The Last Judgment (Klontzas)

The Last Judgment, otherwise known as The Second Coming, is a late 16th-century Eastern Orthodox icon by Georgios Klontzas.

In Christianity, the Second Coming of Christ is believed to be the final and infinite judgment by God of the people of every nation, resulting in the salvation for some and the damnation for others.

This icon and other works by Klontzas are currently preserved in the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice, Italy.

Both The Last Judgement Triptych and this work are preserved in the collection of the Hellenic Institute of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Studies in Venice, Italy.

Around the vertical axis above the river of fire, which ends in Hell, Jesus Christ appears in his Second Coming on Earth as both the Redeemer and judge before humankind; to his left is John the Baptist, and the Virgin Mary is on his right.

[2][5] To the right and left of the cross, a magnificent musical ensemble appears, and four open books are presented by the artist.

A large figure, the Jewish prophet Daniel, is sitting on a rock, he holds a tablet facing the sinners.

To our bottom left, there is a group of figures, the Greek inscription above them reads: "monks and martyrs".

The top group below the band to our left features Israelite kings, biblical patriarchs, and other figures from the Old Testament.