Michelangelo S Sistine Chapel Essay Research Paper

Michelangelo S Sistine Chapel Essay, Research Paper

Michelangelo s Sistine Chapel

During the Renaissance period, there were many great artistic achievements that were incredible. Michelangelo Buonarroti was one of the most famous personalities from this era. He was an accomplished artist, sculptor, architect, and poet who created many astounding works. Some of his great accomplishments were his sculptures of David and the Pieta. He is probably most remembered for painting the ceiling at the Sistine Chapel in Rome. It has been called the most incredible achievement in the Western World. Michelangelo began this endeavor in the fall of 1508 to 1512; during this time he painted some of the finest pictorial images of all time.

Pope Sixtus IV, of the della Revere family, is known throughout history as a great scholar who spurred humanistic and religious learning during his reign. One of his greatest achievements was the decision to build a new papal Chapel that was as strong as a fortress. It was named the Sistine Chapel and it became the capital of Western Christendom. It was damaged in 1504 when a collapse in its structure caused a large crack to appear in the ceiling. Pope Julius II, Sixtus nephew, succeeded him in 1503 he decided that the most important Chapel in Christendom must be renovated. He wanted to replace the existing ceiling, which was a galaxy of silver stars on a blue ceiling. Julius decided that Michelangelo would be the one that would repaint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

In April 1508, Julius II summoned Michelangelo back to Rome; he thought the Pope was summoning him to tell him to continue with the statue for Julius s tomb. The Pope didn t want to talk about the project; he had a new one in mind for Michelangelo, a huge fresco painting for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo didn t want the project because he knew it was an impossible task and one that would require him to forgo his true love, sculpting. Julius s chief architect, Bramante didn t like the idea of Michelangelo being considered for the job. He questioned Michelangelo s lack of experience with painting figures and designing them in foreshortening, which he felt was essential for ceiling decoration. He also questioned whether Michelangelo had the courage to take on such a huge task. After Michelangelo had gotten word of Bramante s negative statements of his abilities and character, he dropped an important fresco commitment in Florence and took on the task of repainting the famed Sistine Chapel. This may have been the start of the Bramante-Michelangelo feud that spanned many years afterwards.

Michelangelo worked on the ceiling from July 1508 to October 31, 1512. He hired five assistants to aid him in the painting process. However the work did not proceed as the master wished, and he soon fired all of his assistants, removed what had already been painted and, between the end of 1508 and January 1509, recommenced the whole enterprise on his own. Michelangelo painted three hundred and thirty-six assorted figures on the Sistine ceiling. This was an incredible feat and in the present, three hundred thirty-five and one-half of these figures still remain. Michelangelo had turned the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel to one of the greatest artistic feats of the Renaissance or any period in time.

The paintings on the ceiling are done in fresco, which is an incredibly difficult process. It has been described by many artists to be the most manly form of great painting methods where only the most confident and talented artists could excel. The fresco method of painting is similar to the lore of Michelangelo, almost mythical and larger than life. The method of fresco painting is somewhat simplistic, but incredibly difficult to master. An area of wet plaster is laid down on a specifically prepared ground and then the artist s paints on it. The colors of the pigments applied to he plaster fuse together while it dries. The result is a beautiful union of colors and plaster that cannot be matched by any other method of painting. Each area of the plaster that is to be painted is called a giornata, a day s work.

The problems of fresco painting are somewhat obvious. The time that the artist has to apply the paint is very limited and it usually means that the artist has only one attempt to successfully accomplish their objective before it dries. The artist s first brushstroke is incredibly important because of this major time constraint. Fresco is obviously not suited for the faint hearted. The advantages of fresco must be seen first hand to truly understand its beauty. Michelangelo was a master of fresco painting because of the skill and efficiency of his technique.

When the ceiling is analyzed, it is obvious that Michelangelo was incredibly efficient with his limited brushstrokes. For example, the famous reclining Adam took only four giornate while The God who made him only took three. It was also obvious that Michelangelo worked with great speed, which is probably the most impressive aspect of the ceiling. One of the reasons that Michelangelo was able to paint so quickly was a result of things that he didn t paint such as the fact that he left the white of Adam s eye unpainted in order for the white color of the plaster to give it life. The famous little penis of Adam consisted of only two brushstrokes and must have taken him no more than a coupl