Comparative Thematology with Regards to the Humanism in Hieronymus Bosch's and Michelangelo’s The Last Judgement Paintings through Erwin Panofsky's Iconology Approach

One of the main beliefs in Christianity is the belief in the return of Christ in the end times and his final judgment. Through this just judgment, the eternal place of human beings in Heaven or Hell is determined. There are numerous references such as the holy books and texts about this return that its conditions are the topic matters of this research. In the scriptures, the return of Christ for final judgment takes place in two stages. The first return occurs in the sky, and the second return, known as the Last Judgment, occurs on Earth. The Last Judgment has been one of the topics to which Christian artists paid great attention in different eras. The fourteenth, fifteenth, and sixteenth centuries of Europe, known as the renaissance, are the period of the rebirth of thought in all fields. Some thinkers focused on the renaissance of traditional education and some on the rebirth of new knowledge. In these developments, the great tendency of people to the classic works of the past culture was called "Humanism". In these developments, southern Europe, including Italy, was mainly focused on the lexical and intellectual heritage of Cicero and the classic works of Greek and Roman civilization; and, in northern Europe, including Flanders, Christian Humanism was formed under the influence of Erasmus. The main motto at the time was "Return to the Sources", and the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek languages, as well as the works of the early Church Fathers, were highly regarded. Hieronymus Bush of the Netherlands (1450-1516 AD) and Michelangelo of Italy (1475-1564 AD) are two prominent European artists of the 15th and 16th centuries who have dealt with the subject of "Last Judgment". Bush's mysterious art had little in common with the Flemish and Dutch paintings of the time. Hence, his art has been considered an autonomous art. The features of his work are such that his art is often seen as a full-blown mirror of the insurances and hopes of the decline of the Middle Ages with images of torment and fear, painful daily life, and sometimes images of Heaven and salvation. There are three paintings on the subject of the Last Judgment in Belgium, Vienna, and Munich attributed to Bush. In this study, the one which is kept in Belgium (Bruges) is comparatively investigated with the painting of Michelangelo on the wall of a Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo is a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet and one of the most important figures of the Renaissance. "Last Judgment" was one of the first works of art that Paul III commissioned to this artist after the election as the papal in 1534. The objective of this research is to examine the differences and similarities between perspectives of the two artists of Renaissance, Bosch and Michelangelo, on the Last Judgement. The reason for choosing these two works is the historical importance and significance of the artists who created them in the history of art due to the researcher's mental concern about the subject and the knowledge gained from previous studies on these two works. This qualitative research has been done with descriptive, analytical, and comparative methods. The research questioned the thematic and topical differences and similarities between Michelangelo’s and Bosch's The Last Judgment. This research was based on the theory of reflection, and it hypothesized that there is a relation between the existence and substantiality of the created artworks and the characteristics of a historical period, a social group, or an individual. In reading the images, Panofsky's iconographic approach to finding the objective reality of the image and understanding what is depicted in the work of art is considered. In conducting the research, first, the subject of the Last judgment and different perspectives in relation to this event were examined in order to obtain general knowledge about the subject of the works. Afterward, two artists, Hieronymus Bush and Michelangelo, are introduced as related topics regarding their artistic style. Finally, the works of each have been examined and matched, both in terms of visual and structural values and in terms of meaning. Information analysis shows that although the subject of these two works is the same and the socio-historical conditions at the time of creation have similarities, the style and mentality of the artist have played a major role in creating the content and message conveyed by the works. The studies show that loyalty to the narration of events, simultaneous representation of the two stages of judgment, and depicting the elements in the Last Judgment are the similarities of the two artworks. What is obvious at first glance is that the same theme, and the similar Humanistic approach of both artists in creating images, are powerful similarities and commonalities that serve to send a religious message. However, the important point is that these two pillars in the process of creating the work and passing through the artist's world, by sending different messages from two separate paths, reach the desired result of the artist. These works have been created with a Humanistic approach and yet are influenced by two different historical roots. While being loyal to the religious narrative of the Last Judgment, both artists have depicted the religious text based upon their own personal ideology and worldview, so the eventual theme and message that is proposed in each work have found an utterly personal content. Bush's Humanism is influenced by the philosophy and form of Humanism of medieval Christianity; and, it seeks to distinguish between man and what is superior to him. The atmosphere of this work is based on the representation of suffering as one of the defining Christian teachings; therefore, Hell and the depiction of its atmosphere have been closer to the artist's thought. In his work, Bosch has depicted the subject on three wooden panels by focusing on humankind’s lowliness vis-à-vis the Sublime. In the upper part of the image, in the peace and sanctity of God, without showing the instruments of torture and harassment, Christ watches over those present in the image and the viewers of the work. The depicted scene is like a visual sermon that, along with the kindness of Christ, conveys punishment and fear of punishment to the general public. Nevertheless, Michelangelo's Humanism is a new re-enactment of Greek Humanism and a construct of thought that distinguishes man from what is superior to him, whether animals or even uncivilized people. With a focus on the pivotal role of humankind and while narrating a Christian teaching using images based upon the art of ancient Greece, Michelangelo has immortalized the birth and the young movement of Renaissance Humanism on the great altar wall of the famous Sistine Chapel. In the middle of the work, Christ, with half of his face in the shadows and thus obscuring the authority of his gaze, is listening to the question of the questioners with a human action similar to the other figures. Hence, we are faced with two works with unique stylistic features that need to be read more carefully. These works have been created with a Humanistic approach but were influenced by two different historical roots. The study of the composition used in the two works shows their adherence to the themes desired by the artists. In Bush's painting, the Last Judgment as a religious belief is the main theme and is conveyed to the audience; however, in Michelangelo's painting, the first and last thing that will engage the audience is the fate of man. The present elements and the quality of their presence in Bush's paintings are a function of the torment of the Last Judgment; and, in Michelangelo's painting, such elements are influenced by their relationship to humans and their effect on their real lives. Consequently, it can be said that the work of Hieronymus Bosch is created for God and Michelangelo’s for humankind.