Musea

Scene

The artwork presents a panoramic vision of the Last Judgment, organized into a heavenly upper zone and an earthly lower zone. The lowest register shows the resurrection of the dead, with the blessed moving toward a heavenly portal and the damned driven toward a rocky Hell.

Figures

Christ sits enthroned on a rainbow as Judge, displaying his wounds, and is flanked by the Virgin Mary and Saint John the Baptist. Archangel Michael stands below holding scales to weigh human souls.

Symbolism

Angels hold the instruments of the Passion to recall Christ’s sacrifice, while the weighing of souls links physical weight to moral worth. The exterior features saints associated with healing, relevant to the hospital’s patients.

Craft

The artist uses oil on oak panels to achieve luminous flesh and reflective fabrics, while grisaille painting on the exterior imitates stone sculpture.

Impact

This altarpiece is a masterpiece of Early Netherlandish painting that influenced later Last Judgment imagery and highlighted the role of art in hospital contexts.