What do the figures of Charon and the River Styx represent in Michelangelo’s Last Judgment?

In Michelangelo’s The Last Judgment, the figures of Charon and the River Styx serve as a pagan motif depicting the transport of damned souls into the underworld.12

While these elements originate from classical mythology, their inclusion in a Christian masterpiece is attributed to the influence of Dante Alighieri. Dante had previously integrated these figures into his Divine Comedy, effectively making them acceptable for use in Christian art. Michelangelo’s incorporation of this imagery was also influenced by the Umbrian artist Luca Signorelli, who had introduced the motif into painting around 1500.12

By placing Charon at the bottom right of the fresco, Michelangelo emphasizes the finality of the judgment, illustrating the descent of the damned as they are ferried across the river to their eternal fate.12