El Juicio Final (The Last Judgement)

Unknown, Alto Peruvian

18th century

painting

oil on canvas

Gift of Gerry S. Culpepper

2013.133

© Phoenix Art Museum. All rights reserved. Photo by Mike Lundgren.

Latin American

No

This monumental painting is based on a 1606 engraving of the Last Judgment by French artist Philipe Tomassin (reproduced below). Images of God the Father, the dove of the Holy Spirit, Jesus, Saint Francis, and Saint Michael structure the painting along a central axis. On either side are rows of clouds upon which kneel music-making angels, saints, and apostles. At the bottom right, fantastic demons torment sinners, while on the bottom left, angels save the souls of the pious. The painting can be dated with considerable accuracy because of the coat of arms and inscription devoted to King Carlos III, who reigned from 1759 to 1788. This painting would have served as a graphic warning for sinners to repent as well as a reminder of the heavenly rewards awaiting the devout. Spanish textual inscriptions are painted throughout the painting’s lower quadrant, including the repeated legend: “Rise up, dead, and come to be judged.” Below the souls in hell, the inscription reads, in part: “We who have lived with neither fear nor law, driven by appetites and passions that have tormented us, here in the misery of our misdeeds which we must pay for an eternity.” In contrast, on the left side, the text relating to those whose souls are being saved is directed to the angels, and reads: “Remember us, friends, and have pity on our sorrows.”