The Last Judgment

A prolific artist in many media, Albrecht Altdorfer produced religious prints often in miniature format. In this woodcut, an atmosphere of intimacy invites the attentive viewer to participate in the scene. For example, an opening in the immediate foreground provides ample space for the viewer to imagine kneeling within the circle of believers around Christ. The deep background shading emphasizes the spotlit figures and faces as well as the airborne accents of the trumpeting angels and Christ’s gesticulating hands, which enliven the scene with sound and movement, respectively. In turn, the varied sightlines and expressive faces of the worshippers, the angels, and Christ help to create a joyful tone.

While the angel wings in Dürer’s Sudarium Displayed by Two Angels (see Acc. No. 1979.1) were based on the study of real bird wings, the wings of Altdorfer’s angels resemble clouds in the sky. They can almost be read as landscape elements, while also underscoring the angels’ connection to the cosmic realm. Momentarily absent from the everyday world and immersed in the dynamic scene, the viewer hovers between real and sacred zones.