The Sistine Chapel Ceiling
(Latin: Cappella Sistina)
The Sistine Chapel is also known as the Capella Papalis (or Papal Chapel). Even today, it is the location where the cardinal’s conclave meets to elect a new pope. The Sistine Chapel ceiling was painted by Michelangelo from May 1508 to October 1512 in the Vatican City. It was painted at the commission of Pope Julius II. This painting is one of the centerpieces of the High Renaissance. As we can see, Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel towards the end of the Italian Renaissance period and towards the beginning of the Reinvention of Rome by the Catholic Church. Michelangelo was pressured by Pope Julius II to paint the Chapel. According to the Art Encyclopedia visual-arts-cork.com, during the Reinvention of Rome the Popes wanted to transform Rome into the cultural capital of the world.
The Sistine Chapel is among other things, an expression of several episodes of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation as well as some of the prophets. The Last Judgment was painted later from 1537 to 1541. This overwhelming picture about who gets to go to heaven or hell when Christ comes back again was created during the Protestant Reformation which began in 1517 to 1648. According to Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Steven Zucker, while Michelangelo was panting the Last Judgment he was more pessimistic and his world has been shattered since the church was under attack at this point.
I was wondering how he painted the ceiling and learned that he was actually standing while looking up as he painted. Besides that it is a ceiling, it looks huge, can you imagine someone creating magnificent paintings on a ceiling of about 130 feet x 43 feet. Poor Michelangelo! When he was done after four years of painting he said, “After four tortured years, more than 400 over life-size figures, I felt as old and as weary as Jeremiah. I was only 37, yet friends did not recognize the old man I had become.”
In these paintings I see, a lot of imagination, passion, hard work, character, enthusiasm, inspiration, power, divine forces, strength of the human body, and glorious creativity. No wonder people would stand in huge lines to see the Sistine Chapel; it is definitely a wonderful masterpiece.
Overall, I enjoyed the visual arts of the Italian Renaissance more than the Northern Renaissance. The works of the Italian Renaissance were more vivid, colorful, beautiful, inviting, and creative. I also think that their paintings had more landscape as part of the picture, whereas in the Northern Renaissance, I see more details about people and not as much landscape. When I see the works of the Italian Renaissance it takes me to a deeper level of thinking (I am very visual as you can see), in some of them I feel that I am there or at least want to be there. 🙂
The Last Judgment
Here is also a YouTube video from the Khan Academy which shows some more interesting details about the Sistine Chapel paintings https://youtu.be/PEE3B8Fsuc0
Links to resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Renaissance
http://www.rome.info/michelangelo/sistine-chapel/
http://entertainment.howstuffworks.com/arts/artwork/sistine-chapel-michelangelo-paintings.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEE3B8Fsuc0
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel_ceiling
http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/history-of-art/renaissance-in-rome.htm
Art Adventures 
To this day the Sistene Chapel is the pinnacle of perfection. Great choice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks!
LikeLike
I really enjoyed learning about how Michelangelo painted the ceiling because I had always read and heard that he painted lying down; it was interesting the learn otherwise. Do you think the faith Michelangelo held so dear is what made him the best choice for Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling? He was not really known as a painter; his great skill was sculpture, but his deep faith in God was widely known
I will never tire of looking at photos of the Chapel ceiling, I always notice something I did not notice before, and I hope to one day see it in person.
I appreciate that you included many different links to various sites about the Sistine Chapel, I liked the video the most. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEE3B8Fsuc0&feature=youtu.be
LikeLike
Johanny,
I also focused on Michelangelo and the Medici family and this painting. I thought this painting was beautiful and really captures Michelangelo’s work as an artist. How did you feel Michelangelo was affected by this painting? nearing the end of the era, he was feeling very overwhelmed with the Medici family. When the dynasty collapsed, things changed for Michelangelo. But instead of feeling pressure from the Medici family he started feeling pressure from Pope Julius II to get the chapel done. I really enjoyed this painting and learning about the back ground of what Michelangelo went through to become successful. I found this link: http://www.biography.com/people/michelangelo-9407628 to be very insightful on information about Michelangelo.
LikeLike