In this impressive altarpiece, Rogier van der Weyden produced an innovative representation of a common theme, Christ's Last Judgment of humankind. Commissiioned by Chancellor Nicolas Rolin for the Hôtel-Dieu (hospital) he had established in Beaune, this polyptych had various functions. In addition to demonstrating the piety and generosity of rolin, who is depicted along with his wife kneeling in prayer on the cover, the altarpiece was also meant to aid in patient treatment. General beliefs of the tie attributed horrific physical and mental maladies to God's displeasure; thus, in an effot to overcome what they saw as divine punishment, the sick, and those wishing to avoid illness, prayed to patron saints as part of their treatment. Saint Sebastian and Saint Anthony, both seen as intercessors for curing or warding off the plague, are painted ont eh exterior cover. this ambitious work was intented to rival Jan van Eyck's Ghent Altarpiece in both scale and splendor, an aim that is made clear by Rogier's choice to adopt eh composition and program of that altarpiece's cover. However, in the interior, Rogier created a unique depiction of the Last Judgment, a theme commonly treated in art of the time. Scenes, like this one, depicting an apocolyptic vision of Judgment Day were often intended to warn against sin by illustrating the potential fate of those who turned away from the Christian Church. Rogier did include some traditional Gothic compositional elements: Christ as Judge seated on a rainbow surrounded by angels bearing instruments of the passion, St. Michael weighing the souls of men, the intercessors Mary and John the Baptist flanked by the apostles and various saints, and the nude figures of resurrected humankind. However, by eliminating certain elements, such as the battle between angels and demons for the souls of the resurrected as well as the horrific torments executed upon the wicked by devilish creatures in hell, Rogier provides a distinctive, and reather bleak, interpretation of this monumental event. The ...