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The Sistine Chapel

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The Sistine Chapel
Rachael Billingsley
Ms. Jonte
PreAP English 9-TB: 1
29 November, 2012
The Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel, one of the most iconic pieces of work Michelangelo ever did, and one of the most popular destinations in Rome. All of the ceiling and walls are covered in beautiful artwork. The panels done by Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli, Biagio di Antonio, Bartolomeo della Gatta and Luca Signorelli (de Strobel) stand out, showing the stories of Moses and Christ. The ceiling of the chapel originally done by Pier Matteo d 'Amelia looked like a starry night. Then the nephew of Sixtus IV, Julius II della Rovere, brought in Michelangelo Buonarroti to alter the ceiling. Michelangelo was modest at first, nothing too special, but soon he altered how traditional ceiling painting was done. He created dramatic scenes that paved the way for other artists, setting a standard. He painted nine stories from the book of Genesis, with 12 male and female prophets. He created three Noah scenes and for 4 years he worked through three Adam stories to three Creation stories on the other end of the ceiling. Then he paused for a few months halfway along. This was when Michelangelo did Pieta and David. His style then started to change, which was visible in those sculptures. Finally, the Pope threatened that if Michelangelo did not finish the ceiling quickly he would have him thrown down from the scaffolding. Then Michelangelo, who had good reason to fear the Pope 's anger, lost no time in doing all that was wanted (Cast). When he returned to the ceiling he used a different technique, as in the Creation of Adam When the ceiling was finished in 1512 Michelangelo returned to his previous works, like the tomb of Julius ("Michelangelo Buonarroti."). The impact of The Sistine Chapel was great. It changed how many painters worked and saw things. Michelangelo’s works on the ceiling of the chapel set the standard of how things should be done and



Cited: de Strobel , Anna Maria, Ester Console, Maurizio Sannibale, and Lorenzo Nigro. "The Sistine Chapel." Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums. Web. 7 Dec 2012. <http://mv.vatican.va/3_EN/pages/CSN/CSN_Storia.html>. Cast, David. "Finishing The Sistine." Art Bulletin 73.4 (1991): 669. Academic Search Premier. Web. 30 Nov. 2012. "Michelangelo Buonarroti." Encyclopedia of World Biography. 2nd ed. Vol. 11. Detroit: Gale, 2004. 2-5. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 10 Dec. 2012.

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