Summary
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco, begun in 1508 after a disagreement with Julius II and unveiled in 1512, expresses the full ideal of his conceptions in the unwonted medium of fresco, despite his preference for sculpture. The work's subject matter encompasses Creation, the Fall, and the preparation for the Redeemer, structured by painted architecture that frames nine fields depicting the history of the sinful human race up to Noah. Around the dome, prophets, sibyls, and boy-angels point to approaching redemption, while ancestors of Christ fill the lunettes and pendentives.
The frescoes demonstrate technical excellence, blending the divine, prophetic, and human with original conceptions. Michelangelo's skill is evident in the animated human figures, anatomically correct forms, and harmonious blend of forms and colors, despite initial reluctance to undertake the project. The ceiling also features nude youths adorning the cornice and a grand depiction of the Last Judgment on the altar-wall, which later faced objections regarding nudity.
Key concepts
- Painted architecture frame — A structural element within the fresco that visually divides and encloses the painted scenes.
- Nine fields of the smooth vault — Specific sections of the ceiling containing narratives from the Old Testament.
- Pendentives — Vaulted triangular spaces used to house figures like prophets, sibyls, and boy-angels.
- Lunettes — Areas above windows, depicted with representations of Christ's ancestors.
- Nude youths — Figures adorning the cornice of the painted architecture.
- The Last Judgment — A separate, large fresco on the altar-wall painted later by Michelangelo.
From the book
Title: Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo← Joannes Bunderius Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) Michelangelo Buonarroti by Gerhard Gietmann Burchard of Basle → From volume 3 of the work. 96435 Catholic Encyclopedia (1913) — Michelangelo Buonarroti Gerhard Gietmann Italian sculptor, painter, and architect, b. at Caprese in the valley of the upper Arno, 6 March, 1475; d. at Rome, 18 February, 1564. Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists of all times, came from a noble Florentine family of small means, and in 1488 was apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandajo. While apprentice, he excited the admiration of his master by the life-like animation of this drawings, and upon Ghirlandajo's recommendation, and a the wish of Lorenzo the Magnificent, he received further training (1489-92) in the palace of…
Popular questions readers ask
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