Sistine Chapel ceiling

The Sistine Chapel ceiling (Italian: Soffitto della Cappella Sistina), painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art. The Sistine Chapel is the large papal chapel built within the Vatican between 1477 and 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV, for whom the chapel is named. The ceiling was painted at the commission of Pope Julius II. The ceiling's various painted elements form part of a larger scheme of decoration within the chapel. Prior to Michelangelo's contribution, the walls were painted by several leading artists of the late 15th century including Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Pietro Perugino. After the ceiling was painted, Raphael created a set of large tapestries (1515–1516) to cover the lower portion of the wall. Michelangelo returned to the chapel to create The Last Judgment, a large wall fresco situated behind the altar. The chapel's decoration illustrates much of the doctrine of the Catholic Church, serving as the setting for papal conclaves and many other important services. Central to the ceiling decoration are nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, including The Creation of Adam. The complex design includes several sets of figures, some clothed and some nude, allowing Michelangelo to demonstrate his skill in depicting the human figure in a variety of poses. The ceiling was immediately well-received and imitated by other artists, continuing to the present. It has been restored several times, most recently from 1980 to 1994.

Infobox

Artist

Michelangelo

Location

Sistine Chapel, part of Vatican Museums, Vatican City

Coordinates

41°54′11″N 12°27′16″E / 41 °N 12 °E / 41 ; 12

Followed by

The Last Judgment

Tables

· External links

Preceded by Raphael Rooms

Landmarks of Rome Sistine Chapel ceiling

Succeeded by Aurelian Walls

References

Walter Pater writes, "Michelangelo was now thirty years old, and his reputation was established. Three great works fill
This engaged Julius II's attention and by February 1513, when he died, little work had been done on his tomb. It had bee
It is unknown and the subject of speculation among art historians whether Michelangelo was really able to paint the ceil
Seeming to contradict Roselli's letter, Ascanio Condivi theorized that Bramante put Michelangelo's name forward for the
The Bolognese destroyed the bronze in 1511.
The tomb project, which Michelangelo would return to, was reinvigorated by Julius II's family after the pope's 1513 deat
By one count, there are 343 figures.
It now stands further from the altar.
Both Vasari and Condivi mistake the Sacrifice of Noah for the sacrifices by Cain and Abel.
These are not marked on the drawn plan but are clearly visible in the photographs.
This evokes a formula common in Classical architecture, e . 'egg and dart' and 'bead and reel'.
Sixtus IV and Julius II were both of the Della Rovere family. "Rovere" in Italian means 'oak'.
https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rovere
The scallop shell (and pearl) is a symbol of the doctrine of the Incarnation in Renaissance and baroque art.
For instance, Poor Man's Bibles
According to Genesis, on the fifth day, God created the birds of the air and fish and creatures of the deep, but this is
In accordance with chapter 9 of the apocryphal Gospel of James, where Joseph says "I am an old man", Renaissance art use
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Ante-Nicene_Fathers/Volume_VIII/Apocrypha_of_the_New_Testament/The_Protevangelium_of_James
The lunettes specifically follow the genealogy according to Matthew, not the somewhat longer genealogy according to Luke
https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Bible_(King_James)/Matthew#Chapter_1
Mancinelli notes that Eleazar is executed similarly to the ignudi.
Singular: Ignudo; from the Italian adjective nudo, meaning "naked"
Michelangelo later included over forty angels in The Last Judgment, which it has been claimed resemble the ignudi.