In 2008 a collector persuaded Jean Thomassen to accept a commission. Although the man did not realize it, he was responsible for the rebirth of the artist who had become so depressed after many of his works, including those in the legendary Enneking Collection, had been lost in the disastrous fire. “What is the point of painting if the best things you have created burn down?” he asked. The response was: “Jean, that is true all times – this is the moment to start all over again. Paint me a triptych in the style of Jeroen Bosch, but do not copy him. It must be an original work, a genuine Jean Thomassen. Take your time and try to create a masterpiece”.
A triptych is a painting that is divided into three sections – a broad central with two wings that are often hinged so that they can be folded shut or displayed open. The form rises from early Christian art when they were used as alter pieces in cathedrals or churches. The inner panels are usually the only ones to be painted, but in the work of Jean Thomassen the outside of the folding wings are also painted making it effectively a pentaptych.
The result of the commission was Last Judgement Day an extraordinary work that was painted between 2006 and 2011.
The last Judgment day . There is a film on Youtube