¶ … Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel
This work has been and truly is a beacon of our art, and it has brought such benefit and enlightenment to the art of painting that it was sufficient to illuminate a world which for so many hundreds of years had remained in the state of darkness. And, to tell the truth, anyone who is a painter no longer needs to concern himself about seeing innovations and inventions, new ways of painting poses, clothing on figures, and various awe-inspiring details, for Michelangelo gave to this work all the perfection that can be given to such details. (Web Gallery of Art, 2012)
The Sistine Chapel is one of the most well-known works of art in the world. It was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti. In Italian, its name is Cappella Sistina and in Latin its name is Sacellum Sixtinum. The paper will focus upon the chapel, but more specifically to the ceiling of the chapel, which is considered a masterful work in of itself. The paper will contextualize the creation and provide analysis of the content. The Sistine Chapel is a work of art that has great significance in with respect to art history and with respect to Christianity. The chapel with the famous ceiling is located in Vatican City, Italy. It is more than five centuries old and has been restored well so as to keep the legacy of the artist and the meaning of the work preserved.
The Sistine Chapel as well as the ceiling specifically, was a vast undertaking for the artist. This piece took years to imagine, visualize, and prepare for, let alone create. The chapel serves as a Papal enclave; it is a space specifically dedicated for use by Popes and those closest to the Popes. One of the primary religious functions of the Chapel is to hold elections of the succession of popes, held in a conclave of the College of Cardinals. The ceiling itself is approximately 5,000 square feet or 460 square meters. If putting oneself in the position of the artist, one could readily imagine what an arduous mental and physical undertaking the chapel and the ceiling are, yet the reward for such efforts is readily obviously as well.
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Wallace says, "If we consider the number of perspective problems attendant to painting on the curved and irregular surfaces of the vault, it is reasonable that Michelangelo entrusted some of the architectural painting to Aristotile, thereby fostering what became one of the latter's foremost talents" (327). Wallace also provides additional arguments regarding other assistants who stayed to help Michelangelo, as well. Since there is presently no way to go back
Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel was a work of truly epic proportions that really defined the artist as an auteur. Today, a filmmaker for example is often described as an auteur (French for "author") if he is given or wields total control over the film from the visionary stages through to planning, production, shooting and editing: the work is considered the total product of his or her vision. Such recognized auteurs are
Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam The Creation of Adam (1512) as conceived and depicted by Michelangelo represents a significant moment in art history because it brings a humanistic style of expression and sense of realism to the art world that had not existed prior. The work is focused almost exclusively on the Body as a subject. The two figures—God the Father and Adam—represent the majesty of the human anatomy in its ideal
Michelangelo and the RenaissanceMichelangelo was one of the greatest artists of the High Renaissance. He began his career with the chisel and ended it with the paint brush. He was a master in sculpture, engineering, and painting. Had he excelled in poetry, politics and arms he would have been considered a true Renaissance Man�but his focus was always on art. He spent 20 years of his life on the Sistine
Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelangelo between the years of 1508 and 1512. The chapel -- built in the 1470s for Pope Sixtus IV (the chapel's namesake) -- includes the works of many different Renaissance artists -- but it is Michelangelo's work on the ceiling that stands out above all the rest. Commissioned by Pope Julius II, Michelangelo's ceiling tells the story
Michelangelo Biography and Detailed Information About One of His Art Works Michelangelo was one of the most influential artists of the Rennaissance and of art history. Painter, sculptor, poet and architect, Michelangelo dominated the art scene for almost the whole of the 16th century. Born in 1474, he lived to be almost ninety years of age, time in which he left an unparalleled creation to the world. In Michelangelo's time, the Renaissance
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