Michelangelo Sistine Chapel
“The frescoes that we are contemplating here introduce us into the world of the contents of the Revelation. The truths of our faith speak to us here from all sides. From them human genius took its inspiration undertaking to clothe them in forms of incomparable beauty” – Pope John Paul II, 1984
When Michelangelo came to Rome in 1505 it was to design the tomb for Julius II, a project that would consume him off and on for 40 years. When Julius discontinued his tomb design the first time Michelangelo was greatly disappointed and, to appease him, Julius gave Michelangelo the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo resisted the commission, saying painting was not his profession but Julius was a powerful man and Michelangelo finally agreed in hopes that the tomb project would be revived.
The ceiling, 5800 square feet and 70 feet above the ground presented enormous technical problems. Michelangelo devised his own scaffolding to reach the ceiling, attaching it to holes in the chapel wall that made it possible for services to continue below. The curve of the ceiling presented problems with perspective and, finally, Michelangelo was not at all familiar with fresco techniques.
Michelangelo struggled with the fresco technique the first few months and initially made mistakes that spoiled all he had done. Buon fresco was the technique employed at the time but it molded due to the high humidity. One of Michelangelo’s assistants devised a new mixture called intonaco which resisted mold and became the standard for all frescos.
Michelangelo also had trouble with the perspective and scale, which can be seen at the entrance to the chapel. The Drunkenness of Noah is crowded and lacks the simplicity of the later panels.
Taking his theme from creation, the fall and redemption of man spreads across the ceiling. Three hundred figures are depicted engaged in man’s ultimate struggle. A long corridor describing creation from Genesis runs along the crown of the vault. On either side where the vault curves down are the Hebrew prophets and sibyls who foreshadow the coming of Christ. At the four corners are Old Testament figures—David, Judith, Haman, and the Brazen Serpent.
Michelangelo shows his vision as a sculpture in the powerful representation of the human form that will be repeated in his work for the Medici Chapel. The figures of God and Adam in the Creation of Adam are men of the same race, both made of the same substance and both are gigantic.
Despite the enormity of the task, Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel in a mere four years. On the Feast of Saints (November 1) 1512, Pope Julius II inaugurated the chapel with a mass.
In 1981 the Vatican announced plans to restore Michelangelo’s frescos in the Sistine Chapel. The goal was to remove layers of soot and past restoration attempts and reveal the frescos as Michelangelo intended them. Restoration began in 1984 with a special solvent that has been used in other restorations. An air system was also added to control the humidity and temperature of the chapel to reduce further damage.
The restoration was completed December 31, 1989—a year longer then it took Michelangelo to paint it. The restoration continues to raise controversy as art historians debate whether the colors revealed were what Michelangelo actually painted. Still, the frescos are now safe and available to be enjoyed and marveled at by generations to come.
View the full ceiling of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo here
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