Group from Last Judgment, St. Bartholomew, St. Peter, and other Apostles

Art Historical Context

This engraving captures a dynamic grouping of apostles from Michelangelo’s monumental fresco *The Last Judgment* (1536–1541) on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. Created by Domenico del Barbiere after Michelangelo’s design, the print focuses on Saint Bartholomew—traditionally shown holding his flayed skin—and Saint Peter clutching the keys of heaven, surrounded by other apostles. The composition reflects the fresco’s intense drama, with twisting figures and powerful anatomy that embody the emotional and spiritual fervor of the Counter-Reformation era. Michelangelo’s *Last Judgment* marked a dramatic shift from the serene Renaissance ideal to a more turbulent Mannerist vision, emphasizing divine judgment and human vulnerability. Prints such as this one played a vital role in the sixteenth century by circulating the artist’s revolutionary imagery far beyond Rome, allowing viewers across Europe to study its bold forms and expressive gestures. Del Barbiere’s precise engraving technique translates the fresco’s sculptural quality into fine lines, preserving the monumental scale and emotional intensity of the original for generations of artists and admirers. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum’s collection of prints and drawings, this sheet offers a window into how Renaissance masterpieces reached wider audiences through the reproductive power of engraving.

About the Artist

Michelangelo Buonarroti|Domenico del Barbiere · 1475–1564

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475–1564) stands as the quintessential figure of the Italian High Renaissance, a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet whose mastery across disciplines embodied the era's humanist ideals. Born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese within the Republic of Florence to a modest family—his father, Lodovico di Buonarroti Simoni, served as a minor magistrate—Michelang...