[Michelangelo Buonarroti]

The Last Judgement. [Sistine Chapel.]

      c1590.. Cut to margin and laid-down, fine impression.. 12.5 x 9 1/4. A print based on Michelangelo's fresco of the Apocalypse for the Sistine chapel (1536-41). [See: Frances Carey, The Vision of the Apocalypse in the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, 1999, p188-9].#11;At the top is a small oval with Michelangelo's portrait. This engraving more than any other copy after Michelangelo served to spread his influence. There are versions by Martino Rosa, Jan Wierix (both with the portrait facing left rather than right as here),Leonard Gaultier (facing right as here) as well as two anonymous artists including "M" thought to be Matthias Greuter (1564-1638). #11;Paul Colomb de Batines & Guido Biagi in their Bibliografia Dantesca argue that Michelangelo's Apocalypse is based on Dante and gives an extensive list of prints on p339[Our print has an "M' added to the upper right in pencil and a signature in ink "M.F." in the lower right. A 19th c. hand on the verso has identified this as Mantegna but this is an incorrect ascription.#11;