The Last Judgment

“A full and fascinating account of the history and personalities involved in the creation of one of the world’s most forbidding and beautiful frescoes.” —Ross King, bestselling author of Brunelleschi’s Dome and Michaelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling

Painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, twenty-eight years after Michelangelo completed the glorious and hopeful ceiling, The Last Judgment is full of stark images depicting the End of Days. James Connor uses the famous fresco as the lens by which to view the end of the Renaissance, arguing that Michelangelo's imagery and composition reflect the religious and political upheavals of the time.

Combining his flair for storytelling with incisive historical analysis, Connor demonstrates how the Counter-Reformation arose from the ashes of Renaissance Italy, and how that sea change altered the course of Western history.

“Connor is a joy to read. . . . The Last Judgment is a great window into so many fascinating rooms: the Renaissance, the papacy, Michaelangelo and the fresco itself, which is often overshadowed by the more famous Sistine ceiling.” —The Catholic Sun

“Connor’s narrative is compelling, his writing vivid and evocative. An indispensable perspective for the general reader as well as fresh insights for the specialist.” —Publishers Weekly