The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican: the crown of Michelangelo's creation. Sistine Chapel: Michelangelo VS Raphael and the Popes Sistine Chapel painted by Michelangelo
5 centuries separate the creation of the Sistine Chapel and its latest restoration, which revealed to the world unknown features of Michelangelo’s coloristic technique. However, the losses that accompanied unexpected color discoveries are so palpable and expressive, as if they were deliberately designed to remind us of the transitory nature of everything earthly, of the need for a careful attitude towards art, which seeks to take a person beyond the boundaries of everyday life, opening doors to other planes of existence.
We owe the appearance of this architectural monument of Christian art to Francesco della Rovere, also known as Pope Sixtus IV, a controversial figure in the results of his church affairs, but a purposeful patron of the arts and sciences. Guided by religious motives when creating a house church, he could hardly have predicted that for the whole world the Sistine Chapel would become a symbol of an entire era - the Renaissance, two of its three hypostases, the Early Renaissance and the High. 
The main purpose of the chapel was to serve as a room for the election of popes at a meeting of cardinals. It was consecrated and dedicated to the Dormition of the Virgin Mary in August 1483 according to the Julian calendar. Today, the Sistine Chapel is an unsurpassed Vatican Museum, which houses precious frescoes on biblical themes. 
An inside look at the Sistine Chapel
Work on the painting of the northern and southern walls marked the beginning of the creation of the interior of the chapel. They took it on:
- Sandro Botticelli;
- Pietro Perugino;
- Luca Signorelli;
- Cosimo Rosselli;
- Domenico Ghirlandaio;
They were artists of the Florentine school of painting. In just a surprisingly short period of time - about 11 months - two cycles of 16 frescoes were created, 4 of which have not survived. The northern wall depicts the life of Christ, the southern wall depicts the story of Moses. From the biblical stories about Jesus, today the fresco of the Birth of Christ is missing, and from history on the southern wall, the fresco The Finding of Moses, both works by Perugino, has not reached us. They had to be sacrificed for the image of the Last Judgment, which Michelangelo later worked on. 
According to the original plan, the ceiling looked completely different from what we can see now. It was decorated with stars that twinkled in the depths of the sky, created by the hand of Pier Matteo d'Amelia. However, in 1508, Pope Julius II della Rovere commissioned Michelangelo Buonarotti to rewrite the ceiling. The work was completed by 1512. The artist painted the Last Judgment on the altar of the Sistine Chapel on the orders of Pope Paul III between 1535 and 1541. 
Sculptor painting frescoes
One of the extraordinary details of the creation of the Sistine Chapel is the circumstances of Michelangelo's work. He, who always insisted that he was a sculptor, was destined to paint frescoes that people have admired for more than 5 centuries. But at the same time, he had to learn the art of wall painting in practice, rewriting d’Amelia’s star-studded ceiling and not even having the opportunity to disobey the instructions of the popes. The figures in his area of work are distinguished by their sculptural style, strikingly different from what was created before him, their volume and monumentality are so pronounced that at first glance many of the frescoes are read as bas-reliefs. 
What is not similar to what existed before often causes rejection, since the mind perceives novelty as a destruction of the canon. Michelangelo Buonarotti's frescoes have repeatedly caused controversial assessments by contemporaries and descendants - they were both admired during the artist's lifetime and harshly condemned for the nudity of biblical saints. 
In a fit of criticism, they almost died for subsequent generations, but were skillfully saved by one of the artist’s students, Daniele da Volterra. Under Paul IV, the figures in the Last Judgment fresco were skillfully draped, thereby avoiding reprisals against the master’s work. The drapery applied was done in such a way that the frescoes would not be damaged in any way when they were decided to be restored to their original form. Records continued to be made after the 16th century, but during restorations only the very first of them were left as historical evidence of the requirements of the era. 
The fresco conveys the impression of a global event that unfolds around the central figure of Christ. His raised right hand forces the figures attempting to ascend to descend towards Charon and Minos, the guardians of hell; while his left hand carries the people to his right as the elect and righteous into heaven. The judge is surrounded by saints, like planets attracted by the sun. 
It is known that more than one contemporary of Michelangelo was depicted in this fresco. In addition, his own self-portrait appears twice in the fresco - as a flayed figure held by Saint Bartholomew in his left hand, and as a male figure in the lower left corner of the painting, looking reassuringly at those rising from their graves.
Painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel
When Michelangelo painted the chapel, he did not choose a single position from which each fresco with biblical scenes should be viewed. The proportions of each figure and the sizes of groups are determined by their own absolute importance, and not by relative hierarchy. For this reason, each figure retains its individuality; each figure or group of figures has its own background.
Painting the ceiling was technically the most difficult task, since the work was carried out on scaffolding for 4 years, which is actually a short period of time for work of this scale. The central part of the vault is occupied by 9 frescoes from three groups, each of which is united by a single Old Testament theme:
- Creation of the world (“Separation of light from darkness”, “Creation of the sun and planets”, “Separation of the firmament from the waters”);
- History of the first people (“The Creation of Adam”, “The Creation of Eve”, “The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise”);
- The story of Noah (“The Sacrifice of Noah”, “The Flood”, “The Drunkenness of Noah”).
The frescoes in the central part of the ceiling are surrounded by figures of prophets, sibyls, ancestors of Christ and more.
Lower tier
Even if you have never visited the Vatican, from numerous photographs of the Sistine Chapel available on the Internet, you can easily notice that the lowest tier is draped with curtains and does not attract attention. Only on holidays are these draperies removed, and then painting copies of the tapestries are revealed to visitors. 
The tapestries, also from the 16th century, were woven in Brussels. Now the surviving seven of them can be seen in the Vatican Museums. But the drawings, or cardboards from which they were created, are in London, in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Their author passed the test of working alongside unsurpassed masters with honor. They were painted by Raphael at the request of Pope Julius II, and the life of the apostles is the central theme of the surviving masterpieces, equal in aesthetic significance to either the fresco paintings of Michelangelo or those of his teacher Perugino. 
Museum today
The Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican Museum complex, which consists of 13 museums located in two Vatican palaces. Four excursion routes through the spiritual treasury of Italy end with a visit to the Sistine Chapel, which is hidden between St. Peter's Basilica and the walls of the Apostolic Palace. It's not that difficult to find out how to get to this world museum, but if the real journey is not yet available to you, then on official website You can take a virtual tour of the Vatican. One way or another, all roads, as they say, lead to Rome. 
Resembling a fortress, not everyone will find the chapel particularly attractive in appearance, but the conceptual nature of the building is hidden from the view of modern tourists and requires immersion in the context of the Bible. The Sistine Chapel has a strict rectangular shape and its dimensions are by no means accidental - 40.93 by 13.41 m in length and width, which is an exact reproduction of the dimensions of the Temple of Solomon indicated in the Old Testament. The roof conceals a vaulted ceiling, and daylight enters through six tall windows on the north and south walls of the church. The building was designed by Baccio Pontelli, and the construction was supervised by engineer Giovannino de'Dolci. 
The Sistine Chapel has been restored several times. The last restoration, completed in 1994, revealed Michelangelo's coloristic talent. The frescoes began to shine with new colors. They appeared in the color in which they were written. Only the blue background of the Last Judgment fresco has brightened, since the lapis lazuli from which the blue paint was made is not very durable. 
However, part of the drawing of the figures with soot was cleaned off along with the soot of candle soot, and this, unfortunately, affected not only the outlines of the figures, creating the impression of incompleteness, but some figures also lost the expressiveness of the look. This was partly due to the fact that Michelangelo worked in several techniques when creating frescoes, which required different approaches when cleaning. 
In addition, restorers had to work on the mistakes of previous restorations. Perhaps the surprise of the result should remind us once again that we must look at the works of real creators with an open soul - and then new secrets will be revealed to the inquisitive gaze.
The Sistine Chapel (Sistina capella) is the center of attraction for everyone who goes to the Vatican Museums, and few are stopped by the fact that even just to walk from the entrance to the museums to the famous chapel, where cardinals have been gathering for a conclave since 1484, so that To elect a new Pope, a curious tourist will have to spend several hours.
It is curious that initially no one intended to make the Sistine Chapel the center of universal attraction. As often happens in life, everything happened almost by accident.
IN SPITE OF RAFAEL
Before entering the Sistine Chapel, a tourist must inevitably pass through the most beautiful chambers, decorated with frescoes on the theme “The Liberation of the Apostle Peter from Prison” and “The Meeting of Leo I with Attila.” When you find out that these frescoes were created not by anyone, but by Raphael himself, questions as to why they were executed so masterfully disappear by themselves.
In the photo: Raphael's Stanze di Raffaello
It must be said that for the right to work for the Vatican, Renaissance artists not only competed with each other, but, one might say, fought, not disdaining by any means. For example, today Raphael began painting the Stanze di Raffaello, named after the artist, after he “displaced” Perugino and Signorelli, who had worked here before him. However, Raphael won this order in a fair competition, Pope Julius II simply looked at Raphael’s works, appreciated them and did not want to hear about any more Perugino and Signorelli (by the way, their frescoes were partially preserved in the room with which Raphael began working, it is called Stanza di Eliodoro).
Fresco "Disputation" ("Dispute about the Holy Communion"), Raphael Santi, Stanza della Segnatura, 1509
But Michelangelo, who began to enjoy the significant favor of the Vatican, was very disturbing to Raphael and Bramante, so they conspired and recommended Buonarroti to the Pope as an excellent painter for painting the stream in the chapel. Raphael and Bramante hoped that Michelangelo, as an artist, would not be able to satisfy the Vatican's requests, would fail, and thus free up space for them for future commissions. The calculation, as we know, turned out to be incorrect, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel not only did not disappoint the Pope, but also turned out to be an order of magnitude more powerful than the Stanzas of Raphael.
HOW WERE THE FRESCOES ON THE CEILING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL CREATED?
Michelangelo began working on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508. The artist did the painting lying on his back, with a brush in his hands. It is known that during the Renaissance, an artist had to be an engineer, so it is not surprising that in order to realize his plans, Buonarroti developed his own design of “flying scaffolding”.
The fresco “The Creation of Adam”, many suggest that Michelangelo depicted the Creator in the human brain
They consisted of a flooring that rested on fastenings built into holes in the walls at the top of the windows. This cunning technique allowed the artist to work on the entire surface of the vault at once. And below the scaffolding, another canvas was stretched to prevent paint from falling onto the floor.
WHAT EXACTLY WHAT FRESCOES DID MICHELANGELO CREATE?
It is a well-known fact that Michelangelo was not the only artist who painted the Sistine Chapel. Botticelli, Cosimo Rosselli, Ghirlandaio, and Luca Signorelli and Perungino, who were absent from work on the Stanzas, contributed brushes to the decoration of the hall where the conclave of cardinals gathers. So, in order not to be confused, we will announce the entire list of Michelangelo's frescoes. His brush belongs to the Old Testament scenes with which he painted the ceiling, that is, “The Creation of the World,” consisting of “The Separation of Light from Darkness,” “The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth,” “The Creation of Adam,” “The Creation of Eve,” and “The Expulsion from Paradise.” "
"The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Earth" by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
The second part of the frescoes illustrates the life of Noah, it includes: “The Sacrifice of Noah”, “The Great Flood” and “The Drunkenness of Noah”. The maestro originally created these frescoes, but he also created the large-scale work “The Last Judgment” on the altar wall of the chapel, although Michelangelo was no longer eager to take on this work. This is not surprising, because painting the vaults of the chapel took 4 years and, according to contemporaries, when Michelangelo finished painting the vault, he informed those around him that this was the end of his love affair with painting once and for all. But it was not there.
THE TORMENT OF THE "DASTY JUDGMENT"
After the death of Pope Julius II, Pope Clement VII was elected as the new pontiff, who had a very stubborn character, and was a man from the series: “It’s easier to agree with him than to explain to him why you don’t want to do something.” He was inspired by the idea of getting Michelangelo to paint the altar wall of the chapel with a fresco on the theme of the Last Judgment, and, despite the fact that Buonarroti refused to work until the last - he was busy creating the tomb of Julius II, the Pope personally met with the maestro on September 22, 1533 in San -Miniato persuaded Michelangelo to take up his brush again.
“The Last Judgment” (Giudizio universale), the title of the fresco can also be translated as “The Last Judgment” or “The Last Judgment”
Buonarroti arrived in Rome a year later, but a few days later Pope Clement VII died and the artist considered the matter closed. However, the next Pope Paul III did not abandon the idea of creating a fresco, and the maestro still had to satisfy the Vatican’s request. For this purpose, the chapel was significantly modified: the altar wall was given an inward slope so that dust would not settle on the frescoes during the work process, plus two windows in the altar part were sealed, and the old frescoes, previously created by Michelangelo and Perungino himself, were removed. True, the artist tried to preserve them as best he could, but they openly spoiled the integrity of the composition, and the idea had to be abandoned.
Saint Bartholomew in the Last Judgment fresco - self-portrait by Michelagelo
The Last Judgment was completed in 1541. In terms of the strength of the impression it has on the viewer, the fresco is not inferior to the Old Testament scenes on the dome of the chapel, and yet one can feel that this work was not easy for the master, as they say, through strain. It’s not for nothing that on the fresco you can see a self-portrait of Michelangelo himself, and it is considered one of the most terrible in the history of art, because the artist depicted himself in the form of St. Bartholomew, the same one from whom he was flayed alive.
NO NUDITY OR HOW AN ARTIST BECAME A PANT WRITER
Initially, the figures in the Last Judgment fresco were naked. However, on May 23, 1555, a new Pope, Paul IV Carafa, ascended to the Holy See, who before his election was a little bit, but the Inquisitor of Naples. He immediately established the Papal Inquisition, which mercilessly punished everyone, regardless of rank and position, and advocated grim justice and condemnation of vices. Of course, Paul IV Carafa did not like the naked figures on the fresco of the Sistine Chapel, and, taking advantage of the fact that the Council of Trent, held back in 1545, condemned the use of nude images in religious art, Carafa demanded that the naked Saints of Michelangelo be brought into decent condition. view.
“Hell” - fragment of the fresco “The Last Judgment”
Michelangelo responded to the proposal to dress the characters in his fresco in his recognizable style. He told the Pope that “Removing nudity is easy, all you need to do is bring the whole world into a decent appearance,” that is, to put it simply, he again sent the pontiff in a not very polite manner.
The artist Daniele da Volterra supplied the characters in “The Last Judgment” with loincloths. It’s good that he was a student of Michelangelo and completed the genius’s creation very delicately, with maximum respect for the creator’s work. The only ones he had to “dress fully” were Saint Catherine of Alexandria and Saint Blaise, but the artist could not do anything about this, because the Pope was sure that in the naked state the Saints looked like a couple about to indulge in lovemaking. Their pose, they say, is too indecent.
Toga-clad Saint Catherine and Saint Blaise
Typically, the sarcastic Romans, who never missed an opportunity to slander their neighbor, immediately dubbed Daniele da Volterra “Il Braghettone,” which means “the pant writer” or “the underhand man.” Under this nickname he entered the world history of art. Poor guy!
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Yulia Malkova- Yulia Malkova - founder of the website project. In the past, he was the editor-in-chief of the elle.ru Internet project and the editor-in-chief of the cosmo.ru website. I talk about travel for my own pleasure and the pleasure of my readers. If you are a representative of hotels or a tourism office, but we do not know each other, you can contact me by email: [email protected]
Painting of the Sistine Chapel (BriYYZ / flickr.com) In the courtyard of the Sistine Chapel (robertsharp / flickr.com) Sistine Chapel from St. Peter's Dome, Vatican (Andy Hay / flickr.com) Michelangelo's famous fresco "The Last Judgment" (Dennis Jarvis / flickr. com) Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Sistine Chapel Ceiling Painting (Colin Tsoi / flickr.com) Camille King / flickr.com Camille King / flickr.com Sistine Chapel Ceiling (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com) Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com Lisa Cancade Hackett / flickr.com Inside the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com) Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the VaticanMatthew Riley / flickr.com Still from a documentary (Luis Brizzante / flickr.com)
The Sistine Chapel is not only a church located in the Vatican City area of Rome, but also a greatest work of art.
The word “kapella” is translated into Russian as chapel. But the Sistine Chapel is not a chapel due to certain specific features. This is the real Vatican church.
The design of the chapel contains many scenes from the Bible from the creation of the world to the apocalypse. A huge number of characters are depicted here, starting from Adam. Famous artists and architects such as Michelangelo, Perugino, Botticelli, Penturicchio, Ghirlandaio worked on it.
The Sistine Chapel was built and decorated with paintings during the Renaissance. Michelangelo Buonarroti is the author of the most famous frescoes in the Vatican that have survived to this day (one of the most famous is “The Last Judgment”).
The Sistine Chapel was built in the 15th century, from 75 to 83. The construction of the Sistine Chapel was ordered by Sixtus IV, who was then sitting on the papal throne of the Vatican. Although under this pontiff the Inquisition appeared, heretics were tried, and apostates were regularly burned, however, he had a good attitude towards science and art.
Sistine Chapel with St. Peter's Dome, Vatican (Andy Hay / flickr.com)
Among the local population there were dissatisfied with the rule of the pope, so the new Sistine Chapel was also supposed to become a refuge, among other things. By the way, there used to be a Great Chapel on this site; all that remains of it is the foundation and a fragment of the lower tier.
During construction work, the Sistine Chapel grew by 3 floors. The architect of the chapel was Baccio Pantelli, and the curator of the construction was Giorgio de Dolce.
Since the church also had a defensive function, outwardly the Sistine Chapel looks quite inaccessible and modest. It was built in the shape of a rectangle according to the Biblical description of the Temple of Solomon, which is considered the very first in history. The dimensions specified in the Old Testament are strictly observed: 40.9 meters by 13.4.
Inside view
From the inside, the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is divided into three parts - tiers.
The middle tier depicts Biblical scenes with the participation of Moses and Christ. It was designed by the artists Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli.
Ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel (Colin Tsoi / flickr.com)
The upper tier was decorated with images of the ruling pontiffs. 11 of them are the creation of Botticelli. Among them is the first Pope of the Vatican - St. Peter.
On the lowest tier are the regalia of the Vatican Pontiff. The fresco “Ascension of Mary” towered above the altar; currently the Last Judgment is depicted here.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was designed to resemble the sky with stars. All these are the works of Renaissance artists.
Perhaps the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican would have survived to this day in the form in which it was in those days. But a crack appeared in the ceiling at the beginning of the 16th century as a result of excavations for construction taking place nearby. And all the frescoes were subsequently replaced by the famous works of Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Who painted the Sistine Chapel?
8 years after the start of construction, the Sistine Chapel began to fulfill its functions. The first mass was celebrated here in 1483, glorifying the Ascension of Mary into heaven.
Still from the documentary (Luis Brizzante / flickr.com)
At the beginning of the 16th century, they decided to reconstruct the church and replace the old frescoes with new ones. Julius II commissioned Michelangelo Buonarroti to paint the chapel.
At first, the famous artist did not want to take on this work, but the pontiff knew how to insist on his own.
Why he chose Michelangelo is not known for certain, because at that time the artist specialized in sculpture. There is a version that Bramante somehow influenced the then reigning pope.
An interesting fact is that the year Michelangelo was born and the year the construction of the Sistine Chapel began are the same. In 1515, Pontiff Leo X ordered tapestries from another artist, Raphael, to decorate the lower part of the chapel.
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel: painting and frescoes by Michelangelo Buonarroti
By the way, the scaffolding that was necessary for painting the chapel was also designed by Michelangelo so that it did not interfere with church services. This type of scaffolding was later used to work on the design of other Vatican churches.
It was difficult for the master to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel; he had to constantly raise his head. Therefore, the work took a very long time.
Such difficult work, which lasted several years, had a very adverse effect on the health of the great master. But he got the job done and painted 600 square meters of ceiling in 4 years. They depict 343 characters from the Bible, starting with Adam.
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com)
The vault was completed in 1512 and the church was opened. At the same time, another outstanding artist, Raphael, was finishing his “remnants” of the Vatican. These two works: Michelangelo's vault and Raphael's frescoes are the greatest works of art of the Renaissance.
Instead of the shining stars of the sky, many biblical images appeared on the ceiling, starting from the creation of the world. The space itself is divided into parts. The artist used the art of optical illusion to make the ceiling appear convex.
Painting of the Sistine Chapel (BriYYZ / flickr.com)
In the corners you can see scenes dedicated to the salvation of the Jewish people. These are the Old Testament stories “The Brazen Serpent”, “David and Goliath”, “The Execution of Haman”, “Judith and Holofernes”. In the central part there are images dedicated to scenes from the Old Testament, that is, the period starting from the creation of the world and the appearance of the first man Adam. There are nine of them in total. Famous works among them: “The Creation of the World”, “The Fall” and “The Flood”.
“Creation of the World” includes all 7 days, including: “Separation of light from darkness”, “Creation of heavenly bodies and plants”, “Creation of Adam”, “Creation of Eve”.
The fresco depicting God's creation of Adam is quite famous. In it, Adam lies on the ground, his posture feels weak, and in the sky, slightly towering above Adam, God is depicted surrounded by wingless angels. God reaches out to Adam.
It is assumed that when Adam touches the creator, he will come to life. With a touch, the Lord gives Adam his power. Along the perimeter of the chapel are prophets and sibyls seated on thrones. In addition, here you can see images of Jesus' predecessors. And all this splendor is contained within the vault of the Sistine Chapel.
Sistine Chapel fresco "The Last Judgment"
The most famous and called masterpiece is the fresco called “The Last Judgment”. Michelangelo began working on it 25 years after painting the vault, already at the age of 61. It was commissioned from the great master by Pontiff Clement VII. The artist worked on it for four years. It is very different from others, for example, from The Creation of the World.
Michelangelo's famous fresco "The Last Judgment" (Dennis Jarvis / flickr.com)
The Last Judgment fresco depicts a universal tragedy and catastrophe, where there are numerous images of saints and angels, sinners and demons. At the center of all this stands Jesus Christ, he looks menacing and merciless, he carries out a great judgment on people.
The entire fresco depicting the Last Judgment is divided into three parts. Angels occupy the top. In the center is an image of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The bottom of the fresco illustrates the ascension of the righteous and the fall down into the underground Hell of sinners. Also here you can see the resurrection of the dead.
Frescoes by other authors
On the remaining walls you can see frescoes by other authors. For example, on the north side there is a whole series of works by Perugino, which used to begin with a fresco illustrating the Nativity. Unfortunately, it was lost while Michelangelo was working on The Last Judgment.
Inside the Sistine Chapel (Bren Buenaluz / flickr.com)
The series now begins with a work entitled "Baptism" and illustrates the entire earthly life of Jesus. And it ends with the image “The Last Supper.”
In the background of this painting one can see scenes depicting the execution of Christ. The resurrection is already illustrated on the side of the entrance to the church.
On the opposite wall there was originally a series of frescoes by Perugino about Moses. These are scenes from the Old Testament illustrating the most key moments of this story. Among them: “Journey to Egypt”, then “The Killing of the Egyptians”, “The Burning Bush”, “The Fight with the Shepherds”.
The space between the windows is occupied by frescoes depicting the high priests, turned in profile. These are works by Botticelli, Perugino, Russell and Ghirlandaio. The eastern wall is decorated with scenes from the end of the life of Christ and Moses.
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Sistine Chapel - a complete overview of the ceiling paintings
The most famous chapel of the Vatican was built by the architect Giovannino de Dolci according to the design of Baccio Pontelli between 1475 and 1481, during the reign of Pope Sixtus IV (after whom it took its name).
Now the Sistine Chapel is a vast rectangular hall to the right of the nave of St. Peter's Basilica, with an oval vault, divided into two unequal parts by a marble fence made by Mino da Fiesole together with Giovanni Dalmata and Andrea Bregno. They are also the authors of the choir department. But the most important value of the Sistine Chapel is undoubtedly the frescoes of its walls and vault, especially the frescoes by Michelangelo, which are rightfully considered the pinnacle of Renaissance art. However, they appeared here later than others written by his talented predecessors between 1481-1483.
Thus, the wall opposite the altar and two side walls were painted by Perugino, Pinturicchio, Luca Signorelli, Cosimo Rosselli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Botticelli. But Michelangelo brought her fame incomparable to anything else. Here one can still feel the presence of this man, whose consciousness could accommodate and hand fulfill the incredible plan preserved on the vaults of the chapel. For many years, the great Michelangelo continued his work with immeasurable persistence. At that time, the vault was a celestial sphere strewn with stars, and Michelangelo was specially summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II to paint this huge expanse of the vault. Michelangelo worked on the frescoes of the chapel from 1508 to 1512. His craving for the majestic and monumental, perhaps, was nowhere so vividly embodied as in the figures of the Prophets and Sibyls. The middle belt of the vault is decorated with nine scenes from the Book of Genesis, including the world famous fresco of the Creation of Man. A quarter of a century later, between 1536-1541, Michelangelo returned to the Sistine Chapel, this time under Pope Paul III Farnese. His new huge fresco of the Last Judgment occupies the entire altar wall of the chapel. To create it, we had to abandon two frescoes painted by Perugino and brick up two huge lancet windows. Michelangelo makes the center of the rapid movement in a circle the figure of Christ, who condemns sinners with an expressive dramatic gesture.
Paul the Third, accompanied by his master of ceremonies, Biagio da Cesena, often came to see Michelangelo's work. One day he asked Cesena his opinion about the artist’s work: “Your Grace, these figures would be appropriate somewhere in a tavern, and not in your chapel!” Michelangelo responded by painting Biaggio as Minos, and when the master of ceremonies asked the pope to force him to remove this portrait, Paul III replied: “If Michelangelo had placed you “above,” I could still do something, but here, “below.” "I have no power."
In 1565, the painter Daniele de Volterra draped the nude figures of the Last Judgment characters, for which he received the nickname “Bragettone” (underwear), under which he forever remained in history. But he did not touch the figure of Minos.
Recent restoration, carried out using the latest technology using computer developments, has returned the frescoes to their former brightness and power of light and shade. With the help of a Japanese television company, which provided the most modern equipment and other high technologies, it was possible to photograph and video record every single detail of Michelangelo’s priceless frescoes that painted the vault of the Sistine Chapel, as well as his frescoes of the Last Judgment, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time of restoration work .
The results of the restoration, begun in 1981 and completed in 1994, raised eyebrows even among scientists and experts, since they refuted the statement cited in all literary sources concerning Michelangelo's work. It was generally accepted that the artist, who was in constant search for a suitable color scheme, usually used dim colors. However, during the restoration work, the true colors of the frescoes, faded by candle smoke and atmospheric influences, emerged. And many of those who came to the updated chapel simply did not believe it - the artist’s original images turned out to be too strong and the colors too bright. Some art historians still defend the old chapel, which is covered with candle soot and dirt accumulated over several centuries.
Even today, especially solemn ceremonies take place in the Sistine Chapel, most notably the famous Conclave, a meeting of cardinals at which a new pope is elected. The Romans gathered in the square learn about the results of the vote thanks to a conventional smoke signal: white smoke announces the election of a new pope, black smoke indicates the continuation of the Conclave.
1. God created Adam. Painting in the Sistine Chapel.
2. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
3. Scheme of ceiling paintings in the Sistine Chapel.
4. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Above: Separation of light and darkness.
Below: Jonah.
Top left: Hermia.
Top right: Libyan Sibylla.
In the lower right corner: Moses raises the Bronze Serpentine.
In the lower left corner: Haman, convicted and killed. - This part of the ceiling was completed around 1511, when Michelangelo Buonarotti was 59 years old.
5. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At the top of the picture: The separation of Earth and Water.
Below: Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Planet. Both were completed in 1511.
6. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Top of the painting: The Creation of Eve, 1509,
when Michelangelo was 57 years old.
Below: The Creation of Adam is the centerpiece of the ceiling.
7. Top of the picture: Noah and his family make a sacrifice to God after they are saved from the great flood.
Below: Fall and Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, 1509.
8. At the top of the picture: Noah is drunk and disgraced.
Below: The Great Flood.
9. Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel - in the center: Zaeria.
Top left: Judith kills Holofernes.
Top right: David kills Goliath.
Bottom right: Jacob and Joseph.
Bottom left: Eliza and Matan.
10. Sistine Chapel, back wall - Last Judgment (Michelangelo Buonarotti - 1539, when he was 87 years old).
The angels, in the middle, blow their horns to rise from the dead. One of them holds the Book in which everything is written, and on which Jesus will base his judgments.
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1. Sistine Chapel - Center of the Last Judgment. The main figure is Jesus Christ, who decides the fate of the human race. With a gesture of his hand, he curses most of humanity, sending them to hell, but some of them are saved, and go to heaven. It seems that even Madonna, who is next to him, crouched in fear of such a scene.
12. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is the northern wall of the Prophets and Foretellers. From left to right: Libyan Prophetess, Daniel, Cumae Prophetess, Isaiah and Delphic Prophetess.
13. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is the southern wall of the Prophets and Foretellers. From left to right: Joel, the Eritrean Fortune Teller, Izakel, the Persian Fortune Teller, Jeremiah.
14. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - Baptism of Jesus (Pietro Perugino, 1482)
Middle: The Baptism of Jesus.
Right: Preacher John the Baptist.
In the upper left corner: the circumcision of the son of Moses.
15. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - temptation of Jesus (Botticelli (Sandro Filipepi) 1481-1482) After his baptism, Jesus goes through a 40-day fast. The devil asks him to turn a stone into bread, thus proving that he is the son of God. Jesus refused: But he answered, “Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.”
16. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - Calling of the first disciples (Domenico Girlandaio, 1481-1482)
The calling of Peter and Andrew, the first followers of Jesus, is shown in two scenes .
17. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - Sermon on the Mount (Cosimo Roselli, 1481-1482)
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gave out rules that would become Christian principles.
18. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - Presentation of the Keys (Pietro Perugino, 1481-1482)
Jesus gives Peter the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven.
Other followers are watching. They were joined by several non-biblical characters.
19. Sistine Chapel, North Wall - Last Supper (Cosimo Roselli, 1481-1482)
Jesus had just divided the bread and wine. He tells his followers that he will die soon. The apostles seem shocked.
One of the apostles is not surprised. This is Judas, who sits with his back, with a bag on his shoulder. It contains silver coins that he received for betraying Jesus.
20. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - Moses' Journey through Egypt. (Pietro Perugino, 1482)
On the right, Moses' son Eliezer with his mother Zipporah.
In the center, Moses is stopped by an angel depicted as God.
21. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - Several scenes from the life of Moses. (Botticelli (Sandro Filipepi), 1481-1482)
Bottom right: Moses kills an Egyptian who attacked a Jew.
When Pharaoh heard about the murder, Moses fled to the land of Midian.
There he drove away shepherds who were harassing the daughters of the local priest, Jethro. Subsequently, he allowed him to marry one of his daughters, Zipporah.
22. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - Crossing the Red Sea (Cosimo Roselli 1481-1482)
Moses leads his people across the Sea of Reed. He is pursued by Egyptian soldiers.
23. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - Moses with the Tables of the Law (Cosimo Roselli, 1481-1482)
Moses receives tables from God on Mount Sinai. The sleeping young man is Joshua.
Left, foreground: Moses and Joshua return and show the tables to the people.
24. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - Punishment of Korah, Dathan and Abiron (Boticelli (Sandro Filipepi), 1482)
Right: Joshua stops rebels preparing to stone Moses.
Center: Aron (with miter) is attacked by people who challenge his priesthood.
Left: Moses asks God to punish the rebels.
25. Sistine Chapel, South Wall - The last breath of Moses and his death (Luca Signorelli, 1481-1482)
Right: Moses addresses a crowd of listeners.
Left: He passes leadership to his successor, Joshua.
Center: An angel shows Moses the Promised Land, which he will never reach.
Left: People mourn his death.
26. Sistine Chapel, facing the altar.
27. In front of the entrance to the Sistine Chapel.
28. Sistine Chapel, outside view.
29. Sistine Chapel. Meeting of Pope Benedict XVI and artists from around the world.
In the painting cycle executed by Michelangelo on the vault of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, the artist created a grandiose, solemn composition, perceived as an affirmation of the limitless creative possibilities of God and man created in his image, as a hymn to physical and spiritual beauty. In the most difficult conditions, for four years (1508-1512), Michelangelo worked, completing the entire painting of the huge vault with his own hand.
The grandiose ensemble, including more than three hundred figures, seems to be an inspired hymn to the beauty, power, and intelligence of man, glorifying his creative genius and heroic deeds. Even in the image of God - a majestic, mighty old man, what is emphasized first of all is the creative impulse expressed in the movements of his hands, as if truly capable of creating worlds and giving life to man. Made a huge contribution to the artistic treasury of Rome Michelangelo Buonarotti- one of the titans of the Italian Renaissance. If during his entire long life he had created only frescoes Sistine Chapel, then even then this life could rightfully be called a feat. But the incomparable sculptor, painter, architect and poet left behind a constellation of amazing creations! And people go to the Roman church of San Pietro in Vicoli to stand in silence before the mighty "Moses"- a statue on the tomb of Pope Julius II.
Exterior of the chapel
View of the altar wall
View from the altar wall
Raising their heads up, people freeze for a long time in front of Michelangelo’s creations, and sometimes, unable to restrain themselves, exchange enthusiastic impressions in a low voice. Michelangelo was 33 years old when Pope Julius II commissioned him to paint the vault of the Sistine Chapel in 1508.
Ceiling frescoes, 1511-1512
To find out who is depicted on the frescoes, hover your cursor over the figure (you can zoom in!!!)
The Sistine Chapel was built in 1473-1483 during the reign of Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere. The first mass took place there on August 9, 1483.
The chapel serves as a chapel at the Papal Palace and plays a special role in the activities of the papal throne. Here, after the death of the pope, a conclave of cardinals meets to elect his successor. Specially appointed 120 bishops and archbishops lock themselves in the chapel and do not leave it until they elect a new pope. When anyone present receives a two-thirds plus one vote majority, he is proclaimed pope. Believers gathered in the square learn about the voting results thanks to a conventional smoke signal: white smoke indicates the election of a new pope, while black smoke indicates the continuation of voting.
Currently, the chapel is open to the public as a museum.
The chapel has a rectangular shape (40.93 m long and 13.41 m wide), which corresponds to the dimensions of Solomon's Temple as given in the Old Testament. The height of the chapel is 20.7 meters, it is completed by a cylindrical vault.
Many great creators of that time took part in the creation of the Sistine Chapel. The building plan was created by the architect Pontelli, and the work was supervised by Giovannino de Dolci. Such great artists as Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio... On one wall there are scenes from the life of Christ, another - from the life of Moses. However, the vault was covered with paintings depicting the starry sky.
To see murals by famous artists, click here:
The Sistine Chapel gained worldwide fame from the frescoes by Michelangelo on the ceiling vault and above the altar. Due to centuries-old soot from candles and a layer of dust, these frescoes were badly damaged; In addition, in the 18th century the paintings were clumsily restored using animal glue. Since 1980, gigantic work began on finishing and restoring the paintings. Deep cleaning with dissolution of the surface layer revealed, beyond expectations, the very bright colors of Michelangelo's painting. In 1990, restoration work was completed.
Paradoxical as it may seem, Michelangelo received the honorary order thanks to the machinations of his enemy Donato Bramante, chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica. Michelangelo was critical of everything that surrounded him. He had no sympathy for any of the great masters of that time, and he had a tense relationship with Bramante. And he decided to get rid of his opponent.
Knowing the strength of Michelangelo the sculptor, Bramante decided to remove him from sculpture and force him to paint. The calculation was simple. An artist who has not dealt with frescoes will fail and fall into despair. And Bramante strongly recommends to the pope: not to trust anyone with the painting of the chapel except Michelangelo.
The sculptor, of course, understood Bramante’s plan and was terribly angry. He preferred a sculptor's chisel to brushes, dreaming of erecting a grandiose structure with many statues, into which he planned to turn the tomb ordered for him long ago by Julius II, and he was forced to switch to painting. In vain he refused, saying that “painting is not his business,” that he was not familiar with the technique of fresco. The pope was inexorable and Michelangelo still had to agree to fulfill the most important order, as if thereby challenging enemies and envious people, and first of all himself. Michelangelo's own note on May 10, 1508, “today I began to work,” indicates the date of the beginning of this grandiose work.
Having rejected the project proposed to him with the figures of the 12 apostles in the side parts of the vault and with the ornamental filling of its main part, Michelangelo developed his own program of paintings.
For Michelangelo, they build scaffolding 20 meters high in the chapel, cover it with fabric to hide the secret of the birth of the masterpiece from prying eyes, and the artist begins his titanic work, which lasted 4 years. Lying with his head thrown back and his lower back arched, he paints a vault with an area of 600 square meters (343 giant figures). Hard labor on the scaffolding very quickly turned the young man into a hunched old man.
At this time, he wrote a poetic self-portrait - the tragicomic sonnet “To Giovanni, from Pistoia.” Here is an excerpt from this sonnet:
| I acquired a goiter through diligence and labor (Such illness from stagnant water In Lombardy the cat species is suffering); My chin is fused to my stomach. I'm lying on the scaffolding near the ceiling. Almost blind from the splashing paint; Like a harpy, on a hanging perch - The top of the head is down and the beard is up. The sides squeezed the belly with its giblets. |
For my labor I only received a goiter, a sickness (This is how muddy water makes cats swell, In Lombardy there are often troubles!) Yes, he wedged his chin into the womb; The chest is like that of a harpy; skull, to spite me, Climbed to the hump; and the beard stands on end; And mud flows from the brush onto the face, Dressing me in brocade, like a coffin; The hips shifted completely into the stomach, |
Julius II was impatient to see the frescoes on the vault of the chapel, and he was very annoyed by the artist’s reluctance to show his work. Once, as Michelangelo’s students recalled, dad asked the master when he would finish the painting. And in response I heard: “When I can.” The Pope considered this insolence and in his anger hit Michelangelo with his staff. The offended artist immediately went to pack his things to leave for Florence. Almost on the threshold he was caught by a papal envoy with a generous reward as an apology and a request to accept what had happened as a “merciful joke.”
On October 31, 1512 (after four years of tireless work), the entire vault was completed and the chapel was opened. In those same years, Raphael painted rooms (“stanzas”) of the Vatican. These two works - the vault of the Sistine Chapel and the frescoes by Raphael - became greatest achievements of Renaissance art.
Michelangelo preferred to depict the human body naked. Having a brilliant knowledge of anatomy and having achieved extraordinary expressiveness in depicting the naked body in sculpture, the master continued to remain true to himself in painting. Considering sculpture to be the queen of all types of art, he wrote: “The best painting will be that which is closest to the relief.” These words are convincingly confirmed by the work of the great artist on the painting of the vault of the Sistine Chapel.
In his painting, Michelangelo took into account the architectural features of the chapel. In size, the three-meter figures of the seven biblical prophets and five ancient Sibyls sitting on marble thrones dominate everything.
Slightly smaller are groups of figures in stripping* cash windows and lunettes**. In them the artist depicted numerous ancestors of Christ.
*stripping- a triangular vault formed by two curved ribs;
**lunette- an arched opening in the wall, limited from below by the horizontal;
windows are placed in the lunettes; blind lunettes are decorated with paintings.
Using architectural details illusorily conveyed by painting, Michelangelo divided the central part of the vault into nine rectangular compositions depicting the main biblical events. The compositions are arranged so that the viewer can view them sequentially, walking from the altar wall to the exit.
Here are some of these frescoes:
| Creation of the sun and moon and creation of animals and plants, 1511 |
Fall and exile Adam and Eve from Paradise, 1510 |
| Creation of Adam, 1510 |
Flood, 1509 |
To see all the frescoes with biblical scenes, click here:
Michelangelo placed figures in the corners of five of the biblical compositions twenty naked boys, sitting on cubes and supporting medallions and garlands of oak leaves and acorns (Pope Julius II was from the Rovere family, which means “oak” in Italian). The image of one of the young men was severely damaged by an explosion in the Sant'Angelo tower in 1797.
It is in vain to look for an allegorical meaning in their figures, there is none (Vasari also called them simply “naked”). Standing out in outline against the background of the architecture drawn by Michelangelo, these figures complement and enliven it. As in all the paintings of the Sistine Chapel, the master sought to use the human body to show the complex inner life of a person and his passions. He depicted the “nudes” as beautiful: according to the aesthetics of that time, inherited from ancient antiquity; a beautiful body could not help but be the bearer of a beautiful spiritual life.
Only a few of the young men, thoughtfully and effortlessly, hold the loop of the shield. Most of them are shown in strong movement, their figures and faces express intense attention and concern. Athletic figures embody the idea of human beauty.
To see all the frescoes depicting young men, click here:
In the picture seven biblical prophets and five ancient sibyls sitting on identical marble thrones, the artist managed to avoid monotony by giving the characters bright individual features. Here, as elsewhere, the main theme is man, man in action, in the tension that is felt in every movement of the body. Michelangelo depicted those who predicted the appearance of Christ into the world.
These are people who possessed an extraordinary gift of foresight and rare spiritual qualities. The master sought to emphasize superhuman power and moral perfection in their images. The Prophets and Sibyls were written from 1509 to 1512.
| Prophet Ezekiel |
Libyan Sibyl |
Delphic Sibyl |
Prophet Zechariah |
To see all the frescoes depicting the prophets, click here:
Groups of figures in strippings and lunettes depict numerous ancestors of Christ.
Here are several frescoes in the formwork (small triangular vaults formed by two curved ribs):
And here are the frescoes located in lunettes (arched openings in the vault or wall above the windows, limited below by the horizontal):
To see all the frescoes depicting ancestors, click here:
The four corner strips are twice the size of the others and are filled with images four dramatic episodes from the life of the ancient Jews:
Judith and Holofernes, 1509, vault removal
David and Goliath, 1509, vault removal
Copper serpent, 1511, vault removal
Fall of Haman, 1511, vault removal
More than twenty years later, the artist was again called to the Vatican court. The new proposal is even more tempting and grandiose: to create a fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel “The Last Judgment”, the day of “God’s wrath”, which was predicted by the prophets and sibyls. He begins work on a gigantic fresco (about 200 sq.m.) all alone, without assistants. For five years, day after day, Michelangelo leaves his house on one of the dirty streets of Rome at dawn, rides on horseback to the Vatican and returns back late at night. He still lives as an ascetic and a poor man, although by that time Pope Paul III had made him the first architect, sculptor and artist of the Vatican and awarded him a high salary.
Four hundred figures (up to 2.5 m high) were conceived by Michelangelo for the composition of “The Last Judgment”. And so they gradually take shape, filling the entire space of the fresco.
“The Last Judgment” aroused admiration among many and... fierce criticism from some. The master was accused of blasphemy: he depicted naked bodies in a holy place! At the beginning of 1564 (20 years later), one of Michelangelo’s students was commissioned to “dress” 25 figures in the fresco! This is how shy draperies appeared on them. But the great artist never had a chance to see this: he died, just shy of 96 years old.
Fifteen years ago, the American doctor Frank Meshberger noticed that the figure of God and those around himhis angels in The Creation of Adam resemble a cross-section of a human brain.
Brazilian doctor Gilson Barreto accidentally came across the findings of Frank Meshberger and became interested in them.
“If there is a brain, then there must be other organs,” he decided. All night, looking through books and paintings, Barreto discovered six more anatomical images. The next day he told his friend Marcelo de Oliveira about this, and both of them carried out research together for another three months. The result of these studies was the book “The Secret Art of Michelangelo,” published last year in Brazil.
In the course of their work, the Brazilian doctors found out that another American doctor, a certain Garabed Eknoyan, had found an image of a kidney in “The Separation of Earth from Water.” Ultimately, Barreto and Oliveira concluded that in each fresco, Michelangelo left clues to help find the hidden body part.
Some of them are thematic. Thus, in the frescoes “The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise” and “The Creation of Eve,” the tree trunk looks like bronchi, and the Creator’s robe resembles a side view of a lung. According to the Brazilians, in the Cumaean Sibyl, the bag hanging next to the Sibyl is an image of a heart.
Barreto and Oliveira's theory has a right to exist, although some points require imagination. Some people think it's too much imagination. Dennis Geronimus, an expert on Renaissance art at New York University, says, "The problem is, and this certainly applies to art historians as well, one sees what one wants to see." (I agree with this statement, and you?)
In fact, why did Michelangelo hide the images of human organs in the Sistine Chapel? Barreto and Oliveira cannot give an exact answer to this question, but they point out that it is known for certain that Michelangelo and other artists of the Renaissance were literally obsessed with human anatomy and the human body.
