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Last Judgment

Date: 15th century
Dimensions:
15 7/16 × 10 5/8 × 2 in. (39.2 × 27 × 5.1 cm)
Medium: gilded and polychrome alabaster
Place of Origin: possibly Nottingham, England
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey
Object number: 1969.230
Label Text:In Christian Catholic belief, at the Second Coming of Christ, the dead will emerge from their tombs and be judged, sending them to heaven or hell. In this panel of the Last Judgment, Christ sits enthroned upon a rainbow with an orb, representing the world, at his feet. He is flanked by angels holding instruments used during his mocking and crucifixion, a lance and whip on the left, and a column and hammer on the right. Instead of the usual portrayal of the Resurrection of the Dead, with the dead rising from tombs or the earth, this panel depicts six diminutive, naked souls kneeling in prayer below Christ’s feet and awaiting final judgment. Kneeling on either side, Mary and Saint John the Baptist act as intercessors and recite prayers—represented by the scrolls emanating from their bodies--for salvation of the souls of the dead.
Description[case]
England, Nottingham

Scene from the Last Judgment
Alabaster with paint and gilding, about 1460
Purchased with funds from the Libbey Endowment, Gift of Edward Drummond Libbey, 1969.230




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In Collection(s)