Hans Memling, born in the year 1430 in Seligenstadt, Germany. In his 64 years of life, “it is believed that Memling served his apprenticeship at Mainz or Cologne, and later worked in the Netherlands under Rogier van der Weyden (c. 1455–1460). He then went to Bruges around 1465.” (Hansmemling, 1)
His triptych work from 1467–1473, The Last Judgment, is believed to have been commissioned by an Italian trader, Angelo Tani. The artwork was being transported to Italy until it was seized by a warship that ended up dropping it off at Danzig, Poland. It was originally commissioned to be hung up in Angelo Tani’s new chapel, Badia Fiesolana, in Florence.
The message behind the piece was something of the popular domain to many artists of that time, the depiction of the last judgment. The left panel of the triptych is the acceptance into Heaven, the middle is a depiction after the rapture of the book Revelations (Purgatory), and the right panel depicts hell. Angelo Tani is even depicted in the artwork on the left when the triptych is closed. It even shows Tani’s soon-to-be wife, Caterina Tanagli across from him on the right closed panel. Furthermore, it is believed that the man on Archangel Michael’s scale is Tommaso Portinari. He was a Bruges banker for the Medici bank much like Angelo Tani who was a manager there. Tommaso Portinari would end up being of high power in Florence since he was raised under the Cosimo de Medici, the elite rich men who ruled over Florence during the Italian Renaissance.
This piece of art is currently held at the National Museum in Gdańsk in Poland. It has been held in Danzig (now Gdańsk) for close to 400 years (approximately 397).
With using the AI generator, I found it very difficult to keep the triptych design, especially, with the two outer panels being represented by Heaven and hell. I chose this picture out of them all since it still shows the same format as Memling. The only thing is that there is a different depiction I collect when looking at this one. First, where Jesus was depicted in Memlings (the center panel above the horizontal point) there’s a different idea that comes to mind for the AI-generated one. I imagine it's the antichrist in the AI-generated since there seems to be a fiery mot to get to him. I believe it depicts the idea that if you want to walk with me (the antichrist) then you have to give up your soul to hell. Secondly, in Memling’s where the Archangel Michael is, I believe that in the AI-generated one Jesus is depicted here. I say this because Jesus goes to the broken people in the Bible and here he isn’t depicted on a pedestal, he just merely personalizes himself humanly with the sinners that come to him. To the left panel, I still believe this to be Heaven for two reasons, one being most of the people here are clothed and the second is that there is a royal-like kingdom behind the people. The right panel still depicts hell to me for the reasons that most of the people there are nude, some sprawling on the ground, and the architecture in the back reminds me of wishbones. I believe the wishbone structures depict an analogy of wishing to have made the right decision to join Christ instead of spending the rest of their days in hell.
The impact of The Last Judgement on me is far beyond the beautiful details, well-formatted structure, and exquisite use of oils and resins. This piece overall portrays a very true to-my-heart matter that will eventually come to serve us all. Everyone can agree that everything you do will come with consequences, for example, good karma/bad karma, everything happens for a reason, and for religious members, it’s judgment day. The judgment day is the day you face the Lord Jesus after death and you dawn on the idea of all misdeeds and sinfulness you have aroused during your life. What will allow you to go to Heaven? No, it's not by being a good person. No, it's not by doing more good than bad. It’s by believing Jesus Christ has died for our sins so we may walk one day with him in the kingdom of Heaven. Jesus made the ultimate sacrifice knowing we as man are sinners and unpure and without his sacrifice, we faced the eternal damnation of hell. For whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life in the Heavenly kingdom. The Last Judgement is when all the believers who have accepted the Lord into their hearts get to walk into the gates of Heaven (as shown on the left panel). The people who haven’t accepted will be misguided by an antichrist figure who will try evermore to pull people into the harsh grasp of Hell. This will be the time of the Jews who have been God’s chosen people. The Jews will be the ones who God works through to save the remaining lost souls. Since Jews believe in the Old Testament and not the New, they will be on Earth during Purgatory. They shall realize that Jesus was the Messiah and they will repent and gather others to follow into the gates of Heaven. The others enthralled by the antichrist shall further satan’s reign of others in hell. In my words, all of this doesn’t sound appealing but it creates a picture of the world and the choices we have in our lives which will get questioned someday.
No matter what you believe we all have similar moral compasses of taboos, laws, and rules. We all can tell when things are good and bad even if we may not know the reason why. This artwork can connect to anyone. It’s a constant reminder of the sinfulness that lies within us and our everyday lives. That there will be a day when everything in our lives catches up to us.
AI as a whole is both an asset and a setback. It’s an asset for adding to an idea of art, by allowing variety and the means of critical view of translation. But, I do agree that it setbacks any originality with art and it punishes the arts by having quicker easier ways to produce art. Why buy a Picasso painting when you can recreate one online and print it for an art decoration? I do believe that art and artist will still survive they just may need to adapt to newer techniques and methods of our century. I personally will always appreciate and respect more from any product that was produced and made by man.
Done by Brice Kingsley
Citations:
“The Last Judgement.” The Last Judgement | Hans Memling, sadostateczny.mng.gda.pl/en. Accessed 21 June 2023.
“Hans Memling: The Last Judgement.” ArtBible.Info, www.artbible.info/art/large/309.html. Accessed 21 June 2023.
“Biblical Art by Hans Memling.” Biblical Art by Hans Memling — 1, www.artbible.info/art/work/hans-memling. Accessed 21 June 2023.
“At a Glance Art Analysis: Hans Memling’s Last Judgment.” BAMPFA STUDENT COMMITTEE, www.bampfa-sc.com/blog/at-a-glance-art-analysis-hans-memlings-last-judgment. Accessed 21 June 2023.
“The History of the Painting: The Last Judgement: Hans Memling: National Museum in Gdańsk.” The Last Judgement | Hans Memling, sadostateczny.mng.gda.pl/en/the-history-of-the-painting. Accessed 21 June 2023.