The last judgement and the seventh act of mercy

Bernard van Orley painted this Last Judgment and the Seventh Act of Mercy around 1520, combining the apocalyptic vision of divine judgment with a depiction of the corporal works of mercy—in this case, burying the dead. The Last Judgment was one of the most theologically significant subjects in Christian devotional art, and Van Orley's version combines the traditional cosmic imagery of the judgment with the practical ethical dimension of the works of mercy that were the criterion by which souls would be judged. As court painter to Margaret of Austria, Van Orley had both the resources and the theological sophistication to create complex allegorical programs combining doctrinal content with emotional impact. The work served both devotional and didactic functions, the visual presentation of divine judgment encouraging acts of mercy in the viewer's daily life.

The panel demonstrates the refined Netherlandish technique with careful surface finish, luminous color, and the meticulous rendering characteristic of the artist's workshop production.