The Sistine Chapel ceiling (Italian: Soffitto della Cappella Sistina), painted in fresco by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is a cornerstone work of High Renaissance art.
The Sistine Chapel is the large papal chapel built within the Vatican between 1477 and 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV, for whom the chapel is named. The ceiling was painted at the commission of Pope Julius II.
And this, kids, is what is known as a tour de force.
He was 34 when he started this.
Today I rode my bike, made a sandwich and whined about movies on Lemmy. I feel like I’m maybe not at Michaelangelo’s level yet.
But maybe Michelangelo’s biggest regret was having never made a good sandwich. You might have one up on him.
You have to remember - this was his job. This wasn’t a little hobby he worked on on-and-off in the background. He wasn’t putting 8-10 hours in down at the accountancy before popping into the chapel for a little while. From a very young age he was supported both financially & emotionally by his community to sculpt, paint, and whatever else.
I just realised that I’d never seen a picture of the whole composition before. Only of individual panels, especially of the central picture of course.
So you also taught me something new today, @[email protected]
Right, I think this is like a lot of history. How it’s presented in the media affects our perception of reality.
I hope to get to see this artwork in person some day.
My favorite part is the snake with the skin like a human, in the garden of Eden. That always freaked me out as a kid.
