Het Laatste Oordeel
1535 - 1587
Medium
etching
Dimensions
422; 573
About this artwork
collector's mark: Lugt 240
Art Historical Context
**Het Laatste Oordeel (The Last Judgment)** Giovanni Battista Fontana's striking etching *Het Laatste Oordeel a masterful depiction of the biblical Last Judgment created by this 16th-century Veronese (active c. 1535–1587). Measuring 573 mm high by 422 mm wide, this large-scale print captures the dramatic chaos of souls rising, angels trumpeting, and the divine in a swirling composition typical of Renaissance interpretations of apocalyptic themes. Etching, the medium here, was a revolutionary technique in the mid-16th century, allowing artists like Fontana—known for his work in Venice—to ac...
About the Artist
Giovanni Battista Fontana
Giovanni Battista Fontana (1524-1587) was an Italian painter and engraver from the Veneto region who achieved his greatest success working for the Habsburg court in Austria. Born at Ala near Verona in 1524 (not Venice as sometimes stated) and dying on September 25, 1587, Fontana's career exemplifies the mobility of skilled artists in the sixteenth century and the importance of aristocratic patrona...