Although born in Germany, Hans Memling spent most of his career working in the Flemish town of Bruges. Last Judgment is a wonderful example of his distinct style, which combines Germanic spirituality and gracefulness with the Flemish obsession for rich, naturalistic detail. This triptych, one of the earliest and most remarkable of Memling’s works, depicts Christ’s Last Judgment of humankind, a theme commonly treated in art of the time. Scenes, like this one, depicting an apocalyptic 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. The influence of the celebrated Rogier van der Weyden, with whom Memling may have studied, is apparent in several compositional components, particularly the traditional Gothic elements of 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, Memling’s portrayal is more complex and splendidly detailed. This image depicts a detail from the central panel, where an enthroned Christ judges with justice and mercy, as signaled by the sword and lily emerging from his face. Typical of Memling’s style is the brilliant coloring, graceful figures and the convincing representation of various textures. ; 87 x 63.4 in (central panel)