Measuring 45 by 40 feet, the "Last Judgment" was painted across the entire altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City by the Italian artist Michelangelo between 1536 and 1541, as reported by the Daily Mail. The masterpiece depicts several semi-nude male figures ascending to heaven or descending into Hell on the Day of Judgment.
According to Italian art expert and writer Sara Penko, Mary Magdalene, one of Jesus Christ's most devoted followers, subtly appears in the painting. Mary Magdalene is portrayed here with light hair, kissing the cross of Jesus Christ, the expert states.
"I firmly believe that this is Mary Magdalene," she said at a press conference in Rome, as reported by The Telegraph. "Her closeness to the cross, the yellow dress and light hair, along with the entire context in which Michelangelo places this figure, highlight her significance."
Sara Penko asserts that the man holding the cross in the image is Jesus Christ, not Simon of Cyrene, as previously suggested, the man whom the Romans compelled to carry Jesus' cross on his way to crucifixion.
This interpretation indicates that there are two representations of Jesus in the "Last Judgment" – one on the right with Mary Magdalene, and the other in the center, notes the Daily Mail.
In the central depiction, Christ is surrounded by numerous prominent saints, enveloped in a glow of light, with his mother, the Virgin Mary, standing beside him.
Although their faces appear different, both figures have their right hands in the same position, and their hair is of a similar light shade. Furthermore, both are clean-shaven, which contrasts with traditional portrayals of Jesus with a beard, believed to have been inspired by the ancient Greek statue of Apollo.
While it may seem unusual for the same figure to be depicted twice in one painting, they differ from one another as "Christ the Judge" and "Christ the Redeemer," claims Sara Penko.
"Michelangelo was a masterful artist, a very cultured person, someone who understood the dynamics of the church well, and he knew the Gospels," she added.
It is believed that the "Last Judgment" contains around 300 figures, so even 500 years after its completion, debates about their identities continue. However, Professor Yvonne Dona Shlobitten from the Gregorian University in Rome agrees with Sara Penko's new interpretation.
"With remarkable intuition, Sara Penko has uncovered something that defines the essence of art," reads the preface to the book. "In Penko's reasoning, we can clearly see how iconography and theology are connected in shaping vision. The woman kissing the cross plays a significant role, even if she appears to be concealed at the edges of the image."
Another intriguing detail of the painting is the depiction of the mythological figure Minos at the very bottom, observing the damned as they enter Hell. Minos resembles Biagio da Cesena (1463-1544), a priest and contemporary critic of Michelangelo. It is said that during its creation, Biagio complained about the "Last Judgment," calling it "shameful that all these naked figures were displayed so indecently in such a sacred place."
Michelangelo responded by painting donkey ears on Minos' face (indicating foolishness) and a snake biting him in a sensitive area. When Biagio complained to Pope Paul III, he allegedly joked that his jurisdiction did not extend to hell, and the portrait would have to remain.
It is acknowledged that at the time Michelangelo was working on it, Cardinal Oliviero Carafa condemned him, accusing the artist of immorality and indecency, as some figures displayed their genitals. Senior cardinals, including the papal master of ceremonies, called for the delicate areas to be painted over with fig leaves, as the chapel began to resemble "public baths more than a Christian chapel." The pope refused, but 24 years after Michelangelo's death, fig leaves were painted over the fresco by one of his own students, Daniele da Volterra.
As the Daily Mail reminds us, a recent study revealed that a woman in another painting by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel, "The Flood," was depicted with symptoms of breast cancer.