Crispijn’s stand out from others. The differences in his painting could be defined and explained by the area he lived in, the events that were going on during this time, and the way that he was raised. Overall Crispijn does a great job with details and colors while also being able to send a symbolic message to those that saw his painting called “The Last Judgment.”
The Northern Renaissance was an artistic movement that referred to the rapid developments in art, which occurred in the Netherlandish Low Countries of Flanders and Holland, as well as, Germany. Artworks from this time period were known for their vibrant materialism and technical skill. Painting was very important in this time period. Artwork during this time period was able to flourish, because of the good economy and international trade of the area. There were many buyers when it came to art, so artists were able to practice freely and not have to worry about their income. With all this time artists were also able to practice and hone their art skills. People during this time, and even today, are amazed of the technical skill and high quality of the paintings. Crispijn’s piece was no exception to this. A central feature of this art movement was religious art, and, just like many of the paintings during his time, Crispijn drew a piece of religious art. However, he drew “The Last Judgement” in his own views, explaining why his version is different from others that drew the same event. Even though there are similarities, Crispijn’s version of “The Final Judgment” had differences, such as the type of clothing the people in the painting wore and the action of the angels.
One aspect of paintings from the Northern Renaissance, is the great detail put into the artwork. From Crispijn’s painting of “The Last Judgement” you can see how much effort he put into making the details of the painting. For example, you can see the muscle outlines of all the people in the painting and the single feathers of the angels. Everything is very detailed to the point where it looks very realistic.
During this time period, there was a religious and political struggle in the Low Countries. This area had just been overtaken and ruled by Spain. The Low Countries were split in two based on their religious views. The north became Protestant, while the South remained Catholic. Since Crispijn was from the south he was also Catholic, this is why Crispijn decided to draw a very important event in the Catholic world, the final judgement. This is when Christ comes back to earth and makes the final judgment on all humans, deciding if they go to Heaven or Hell. This can be seen in the painting as some of the people are lifted to Heaven by angels, while others are dragged and tormented to Hell by demons and the devil. One difference that Crispijn makes in this painting is that the demons look human but have animal heads. For example, in the bottom right corner of the painting one demon is depicted to have an animal head that almost looks like a lion.
During this religious battle and the turmoil that was going on, the Spanish and the Flemish were Catholic. In Flanders the Catholic Church, encouraged by the Spanish government, tried to awaken religion through art. This explains the popularity of religious pictures during this time period. One of the possible reasons Crispijn could have drawn this painting was to influence others to stay Catholic or to convert others to Catholic.
One detail that can be seen in the painting is that most of the people in heaven are fully clothed, while those suffering in hell are naked. This is because Crispijn, with his own religious beliefs, deemed that those sent to Hell are not worthy of having clothes. There are some similarities in Crispijn’s “The Last Judgment” and other versions. One thing these paintings have in common is that Christ is always the main character in the drawings. In Crispijn’s painting Christ is seen standing on top of an orb with those in Heaven surrounding him. Other similar paintings also depict Christ as the centerpiece, standing out from others as he is always given more space from other people in the paintings. Crispijn’s version of the final judgment is different from the famous painting of “The Last Judgement” that Michelangelo did, where he also painted this noteworthy event. In Michelangelo's version of the painting many of the people in Heaven were not wearing any clothes, whereas in Crispijn’s they are. One thing that the two paintings have in common; however, is that all of the people drawn in Hell are fully unclothed, with only a couple of them holding small rags or sheets. Another difference between the two paintings is the action of the angels. In Michelangelo’s version, you can see the angels beating and punching those that are trying to rise up to Heaven as while there is no such action in Crispijn’s painting. This is most likely because Crispijn sees them as holy figures that are not violent in any way. The only action that the angels are seen doing in Crispijn’s version is lifting people up and bringing them to Heaven. I believe that Crispijn thought that violence was never the answer. During the time that Crispijn drew “The Last Judgement” a war was occurring between the Netherlands and Spain. Crispijn could have made the angels and Christ in his painting as non violent to represent and express that violence will not solve any issues and that those who are violent and sin will be sent to Hell. Another noteworthy difference in Crispijn’s painting is that he also focuses on the Devil, making him an important part of the painting. The Devil is never really drawn in Michelangelo’s version or other versions, but in Crispijn’s painting the devil is drawn right in the front of the painting, while also being a focus of many of the people that were sent to Hell.
Before the division of the Low Countries, Dutch and Flemish paintings had been very similar. Even after the division the styles still remained the same; however, their favorite subjects for their artwork changed. The Dutch, who were now mostly Protestant, no longer painted religious pictures, while the Catholic Flemish still did. This can explain why Crispijn decided to paint a religious picture. The ideology of many of the Flemish had three points: God’s work is evident in the world itself; although things in this world are mortal and transitory, no facet of God’s creation is too insubstantial to be noticed, valued, or represented; and that they were chosen people, favored and blessed by God’s protection. The Flemish people were also very moralizing. Even though they enjoyed the pleasures of life, they were well aware that there were consequences to wrong behavior. This could be the reason why Crispijn painted “The Last Judgment.” Crispijn may have believed that Spain’s overtaking of the Low Countries was a sin, so he drew Christ sending the Spanish to Hell while the people of the Low Countries were saved and sent to Heaven. This could also be supported by the fact that Flemish painters were very symbolic in their drawings. Paintings often provided reminders of the brevity of life and the need for moderation and temperance in one’s conduct. During this time, subjects from the Bible, mythology, and ancient history were commonly used to establish parallels between the people’s experience and historical, literary, and political events. Crispijn used this to his advantage and drew a great picture, using Christ’s judgment as a moral message to tell others not to sin. If people were to sin, Crispijn drew the outcome, which was eternal pain and suffering in Hell, where the Devil and demons would torture you. With these details I believe that Crispijn was trying to send this message to the Spanish through his painting.
There are many similarities of Crispijn’s painting of “The Last Judgment” to other versions of this religious event. However, there are differences that make Crispijn’s stand out from others. The differences in his painting could be defined and explained by the area he lived in, the events that were going on during this time, and the way that he was raised. Overall Crispijn does a great job with details and colors while also being able to send a symbolic message to those that saw his painting called “The Last Judgment.”
References
Ainsworth, Maryan W. "Early Netherlandish Painting". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/enet/hd_enet.htm (March 2009)
"Flemish art". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online.
Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 16 Nov. 2015
"Dutch and Flemish Art." Dutch and Flemish Art. The Book of Knowledge, May 2010. Web. 13 Nov. 2015.
"NGA - Dutch and Flemish Painting 16th-17th Centuries." NGA - Dutch and Flemish Painting 16th-17th Centuries. The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.
Harbison, Craig. “Visions and Meditations in Early Flemish Painting”. Simiolus: Netherlands Quarterly for the History of Art 15.2 (1985): 87–118. Web...
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