Thanks to the extraordinary talents of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican became one of the most famous art galleries in the Western world. Michelangelo's famous Sistine ceiling depicts scenes of Creation in dramatic and dynamic detail, while the Last Judgment on the altar is no less striking. As if this were not enough, the side walls of the chapel are covered with outstanding Renaissance frescoes by other artists depicting biblical scenes and Popes. But the Sistine Chapel is more than just a combination of artistic wonders. It is a symbol of the manifestation of papal power and the place where papal elections take place to this day.
History of the Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, from which it received its name in 1475. It was designed as the Pope's chapel and the site of papal elections. The Sistine Chapel was dedicated to the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary on August 15, 1483. In 1481, Sixtus IV summoned the Florentine painters Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli and Pietro Perugino to Rome to decorate the walls with frescoes. Luca Signorelli was also involved in the design. The creation of the frescoes took 11 months from July 1481 to May 1482. The Sistine ceiling was originally painted by Piero Matteo d'Emilia and represented a star-studded sky. But in 1508, Pope Julius II attracted Michelangelo to repaint the ceiling. For this, Michelangelo was torn from work on the tomb of the Pope, which he was very unhappy with. He always considered himself a sculptor and was arrogant towards the creation of frescoes. The result was a magnificent work of art, and what Michelangelo hated most became his most famous work. 
Michelangelo was asked to paint the Twelve Apostles and several decorations on the ceiling of the chapel. But when Michelangelo began his work, he conceived a greater project and painted more than 300 figures. He worked on the project from 1508 to October 31, 1512 in cramped conditions high on scaffolding, under constant pressure from the Pope. The project seriously damaged the artist's vision. Michelangelo was about 60 years old when he was called back to the chapel to create a painting of the Last Judgment (1535-1541) on the altar wall. The work was commissioned by Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) shortly before his death, and Clement's successor Pope Paul III Farnese forced Michelangelo to quickly complete the work. It was the largest fresco of the century, and is still considered an incredible masterpiece of art to this day.
For important ceremonies, the lowest levels of the side walls of the Sistine Chapel were covered with a series of tapestries depicting events from the Gospels. The tapestries designed by Raphael were woven in Brussels in 1515-19. In recent decades, the Sistine Chapel has been carefully tidied up and restored. Work began with 15th-century wall frescoes in 1965. Cleaning and restoration also included the ceiling and the Last Judgment. It was a painstaking process using computer analysis that lasted from 1980 to 1994. The restoration included the removal of several so-called "modesty" curtains that had been added to some of the naked figures. The end result of the restoration has been controversial, with critics saying an important second layer of paint has been removed, claiming the figures do not match the originals. Others hailed the project for preserving Michelangelo's masterpiece for future generations to appreciate the vibrations of its color palette. 
Located at the southern end of the Vatican Museums north of St. Peter's Basilica, the Sistine Chapel is of little architectural interest. It is a simple rectangle 40.93 meters long and 13.41 meters wide - the exact dimensions of Solomon's Temple according to the Old Testament. The chapel is 20.70 meters high and is topped with a roof with a flattened barrel vault. Six high windows are cut along the long sides. The Sistine Chapel was originally divided into two equal sections - the nave for the uninitiated and the presbytery for the clergy. In later years the dividing screen was moved to make the nave smaller and the presbytery larger. The walls are decorated with frescoes by Renaissance artists and are divided into three horizontal levels. 
Wall frescoes are often ignored by visitors captivated by the ceiling. Nevertheless, these are beautiful, meaningful masterpieces worthy of attention. The fresco cycle consists of scenes from the Old Testament on the left wall that correspond to scenes from the New Testament on the right wall. The contrast of the New Testament with the Old is a common theme in Christian theology and church art, but there is another meaning hidden in the Sistine Chapel. Pope Sixtus IV wanted the entire cycle to illustrate the legitimacy of his papal authority, going from Moses, through Christ to Peter. Papal portraits begin with Peter and highlight the line of succession to the God-given authority of the Popes. Originally there were 28 portraits of early popes who died as martyrs. The two rows of Popes do not follow in chronological order - the sequence is distributed between the north and south walls in a zigzag pattern. 
In two wall frescoes - “The Presentation of the Keys to the Apostle Peter” by Perugino and “The Punishment of Korah” by Botticelli, the Arc de Triomphe of Emperor Constantine can be seen in the background. It was Constantine the Great who was the first Christian emperor to grant the Pope temporal power over the Western world. The inclusion of Constantine's Arc de Triomphe references the worldview of Sixtus, who positioned himself not only as the successor of Peter, but also of the Roman emperors. The famous Sistine ceiling is divided into nine sections, which depict nine stories of the Origin of the World - from the Creation stage to the Intoxication of Noah. 
On November 1, 1512, the majestic frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were presented to the public. Created by a talented young sculptor named Michelangelo, they remain one of the most emblematic masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance, attracting more than 5 million tourists to the Vatican every year. Below are seven surprising facts about the famous chapel ceiling and the artist who decorated it.
1. Michelangelo wanted nothing to do with the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
In 1508, 33-year-old Michelangelo was busy working on the marble tomb of Pope Julius II, now located in the Roman church of San Pietro in Vincoli. When Julius asked the respected artist to switch gears and decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo was very unhappy. On the one hand, he considered himself a sculptor, not a painter, and he had no experience with frescoes. But at the same time, he also had problems finishing the grave, as funding for the project had dried up. Michelangelo reluctantly accepted the new job, which took up four years of his life, which he spent high on the scaffolding with a brush in his hand. He returned periodically to Julius' monumental tomb over the next few decades. You can read about this and other famous works of Michelangelo in a special selection on LifeGlobe. 
2. Contrary to popular belief, Michelangelo painted while standing.
When imagining Michelangelo creating his legendary frescoes, most people assume that he worked while lying down. But in fact, the artist and his assistants used wooden scaffolding that allowed them to stand upright. Michelangelo himself designed a unique system of platforms that were attached to the walls with brackets. The impression of Michelangelo working in a supine position came from the 1965 film “Torment and Ecstasy,” in which Charlton Heston portrayed the genius under the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. 
3. Working on the Sistine Chapel was so unpleasant that Michelangelo wrote a poem about his suffering.
In 1509, an increasingly frustrated Michelangelo told his friend Giovanni da Pistoia about his physical stress. “I have already grown a goiter from this torture,” he wrote in a poem. He continued to complain about the hard work and health problems and ended by asserting that he should not have changed his work: “I am in the wrong place - I am not a painter.” 
4. Michelangelo's masterpiece turned out to be very elastic.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has survived remarkably well in the five centuries since its completion. Only one small component is missing: part of the sky in the group depicting Noah's rescue from the biblical flood. A piece of ceiling plaster fell and collapsed after an explosion at a nearby gunpowder warehouse in 1797. Despite the ceiling's apparent durability, experts worry that foot traffic from the millions of people visiting the Sistine Chapel poses a serious threat. 
5. The ceiling fresco of the Sistine Chapel was reconstructed.
Between 1980 and 1999, experts restored selected works of art in the Sistine Chapel, including Michelangelo's ceiling and his famous Last Judgment fresco painted in later years. Experts meticulously removed layers of dirt, soot and soot from the candles, significantly enhancing the colors of centuries-old paintings. The restoration also reversed changes from Pope Pius IV, who commissioned the addition of fig leaves and loincloths to Michelangelo's nudes during the 1560s. 
6. The most famous ceiling group of the Sistine Chapel may depict the human brain.
The section entitled “The Creation of Adam” depicts the figures of God and Adam with their hands outstretched towards each other. Their almost touching fingers are one of the most recognizable and widely copied images in the world. Some theorists think that the artist depicted the unmistakable diagram of the human brain, formed by the angels surrounding God. 
7. New Popes are elected in the Sistine Chapel.
Built in the 1470s under Pope Sixtus IV, the Sistine Chapel is more than just a Vatican landmark. In fact, the building performs an important religious function. Since 1492, the simple brick building has gathered cardinals to vote for a new Pope. A special chimney in the roof of the chapel transmits the election results with white smoke, indicating a successful choice of the new one. If the choice does not take place (which requires two-thirds of the votes of the cardinals), black smoke comes out of the chimney.
Contacts
Address: 00120 Città del Vaticano, Vatican City
Telephone: 0039 06 69884676
Opening hours: from 09:00 to 18:00
Price: 16€
Official website: w2.vatican.va
How to get there
Metro: Ottaviano station (line A)
Electric train: № 19, 30
Bus: №32, 907, 64, 51, 81, 991
Italy is an unusual country; tourists who are interested in history and art definitely want to visit it. Visiting the main attractions of this part of the world gives incomparable pleasure. Among them, not the least popular are the Sistine Chapel and the Vatican Museums. People come there to feel the unique spirit of the papal state, look at unique exhibits, works of world-famous masters, and understand why all this was created.
This article provides a brief description of the architecture of the Sistine Chapel and the interior decoration of its premises, tells how the landmark came into being, and who worked on creating the unique works of art located there.
Sistine Chapel - history of creation
Let's start with a short story about why Sistine Chapel so called, because its name is directly related to the history of its appearance. In the 15th century, one of the popes was Sixtus IV. It was he who decided to rebuild the previously existing Great Chapel. The cardinals and their
It was necessary to protect against sudden attacks by enemies. As you know, at that time Italy was afraid of being defeated by the Turkish Sultan Mehmed II and the Florentine nobility. It was necessary to build a building that would not be so magnificent in appearance.
The Pope turned to the architect Baccio Pontelli. It was he who came up with the idea of creating something inconspicuous from the outside of the building. The construction work was led by another talented person - Giorgio de Dolci. Thus, from 1473 to 1481, the Sistine Chapel grew up, the name of which immortalized the name of the then Pope of Rome. Not only were divine services held in the chapel, it was also a place of residence for clergy.
The external modesty of a strong building is deceptive. Inside, its walls were skillfully painted by the most famous masters of that time and their assistants: 
- Sandro Botticelli,
- Cosimo Rosselli,
- Pietro Perugino,
- Domenico Ghirlandaio,
- Piero di Cosimo,
- Signorelli, Pinturicchio.
But why then is there an opinion among people that the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican Palace in Rome was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti? Probably because this artist is the author of the painting of another part of the chapel: the unsurpassed ceiling, which, having seen it, is difficult to forget this architectural monument, became a huge canvas for the maestro. His frescoes decorated a thousand square meters.
Previously, Michelangelo claimed that he was more of a sculptor, but could not refuse the pope's offer. Perhaps he agreed only to prove that he was not inferior in skill to Leonardo da Vinci himself. Before that, he had the opportunity to compete with the latter during a kind of competition in which they were looking for an artist worthy of painting the hall of the Great Council in Florence. Everything that we see today on the ceiling of the chapel took five years of the life of the great Michelangelo Buonarroti.
Since 1483, when the Sistine Chapel was consecrated, it has become a place where Conclaves are regularly convened. At such meetings, a new pope is chosen after the death or resignation of the previous one. There are some interesting facts associated with this process. For example, when a positive decision is finally made, white smoke begins to come out of the chimney of the chapel, and if for some reason the choice of a new head of the Catholic Church could not be made during the next Conclave, black smoke announces the news.
In 1999, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel were restored.
In addition to the fact that cardinals gathered in the building, from the very beginning of its appearance a choir of the same name arose (the Sistine Chapel). They say that young Mozart visited there at one time and his visit to the chapel inspired him to create masterpieces. Today the choir consists of 19 men and 30 boys. Music is popular not only among people close to the church. A considerable number of admirers also listen to her around the world.
This is not the only name associated with the chapel building in the Vatican. The Altamira Cave, located in the north of Spain, is called the Sistine Chapel of primitive art. Samples of rock art from the Paleolithic era were found there.
And in the Dresden Museum there is a painting by Raphael, which is called the “Sistine Madonna”. It has practically nothing to do with the chapel. The painting is, simply, named after another pope with the same name. There, in addition to the Madonna and Child, Pope Sixtus II, who has six fingers on his hand, Saint Barbara and angels are depicted. In fact, the church leader's sixth finger is a visual deception. They say that this is the inner part of the palm.
Sistine Chapel in Rome - description
>The dimensions of the Sistine Chapel are exactly the same as those of the Old Testament Temple of Solomon (length-width-height ratio: 40.93 m × 13.41 m × 20.70 m). As already mentioned, from the outside the shape of the building looks quite simple. It has three floors, a rectangular shape and a square roof on which there is a chimney. 
The first floor is securely reinforced with supports and is considered the strongest. All the amazing painting is located on the second floor. It has several windows:
- two on the wall from the entrance,
- the other six are on the side walls.
On the third floor today you can see exhibits of the art gallery, but in the old days there was a guardhouse there. This confirms the version that the Sistine Chapel was erected in order to protect the pope and cardinals, whose number reached 200 people. The roof of this part of the building appeared later. There are small windows around the perimeter.
Above we talked about who painted the Sistine Chapel. Next we will try to do description of the frescoes, located on the second floor of the attraction, the interior of which is a world heritage property.
Architectural and art historians claim that there were originally sixteen frescoes. Only twelve of them have survived to this day. The main theme of the images is biblical scenes. In total, all the frescoes make up 2 cycles of paintings, each of which includes six works. These are the stories of Christ and Moses. “The Last Supper” is probably the most famous of all the frescoes located within the walls of the Sistine Chapel.
Initially, tapestries were also hung there. They not only decorated the hall, but also blocked the doors that led to the service premises from prying eyes. Unfortunately, they have hardly survived. There are only seven left. Now, on special holidays, visitors to the chapel can see copies of them under the frescoes, and the originals are in the museum. It is known that delightful paintings depicting events related to the life of the apostles were made from drawings by Raphael Santi.
Despite all the splendor of the frescoes on the walls and tapestries, the greatest admiration among visitors is always caused by the unique paintings on the ceiling of the chapel. They say that such beauty cannot be found anywhere else; no country in the world can boast of such a work of art. What is so unusual depicted there? Why is the Sistine Chapel considered one of the most famous landmarks in the world?
Raising his head, every visitor to the chapel will be able to see that its ceiling is conventionally divided into several parts, each of which is a picture from the life of biblical heroes. There are fragments there that have conventional names:
- "Creation of the World"
- "Birth of Adam"
- "The Creation of Eve"
- "Adam and Eve in Paradise"
- "Expulsion from Paradise"
- "The Story of Noah" and others.
Many believe that the fresco “The Creation of Adam” is one of the most interesting. It depicts Adam and God stretching out their hands to each other. There are also paintings on the ceiling with all the main prophets and sibyls (feminine soothsayers):
- "Libyan Sibyl"
- "The Delphic Sibyl" and others.
Altar- This is another part of the Sistine Chapel, worthy of the attention of tourists. On the altar wall is the most famous fresco by Michelangelo - “The Last Judgment” (1535-1541).
Where is the Sistine Chapel and how to get there
So you found out why this attraction is interesting. Next, we’ll figure out in which city the Sistine Chapel is located and how to get there.
The Sistine Chapel is located in the Vatican. The Vatican is a papal state inside the capital of Italy - Rome. The location of the chapel allows you to find it without any problems. It is located next to St. Peter's Basilica. So there shouldn’t be any problems with how to get to the attraction.
You can get there:
- by metro (Ottaviano station, line A),
- by train (No. 19, 30),
- by bus (No. 32, 907, 64, 51, 81, 991).
Many sources, when mentioning the official website of the Sistine Chapel, provide a link to w2.vatican.va. There, if you try, you can find a page that allows you to book tickets online.
For now ticket price:
- 16 euros,
- preferential cheaper - 8 euros.
In addition, it also states that the price for the reservation will exceed the specified price by 4 euros. So the tickets are a little more expensive. Accordingly, 20 and 12 euros. The line at the ticket office is usually long, so it’s better to overpay and buy a ticket online.
Opening hours of the Sistine Chapel:
- Monday – Saturday from 9.00 to 18.00,
- The ticket office closes at 16.00.
- Admission is free on the last Sunday of the month.
Sistine Chapel on the Vatican map:
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The Sistine Chapel in the Vatican is one of the most famous and popular monuments of culture and history among tourists all over the world. The building was built in the second half of the 15th century by order of Pope Sixtus IV. The chapel got its name in honor of the pope. The construction of the building was carried out under the direction of the architect Giorgio de Dolci.
From the outside, the building, frankly speaking, looks quite modest, however, once inside the building, you can be speechless from the beauty that surrounds you.
The Sistine Chapel is popular, first of all, due to the beautiful and breathtaking wall paintings. Such famous masters as Sandro Botticelli, Pinturicchio and Michelangelo worked on the “design”. The last of the named masters created the legendary fresco “The Last Judgment” by order of Pope Paul III. This painting is amazing!
It is here that, from the end of the 15th century to the present day, Conclaves are held - a meeting of Catholic cardinals who, after the death of the current Pope, elect a new pontiff. White smoke over the Sistine Chapel announces that the Catholic world has received a new pope.
A ticket to the Vatican Museums costs 17 EUR. By paying an additional 4 EUR, they can be purchased online, which will avoid queues.
Prices on the page are as of September 2018.
Sistine Chapel
In the Vatican palace complex in Rome, a monument of Italian Renaissance art. Built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473 81, consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it received its name. In 1481 there were 83 walls... ... Art Encyclopedia
A choir of singers founded in the 15th century. Pope Sixtus IV. Dictionary of foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. SISTINE CAPELLA chapel in the Vatican (papal palace in Rome), built in the half of the 15th century. under Pope Sixtus IV;... ... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
In Rome, the former house church in the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, a monument of architecture and art of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with paintings by S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio and others (walls of the Sistine Chapel, 1481 ... Modern encyclopedia
Sistine Chapel- in Rome, the former house church in the Vatican (1473 - 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, a monument of architecture and art of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with paintings by S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio and others (walls of the Sistine Chapel, ... ... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (Cappella Sistina) in Rome, the former house church of the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, an outstanding monument of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with wall paintings (1481 83, S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio, etc.), vaults with... ... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
The Vatican in Rome, one of the most outstanding monuments of Italian Renaissance art. The room, rectangular in plan, was built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473 81 and consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, named ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia
One of the home churches of the popes in their Vatican Palace in Rome, famous for its wall and ceiling paintings. Built in 1473, under Pope Sixtus IV, from whom its name comes. Its architect is believed to have been Baccio Pinteli. She… … Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron
- (Capella Sistina) in Rome, a former house church in the Vatican (1473 81, architect G. de Dolci), now a museum, an outstanding monument of the Renaissance. A rectangular room with wall paintings (1481 83, S. Botticelli, Pinturicchio, etc.), ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary
In the Vatican palace complex in Rome, a monument of Italian Renaissance art. Built by the architect G. de Dolci in 1473-1481, consecrated in 1483 under Pope Sixtus IV, after whom it received its name. In 1481 1483… … Construction dictionary
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One of the greatest monuments of Renaissance art, which every visitor to the Eternal City should touch, is the Sistine Chapel. The painting by outstanding painters of the Italian Renaissance amazes with both the scale of the idea and the filigree of execution. Traditional biblical stories are presented from the perspective of humanism - the defining worldview of that time. Not theological mysticism, but the human essence - whether high or low - found its embodiment on the walls of the chapel. This symbol of the power and wealth of the Catholic Church became a monument to the genius of one of the titans of the Renaissance - Michelangelo Buonarroti.
What is a "capella"? Sistine Chapel in Rome
A Catholic chapel is a religious building not intended for public worship. This term is translated into Russian as “chapel” or “house church.”
The Great Chapel, on the site of which the famous Sistine Chapel was later built, has served as a meeting place for the cardinals of the Roman Church since the return of the Popes to the Vatican from the Captivity of Avignon at the end of the 14th century.
By the end of the 15th century, the position of the papal state was ambiguous: on the one hand, enormous power and wealth, on the other, the constant threat of military invasion by secular rulers who wanted to have influence on the Catholic Church or profit from part of its property. This duality is reflected by the Sistine Chapel, built in the 80s of the 15th century: a fortress outside - a museum inside.
Architectural simplicity
The customer for the reconstruction of the chapel of the Roman cardinals was Pope Sixtus IV, whose name this building later received. The author of the project is Baccio Pantelli, the architect is Giorgio de Dolci.
Since it was possible that the building, located in the heart of the Vatican, next to St. Peter’s Basilica, would have to be used as a shelter from enemy troops, the Sistine Chapel was built in accordance with the requirements for the fortress. The rectangular three-story building has the dimensions of the Old Testament Temple of Solomon - 41 meters long and 13 meters wide. On the top floor there is a guardhouse and a circular defensive gallery.
There are no architectural features inside the building either: a large rectangular hall with an oval vault, divided into two unequal parts by a marble fence. Initially, it was planned that the decoration of this object would not be architectural delights, but the painting of the walls and ceiling.
First frescoes
The most prominent representatives of the Florentine art school were invited to decorate the interior. Among them are recognized masters Cosimo, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, Botticelli, as well as their students. In the period from 1481 to 1483, these painters created 16 frescoes with biblical motifs (12 paintings have survived to this day) and portraits of 28 Popes.
Among the surviving works of art by Florentine masters, six belong to the cycle of the history of Christ and six to the history of Moses. On the altar wall of the temple were located the first chronological frescoes of both cycles, known to us only from descriptions: “The Birth of Christ” and “The Finding of Moses.” Half a century later, Michelangelo’s masterpiece “The Last Judgment” was painted on top of them.
Art historians do not know who painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel before Michelangelo. We only know that the vault was a celestial sphere strewn with stars.
Titan of the Renaissance
In 1508, Pope Julius II invited the famous sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti to paint the ceiling (vaulted ceiling) of the chapel.
A descendant of an impoverished noble Florentine family, Michelangelo had an interest in stone and sculpture from childhood. This hobby did not find understanding with his father, who believed that working with his hands was beneath the dignity of an aristocrat. However, the young man’s first successes dispelled all doubts: he would be a great sculptor! A student of Ghirlandaio, a student of Lorenzo de' Medici, forced to leave his hometown for political reasons, he gained his fame in Rome.
In the last years of the fifteenth century, Michelangelo created the statue of Bacchus and the marble composition Pietà ("The Mourner" - in honor of the Virgin Mary mourning Christ). The work is recognized as a masterpiece! The success of the Pieta four years later, already in Florence, is repeated by the statue of David, put on public display in the central square.
In 1506, Julius II summoned the young sculptor to Rome to work on the statues of the papal tomb. Soon the Pope loses interest in this project, but a new idea appears in his mind.
Unwanted task
It was not otherwise that divine providence told Julia who exactly should paint the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was not happy with such an order: for the sake of the chapel frescoes, he had to postpone sculpting sculptures for the papal tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. Painting was not a priority for Michelangelo at that time. However, it was impossible to refuse the all-powerful customer, and work began in August of the same year.
The master, who had no experience in ceiling painting, had to face a number of difficulties, which is why at first he had to experiment a lot and endure a lot of disappointments. The painting was also complicated by the fact that Michelangelo refused any help - both artistic and technical. He even forbade the Pope to look at the unfinished work. The only person who helped him in his work was a student who mixed paints.
Difficulties of the initial stage
First of all, in order not to damage the existing frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo had to create completely new scaffolding that did not touch the walls. The artist was to spend the next four years on this structure, at a height of twenty meters...
The first problem was humidity. The fragment had to be painted over the course of one day, until the soaked area of plaster had dried (what was written on dry ground looked unnatural). But it turned out that the next day the drawing either dried out and became discolored, or was hidden under a wet spot. Here Julius showed persistence and “imposed” on the proud Michelangelo a consultant, with the help of whom a solution to the moisture problem was found.
Another difficulty was created by the uneven surface of the ceiling, which distorted the proportions. Here the master himself had to deform the paintings in such a way that the figures looked proportional from the floor.
Frescoes on the chapel ceiling
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, together with the adjacent lunettes, has an area of about 600 m2. A huge job for one person! The painting lasted from 1508 to 1512. What did the master depict?
In the center of the vault there are three groups of frescoes: “The Creation of the World”, “The Creation of Man”, “The Flood”. Each of them contains three paintings. The Creation series includes “The Separation of Light from Darkness,” “The Creation of the Sun and Stars,” and “The Separation of Water from Land.” The second group includes “The Creation of Adam” (perhaps the most famous fragment of the fresco), “The Creation of Eve”, “The Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden”. The third group includes fragments “The Drunkenness of Noah”, “The Great Flood” and “The Sacrifice of Noah”.
These frescoes are surrounded by images of Old Testament prophets and sibyls (soothsayers). Even lower we see numerous portraits of Christ’s ancestors. In addition, four large-scale paintings on themes from the Old Testament are depicted in the rounded corners of the ceiling.
"The Last Judgment"
Upon completion of this grandiose work, the Sistine Chapel was completely painted, so hardly anyone would have thought that Michelangelo would have to return to work on its frescoes. However, in 1534, the new Pope Paul III decided to decorate the altar wall of the chapel with a huge fresco depicting the Last Judgment. He sees only the author of the wonderful painting of the ceiling of the papal chapel as the artist. So fifty-nine-year-old Michelangelo takes on a new large-scale order.
To make room for the painting, two frescoes by Perugino, created by him in the 80s of the previous century, had to be plastered and several windows had to be closed. The entire space above the altar was reserved for the image of God's Judgment.
There is no point in retelling the plot of this fresco of the Sistine Chapel - it is better to see it with your own eyes in photographs, since today they are not difficult to find. It is only necessary to explain why from the power and greatness of man, displayed on the ceiling of the chapel, Michelangelo moves on to depicting people as victims of fate, powerless toys in the hands of higher powers. The reason is not only the plot of the Last Judgment, which can hardly be called life-affirming, and not only the age of the master. The whole life he lived, all the events that happened around him: coups, wars, civil strife, the occupation of part of Italy by neighbors, all the poverty and injustice of the surrounding world undermined Michelangelo’s faith in the power of human will and reason.
Further improvements
The pointlessness of ruling what was created by geniuses is not obvious to everyone and not always. Even during the life of the great Buonarroti, someone else's brush passed over his frescoes. All the characters of the Last Judgment were written naked, which many found indecent. In 1565, Daniele de Volterra added loincloths to the figures in this fresco, thereby “immortalizing” himself under the nickname “Bragettone” (undergarment). Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel has taken on its familiar, decorous appearance.
But even with the “cuts” the fresco of the Last Judgment was not safe. In 1596, she was almost shot down at the behest of Pope Clement VIII. The masterpiece was then saved by the petition of the artists of the Roman Academy of St. Luke.
Restoration in the 20th century
Over four centuries, restoration work in the Sistine Chapel was carried out more than once, but soon the frescoes were again covered with candle soot and dirt. The last restoration was carried out in the nineties of the last century. Cleaned and carefully restored, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel caused considerable surprise among researchers.
Previously, there was a widespread belief that Michelangelo used muted colors in his work. Not at all. After restoration, the master’s famous works shone with a bright range of colors. However, many connoisseurs did not accept the updated appearance of the chapel, considering the results of the restoration to be inconsistent with the appearance of the original.
Where is the Sistine Chapel located? In which city can you see Michelangelo's masterpiece?
Wanting to gain a reputation as a philanthropist, patron of the arts (and at the same time replenish the treasury), the Catholic Church opened many of its palaces and treasuries to visitors. The Sistine Chapel, like many other Vatican museums, can be visited by anyone. All it takes is twenty euros per ticket. Well, of course, first you need to get to Rome, because it is in this city that the papal capital is located with all its attractions.
But it would be wrong to think that the Sistine Chapel is just a museum. To this day, important meetings of cardinals are held in this building, the most important of which is the conclave, which meets after the death of the next Pope to elect his successor.