Hans Memling's triptych "The Last Judgement", commissioned by the representative of the Medicis' bank in Bruges, was originally destinated to one of the churches in Florence. The painting was captured on its way from Bruges to Italy by Paul Benecke (P. Benecke comanded the caravel "Peter of Gdansk") and brought to St. Mary's Church in Gdansk.
It was a time of the war between Hanse and England.
During the "northern war" tsar Peter the Great wanted to take the painting to Russia.
Napoleon war carried the picture to the museum in Paris.
After the downfall of the emperor "The Last Judgement" travelled to Berlin.
At that time Gdansk was under the Prussian control and the painting had been returned to St. Mary's Church and was there till the Second World War.
During the war Germans transferred it to Thuringia but Red Army took the picture to Leningrad to the "Hermitage" Museum.
The spring 1956 allowed for the painting come back to Gdansk.
The triptych has been exhibited in National Museum in Gdansk since September 1956.
Its measures: the central piece 222 x 161 cm, and the wings 222 x 80 cm.
In the central part the Last Day is imagined.
On the left side the redeemed enter the Heaven and on the right wing we see what will happen with the damned.
Nowadays the painting is exhibited in museums all over the world.
The citizens of Gdansk and visitors had the opportunity to compare the vision of the Last Day of Michelangelo Buonarotti and Hans Memling (exhibition "The Vision of the Last Day" in National Museum in Gdansk).
The citizens of Milwaukee had the opportunity to see the picture together with the painting of Leonardo da Vinci.
Actually "The Last Judgement" is a gem of the exhibition "Thesauri Poloniae" in Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna.
On the Message Board please find some announcements concerning the travelling of "The Last Judgement".
If you had the opportunity to see the painting anywhere or some work of Hans Memling kindly please share your impression with us and give us your comments on the Message Board".
Thank you !!!
| The Last Judgement Hans Memling (1433/40-1494)
Bruges, 1467-1471
Oil and tempera on panel
Gdansk,National Museum | 
visit card designed by volkoren |
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HANS MEMLING "The Last Judgement" - EXHIBITIONS
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