This dramatic tryptych depicts the biblical Last Judgment, with Christ portrayed seated on a rainbow and surrounded by his apostles. Below, angels blow trumpets and the archangel Michael weighs souls in a representation of the resurrected dead. This depiction adheres to common iconography associated with this event.

In respect to the piece's stylistic elements, the sculptures display a certain rigidity characteristic of the period, but also demonstrate meticulous detailing. Different sculptural techniques, such as low and high relief, distinguish between various scenes and character types. Notably, some remnants of the original paint are still discernible, including the blue-green hue symbolic of the heavenly sphere, red and yellow indicative of fire, and earth tones associated with the human figures and the earth.


Polycam
Master Bertram
ca. 1400
Victoria and Albert Museum
Hamburg, Germany
Triptych