On This Day
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Michelangelo finishes painting "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City [1]

The Last Judgment (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

The Last Judgment (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity. The dead rise and descend to their fates, as judged by Christ who is surrounded by prominent saints. Altogether there are over 300 figures, with nearly all the males and angels originally shown as nudes; many were later partly covered up by painted draperies, of which some remain after recent cleaning and restoration.

The work took over four years to complete between 1536 and 1541 (preparation of the altar wall began in 1535).

Historical Significance

The Last Judgment (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.

Key People

Michelangelo

artist and architect

Italian artist and architect

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Events Before

  1. The first recorded horse race meeting in England is held at Roodee Fields in Chester

    Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, close to the England–Wales border.

  2. Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition sets off from Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Gold (Cibola)

    Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through what is now parts of the southwestern United...

  3. German Protestant Count Philip of Hessen bigamously marries 2nd wife Margarethe von der Saale, causing a scandal

    German Protestant Count Philip of Hessen bigamously marries 2nd wife Margarethe von der Saale, causing a scandal

  4. English King Henry VIII annuls his 6 month marriage to his 4th wife Anne of Cleves, on the grounds of non-consummation a

    English King Henry VIII annuls his 6 month marriage to his 4th wife Anne of Cleves, on the grounds of non-consummation and her pre-contract to Francis of Lorraine

  5. English King Henry VIII (49) weds Catherine Howard (16 or 17), his 5th wife

    Henry VIII (28 June 1491 – 28 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547.

Events After

  1. Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sets sail from the Mexican port of Navidad on the first European voyage to explore the west coas

    Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo sets sail from the Mexican port of Navidad on the first European voyage to explore the west coast of North America for the Spanish Empire

  2. Rabbi Joseph Caro completes his major work, the "Beit Yosef," a voluminous commentary on the "Arba'ah Turim" code

    Rabbi Joseph Caro completes his major work, the "Beit Yosef," a voluminous commentary on the "Arba'ah Turim" code

  3. Princess Mary Stuart succeeds her father James V and becomes Queen Mary I of Scotland at 6 days old

    Mary of Guise (French: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V.

  4. English Parliament passes bill of attainder against Queen Katherine Howard

    Catherine Howard (1523 – 13 February 1542) was Queen of England from July 1540 until November 1541 as the fifth wife of King Henry VIII.

  5. Portuguese under Christovão da Gama capture a Muslim-occupied hillfort in northern Ethiopia in the Battle of Baçente

    Portuguese under Christovão da Gama capture a Muslim-occupied hillfort in northern Ethiopia in the Battle of Baçente

More from the 1540s

Ivan the Terrible, aged 17, crowns himself the first Tsar of Russia

Ivan IV Vasilyevich, commonly known as Ivan the Terrible, was Grand Prince of Moscow and all Russia from 1533 to 1547, and the first Tsar and Grand Prince of all Russia from 1547 until his death in…

Russian Tsar Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible] (17) marries Anastasia Romanova (17)

Russian Tsar Ivan IV [Ivan the Terrible] (17) marries Anastasia Romanova (17)

The first recorded horse race meeting in England is held at Roodee Fields in Chester

Chester is a cathedral city in Cheshire, England, on the River Dee, close to the England–Wales border.

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado's expedition sets off from Mexico in search of the Seven Cities of Gold (Cibola)

Francisco Vázquez de Coronado was a Spanish conquistador and explorer who led a large expedition from what is now Mexico to present-day Kansas through what is now parts of the southwestern United...

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on October 31, 1541?
The Last Judgment (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. It is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment by God of all humanity. The dead rise and descend to their fates, as judged by Christ who is surrounded by prominent saints.
Why is Michelangelo finishes painting "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall of the S... significant?
The Last Judgment (Italian: Il Giudizio Universale) is a fresco by the Italian Renaissance painter Michelangelo covering the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City.
Who was involved in Michelangelo finishes painting "The Last Judgment" on the altar wall of the S...?
Key figures include Michelangelo (artist and architect).

Explore More

October 31 in HistoryYear 1541