The Last Judgement and the Seven Works of Mercy, closed (oil on panel)

Triptych commissioned by the Almoners of the Cathedral of Our Lady in Antwerp. At the centre, Christ, seated on a rainbow that symbolises the covenant between God and Humankind, passes Final Judgement. The Archangel Michael assists him by weighing the souls to separate the Just and the Damned. The former are admitted to Paradise, the latter are condemned to Hell. The Virgin Mary and John the Baptist, each accompanied by six apostles, are seated at the top of the wings. Works of mercy are feeding the hungry, giving the thirsty a drink, clothing the naked, sheltering the homeless, comforting the sick, ransoming religious prisoners, burying the dead.