Highly decorative scenes of the damned in agony, the saved ascending to heaven and a simple, yet historic note that reads “Gislebertus hoc fecit” which translates to “Gislebertus made this” (Stokstad and Cothern, 2013), makes the Last Judgment Tympanum at Autun, an important piece of artwork during the Romanesque period. While the connection to Roman sculpture is clearly visible, harkening the intricate, multi scene figures in examples like the Sarcophagus of Junius Bassus (Stokstad and Cothern, 2013), deeper scrutiny shows a connection to previous cultures and innately expounded upon one another.
Resurrection of Roman art, in conjunction with the spread of Christianity, led to religious pilgrimages, where religious relics and elaborate artwork
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Scripture from the Book of Revelations reads “And among the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet” (Revelations 1:13). Jesus is depicted by Gislebertus coming down to earth in the end of days, as the people below await atonement. Stokstad and Cothern (2013) assert “…angels physically assist the resurrected bodies rising from their tombs, guiding them to line up and await their turn at being judge…the archangel Michael competes with devils over the fate of someone whose judgment is being weighed on the scales of good and evil” (p. 483). Similarly, Gabriel (2001) discussing Egyptian religion during states “It was the heart as the seat of truth that was weighed against a single feather in the final judgment by Osiris to determine its truthfulness…If the judgment was negative, the heart of the deceased was thrown to the “Devourer of Hearts…the monster ate the wanting heart on the spot whereupon the deceased suffered the most horrible of Egyptian fates…” (p.117) which is depicted in Judgment of Hunefer Before Osiris. Both pieces of art depict a God who judges all and those less fortunate would be