The Last Judgement Michelangelo’s Self-Portrait

The Last Judgement Michelangelo's Self-Portrait

Artist: Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 Caprese – 1564 Roma)
Date: c. 1534-1541
Dimensions: 13.7 m x 12 m
Medium: Painting on alter wall
Location: Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo was a private man, so there is no documented self-portrait of Michelangelo but he did include himself in his work. The only other accepted “self-portrait” of Michelangelo appears to be in the monumental Last Judgement. His features appear on flayed skin held by Saint Bartholomew, according to legends Bartholomew was skinned alive for his religious beliefs. In many of Saint Bartholomew appearances on statues and paintings he is mostly holding his own flayed skin, it’s interesting that Michelangelo preferred to be remembered as this mysterious person by including himself in this painting as flayed skin and not whole.