The Sistine
Chapel
The Sistine Chapel plays an important
role in Italian Renaissance art history and it houses some or the most
iconic images of the era. The chapel, located within the Vatican City,
is named after Sixtus IV della Rovere and is built on the site of a
Medieval hall the "Cappella Magna".
It was used for assemblies by the Papal
Court.
The building work started in 1475 ended
in 1483, and the chapel was inaugurated by the Pope who dedicated the
it to Our Lady of the Assumption. The chapel is used by the College of
Cardinals for the election of a new pope (who is considered to be the
successor of St Peter) .
The chapel's dimensions (40.23 meters in
length, 13.40 meters in width and 20.70 meters in height) are reputed
to be copied from Solomon’s temple in Jerusalem which was destroyed in
70 A.D.
"The Sistine Chapel"
(s)
Personal opinion:-
It is impossible to fully appreciate the
grandeur of this building without visiting it for yourself. With it's
arched windows and barrel vault ceiling, you are surrounded by some of
the greatest artwork ever produced.
If you love art this place will make
your head spin, it is a feast for the senses and, even if you are just
a curious tourist, you will be blown away.
When the structure was complete the side
walls of the chapel were decorated in 1481 with frescoes by the
greatest
Italian Renaissance artists. From Florence, Botticelli, Rosselli,
Ghirlandaio and Signorelli and Umbrian artists such as Perugino and
Pinturicchio.
The Chapel's decoration was completed by
Michelangelo and was Commissioned by Pope Julius II.
Michelangelo was
reluctant to accept the work (he always considered himself to be a
sculptor rather than a painter) but he eventually agreed to fresco the
vault and the painting took four years to complete 1508-1512.
Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling
1508-1512
Click on the picture to go into greater detail.
(s)
The
Creation of Adam (detail) by Michelangelo. (w)
Twenty years after finishing the
frescoes
for the vault Michelangelo painted his "Last Judgement" on the far wall
of the chapel.
The restoration of the Sistine Chapel
was done between 1980 and 1992 and the work on the Last
Judgement
lasted for four years ending in 1994. The restoration consisted of
washing the frescoes with distilled water and a mild solvent removing
the layers of dirt that had built up over the years.
The
Prophet Daniel. Before and after cleaning. (w)
All of the candle smoke produced in the chapel had dulled the
colours in the frescoes to such an extent that it was thought that
Michelangelo was more interested in his bulky figures than any
rendition of colour. The cleaning process has revealed the vivid,
bright colours that had been skilfully blended by the artist reducing
the flattening effect of the figures. The result is a re-discovery of
Michelangelo's works which can now be seen as vividly as the day the
artist originally painted them. The chapel is now climate controlled, with filters and air conditioning to deal with modern pollution levels.
Demon
from Hell. Detail from The Last Judgement. (s)
Michelangelo's
Page
From
Sistine Chapel to Michelangelo's Last Judgement
Michelangelo's
Sistine Ceiling
Chapel
paintings of Prophets and Sibyls
The
Corner Pendentives
Italian
Renaissance Art:- Home Page
|
