As the sun penetrated through the
windows the exquisiteness of the artwork was enhanced. Colors illuminated off
the walls in fiery orange, deep yellow, soft olive green, and ablaze blue,
allowing each color to glow against the simple white and azure background. The
thousands of eloquent, detailed paintings form to create an intricate depiction
of the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Michelangelo used his proficiency in
anatomy, foreshortening, and profound imagination to construct one of the most beautiful
creations of history; the Sistine Chapel.
The Sistine Chapel, one of the most
ornate churches in all of Europe, is the private chapel of the pope in the
Vatican City of Rome. The chapel was built for Pope Sixtus IV in 1473 and holds
the Papal conclave, the process by which a new Pope is selected. However, the
chapel earns its fame from the decorated frescoes within, mainly the Last
Judgment and the chapel ceiling. Michelangelo’s own spiritual and psychological
state is reflected throughout the artistic expression of the chapel. The
artwork found in the chapel is one of the finest and grandest examples of
Renaissance art ("Michelangelo").
In 1508, Pope Julius II hired Michelangelo to craft a grand
tomb for him, but soon after asked him to decorate the chapel ceiling instead.
Michelangelo furiously argued that he was a sculptor, not a frescoist. However,
he could not ignore the commands of the pope so he accepted the job. Instead of
painting decorations, as the contract called for, he formulated a fresco cycle
for the entire ceiling. Michelangelo spent 5 grueling years craning his neck
and arching his back while he painted the fresco alone. In 1512 the frescoes
were revealed, exposing new ways to illustrate the human body, new uses of
light, form and color (Essak).
It is important to take note of the immense nudity in the
artwork. Michelangelo was wise beyond his years and fascinated with the anatomy
of the human body. At the age of 24, he began visiting morgues to get a better
understanding of the human body. Once he developed a suitable understanding, he
began to paint his characters nude. He depicted everyone to be very muscular,
but in reality no one appeared that way. Although controversy arose about the
nudity, Michelangelo was proud of his revolutionary discovery and placed 20
large nude males on the ceiling. These men, known as Ignudi, are painted as
supporting figures at each corner of the five smaller narrative scenes running
along the center of the ceiling. Michelangelo exquisitely illustrated the
center of the ceiling with nine passages from the Book of Genesis. The pictures
devised to create the center fall into three groups: The Creation, Downfall,
and Fate of Humanity. Michelangelo painted the scenes in reverse order,
starting with the Fate of Humanity. It is debated that the reversed evolution
signifies a return to a state of grace. Others argue it is because Michelangelo
wanted to save his best work for last and place it over the altar.
The Creation marks the beginning of the story. It is formed
with three pictures shown from scenes in the first chapter of Genesis. The
first scene, Separation of Light from Darkness, is placed directly over the
altar where Mass is held. When relating this scene, to the ritual of the priest
raising the host at the altar, it expresses that God’s proposal for human
salvation occurred at the very moment God created the universe. This could also
be an indicator to why Michelangelo waited to paint this scene last and why it
is placed over the altar (Bramblett). The
next scene, Creation of the Sun, Moon, and Plants, is placed in the third
panel. It illustrates that on the Second day, God divided the waters from the
heavens. The central panel is the largest of the three and includes the
Separation of the Waters from the Land. The Lord is shown soaring over the
dull, blue water with his entourage of angels. Behind, the sky is clear, while
the other side of the Lord has turned grayish white. The flying figure of the
Lord frequently changes directions as one walks through the chapel due to
foreshortening. The creation scenes, completed in the third stages of the painting,
are the most vigorous of all the pictures in the center ceiling (Ruehring).
Following the Creation is the Creation and Downfall of Adam
and Eve. The first picture presented is one of the most well known artworks of
all time: the Creation of Adam. To impact the spark of life from God’s finger
into Adam, God extends his right arm towards Adam. Adam mirrors the pose of God
with his left arm, symbolizing a reminder that man is created in the image and
likeliness of God. Regarding Michelangelo’s proficiency in human anatomy, several
hypotheses have been made about the background figures shown behind the figure
of God giving life to Adam. The background appears to be an anatomically
accurate depiction of the human brain and, alternatively, a human uterus. The
hypothesis of the human uterus explains the naval that appears on Adam and
represents the creation scene as the physical birth of man. The second scene of
this sequence, Creation of Eve, illustrates God creating Eve from the side of
the sleeping Adam. Temptation and Expulsion from the Garden are represented in
the final panel. Two contrasting acts are shown as Adam and Eve take fruit from
the forbidden tree. Trustingly, Eve takes it from the serpent while Adam zealously
picked it himself. When banished from the garden the idealized Adam and Eve in
paradise become hideous (Ruehring).
After Adam and Eve betray the trust of God, humanity was
left in the hands of Noah. The story of Noah, the first of the panels painted,
illustrates how humankind moved a long way from God’s perfect creation. The
first image, Sacrifice of Noah, shows the sacrifice of a sheep. This represents
the sacrifice made by Noah and his family after the Great Flood, which
destroyed the rest of humankind. The central scene illustrates the Great Flood
and humanity frantically trying to find safety while Noah’s family safely
floats away. Drunkenness of Noah, depicted in the final scene shows Noah
becoming drunk after discovering how to produce wine. While drunk, he unconsciously
exposes himself. Ham, Noah’s youngest son, brings his two brothers to the sight
and subtly covers his father. Later, Noah curses Ham for witnessing the
previous event, which symbolizes the crash of humanity (Bramblett).
As previously stated, the pictorial work delicately
expressed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is an outstanding masterpiece
filled with knowledge and emotion. Each comprehensive picture presents an
incredible story of Christian theology. Although the eyes are initially drawn
to the ceiling of the chapel, they will ultimately be drawn towards the Last
Judgment wall. This wall is a depiction of the Second Coming of Christ and the
final, eternal judgment by God of all humanity. Souls of humans rise and fall
as Christ and his saints judge their fate. Even though Christ is the center of
the wall, a man crouched at the bottom of the wall is crucial in understanding
the Sistine Chapel. The man is caught between heaven and hell, struggling to
identify with God and find himself on the way. Michelangelo was known to be a
manic depressant. He contemplated the thought of dying and readily thought
about the Day of Judgment, which is reflected through his work. Michelangelo
subtly expressed his religious soul through illustration in the Sistine Chapel
(“Michelangelo").
Michelangelo used his divine
artistic ability to create visual metaphors that portray the doctrine of the Catholic Church. Each
painting will leave one speechless and overpowered with emotions. It is rather
difficult for one to forget the experience of walking into the Sistine Chapel
and immediately becoming captivated by the artwork. In the words of Goethe: "Until
you have seen the Sistine Chapel, you can have no adequate conception of what
man is capable of accomplishing”
·
Ruehring,
Lauren. "Sistine Chapel Michelangelo Paintings." HowStuffWorks.
N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
·
"Sistine
Chapel." - Ceiling. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014
·
Bramblett,
Reid. "The Sistine Chapel ★★★." The Sistine Chapel,
from Michelangelo's God Creating Adam on the Ceiling to His Last Judgement on
the Wall. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
·
"Creation
of Adam." Creation of Adam. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
·
"Michelangelo."
. Sistine Chapel. Book of Genesis. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
·
"Rome
- The Sistine Chapel Rome - Vatican Hotel." - Palazzo Cardinal Cesi on
Piazza S.Pietro. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Mar. 2014.
·
Essak,
Shelley. "The Sistine Chapel Ceiling by Michelangelo." About.com
Art History. N.p., n.d. Web. 03 Mar. 2014.
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