Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel

Famous artist Henri Matisse once said, “Creativity takes courage” (BrainyQuote.com). Courage is defined as the confidence to act in accordance with one's beliefs. This character trait not only embodied the famous painter Michelangelo himself but his art as well. From a young age, Michelangelo showed the true ambition that later led him to become the greatest artist of his time (http://cecelia.physics.indiana.edu). During the Italian Renaissance era, the period in which Michelangelo lived, the Catholic Church lost sight of its’ Jewish history due to politics and propaganda. Although, Michelangelo lived in a time that was strongly anti-Semitic, he was able to rebel against the religious intolerance of this period by reminding Christians of their
Michelangelo is quoted as saying ‘ Genius is eternal patience” which he proved since it took him four and half years to complete the Sistine Chapel (blech). When Michelangelo was done, the project would be greater than what the Pope originally asked him for and would be considered a masterpiece. His extraordinary paintings in the chapel contained over 300 powerful and dramatic figures. However, the Sistine Chapel was much more than just beautiful works of art because hidden among the frescos were philosophical thoughts and rich symbolic expressions of Judaism that only a major kabbalah scholar would understand. From the floor to the ceiling, Michelangelo hid Jewish symbols and subtle messages waiting to be
Hanging above the Pope’s chair is a painting of Aminadab, who is known in the Old Testament as the father of holy children. In Hebrew, Aminadab means “from my people, a prince “and is referring to his son Nachshon. Nachshon was a leader of great faith and spirituality. However, to the Catholic Church there is only one prince of the Jews-Jesus. In the painting of Aminadab, he is painted sitting forward while on the sleeve of his left arm is a yellow ring that looks sewn onto Aminadab's clothing. This yellow ring is a symbol of shame that Jews were forced to put on during the Spanish Inquisition. This is a way of reminding the Pope that the family of Jesus was being treated poorly and that it could easily be him wearing the yellow ring. Aminadab looks angry in