Leo Martínez
The Sistine Chapel is a chapel located in the Apostolic Palace, the pope's official residence in Vatican City. The chapel's interior is adorned with frescoes by Florentine Renaissance masters, including Michelangelo, Sandro Botticelli, and Pietro Perugino. Michelangelo painted the ceiling frescoes, collectively known as the Sistine Ceiling, from 1508 to 1512. He later returned to paint The Last Judgment fresco on the west wall behind the altar from 1534 to 1541. So, it has been approximately 500 years since Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel's ceiling, and about 470 years since he painted The Last Judgment fresco.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Michelangelo |
| Years of painting | 1508 to 1512 |
| Number of years | 4 |
| Location | Vatican City |
| Patron | Pope Julius II |
| Number of figures painted | Over 300 |
| Recent restoration | 1980 to 1994 |
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What You'll Learn
Michelangelo painted the ceiling frescoes from 1508 to 1512
The Sistine Chapel, located in the Vatican in Rome, is renowned for its frescoes, particularly those on the ceiling painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512. This was over 500 years ago.
The ceiling frescoes, also known as the Sistine Ceiling, are considered among the greatest achievements in Western painting and one of the major artistic accomplishments of human civilisation. Michelangelo painted the ceiling at the request of Pope Julius II, who commissioned the work in 1508. The frescoes depict incidents and personages from the Bible's Old Testament, specifically the Book of Genesis, and include the famous scene, "The Creation of Adam".
Michelangelo's work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling took four years to complete, during which he endured significant physical strain. The artist is said to have worked while lying on his back on sixty-foot scaffolding, an image that has been passed down through the centuries. In 1510, Michelangelo took a year-long break from the project, and the frescoes he painted after this hiatus are notably different from those he painted before, characterised by pared-down narratives and monumental-scale figures.
The Sistine Chapel ceiling had a profound influence on other artists, even before its completion. Michelangelo's work demonstrated an innovative approach to the human figure, clothing, and various awe-inspiring details, setting a new standard for painters to come. The ceiling's nine scenes, numerous figures (over 300 in total), and complex design showcase Michelangelo's exceptional skill in capturing the human form in a range of poses and emotional states.
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The Last Judgment fresco was painted from 1534 to 1541
The Sistine Chapel is renowned for its interior frescoes, most notably the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo. The Last Judgment fresco was painted from 1534 to 1541 and covers the whole altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. This was after Michelangelo painted the chapel's ceiling from 1508 to 1512, a project that changed the course of Western art.
The Last Judgment depicts the Second Coming of Christ and the final and eternal judgment of all humanity by God. The dead rise and descend to their fates, as judged by Christ, who is surrounded by prominent saints. The work contains over 300 figures, with nearly all males and angels originally shown nude. However, following criticism, many were later covered with painted draperies.
The painting took over four years to complete and was commissioned by Pope Clement VII, but completed under Pope Paul III, whose stronger reforming views may have influenced the work. It was painted 25 years after Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling.
The Last Judgment is a traditional subject for large church frescoes, but it was unusual to place it at the east end, over the altar. Traditionally, it would be placed on the west wall, over the main doors at the back of a church.
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The side walls were painted from 1481 to 1482
The Sistine Chapel is a simple brick building with six arched windows on each of its two main side walls. The exterior is unadorned, but the interior walls and ceiling are decorated with frescoes by many Florentine Renaissance masters.
Above these works, smaller frescoes between the windows depict various popes. The lowest portions of the side walls were once covered with a series of tapestries depicting events from the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles during great ceremonial occasions.
The frescoes on the side walls were commissioned in 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV, who had the chapel built between 1473 and 1481. The project was perhaps supervised by Perugino, who arrived at the chapel before the other Florentine painters. The side walls were decorated about 20 years before Michelangelo began work on the ceiling.
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The north wall features six frescoes by five artists
The Sistine Chapel was painted between 1508 and 1512, over 500 years ago. The chapel's fame lies mainly in the frescoes that decorate its interior, particularly the ceiling and The Last Judgment, both by Michelangelo.
The frescoes on the side walls of the chapel were painted from 1481 to 1482, about twenty years before Michelangelo's work on the ceiling. The Life of Moses and The Life of Christ were commissioned in 1480 by Pope Sixtus IV and executed by the aforementioned artists, with the possible exception of Pinturicchio.
The Life of Moses frescoes on the south wall were painted by Perugino, Pinturicchio, Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Benedetto Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, Luca Signorelli, and Bartolomeo della Gatta. Above these works, smaller frescoes between the windows depict various popes.
The frescoes on the side walls were originally part of a continuous cycle that ran all around the walls. However, they have since been replaced on both end walls.
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The south wall features six frescoes by nine artists
The Sistine Chapel was painted between 1508 and 1512, over 500 years ago. The frescoes on the south wall of the chapel were painted from 1481 to 1482 by Perugino, Pinturicchio, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Benedetto Ghirlandaio, Rosselli, Luca Signorelli, and Bartolomeo della Gatta. These artists were part of a team of Renaissance painters that included Pietro Perugino, Pinturicchio, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, and Cosimo Rosselli, who created a series of frescoes depicting the Life of Moses and the Life of Christ.
The south wall features six frescoes that depict events from the life of Moses. The first fresco depicts Moses' journey to Egypt after being exiled in the land of Midian. An angel tells him to circumcise his second son, which is paired with the Baptism of Christ on the north wall. This is meant to symbolise how Christian baptism represents a "spiritual circumcision" according to St. Augustine. Botticelli skillfully integrated seven episodes from the early life of Moses into the landscape. As the events unfold from right to left, so do the scenes within each fresco. In the first scene, Moses strikes an Egyptian overseer, and then flees to the Midianites. He then disperses a group of shepherds who were preventing Jethro's daughters from drawing water from a well.
The second fresco depicts Moses parting the Red Sea with his staff so that the Israelites can escape the pursuing Egyptian army. When Moses raises his staff a second time, the waters close, drowning Pharaoh and his army. A pillar of fire rises above the flood, striking fear into the Egyptians. Moses stands on the left, holding his staff, with the Israelites by his side. The prophetess Miriam kneels in the foreground, thanking God for their rescue. This painting was once attributed to Cosimo Rosselli but is now believed to be the work of his pupil, Biagio di Antonio. Rosselli owned a small dog that accompanied him to work and appeared in several frescoes.
The third fresco depicts rebellions by the Israelites against Moses and Aaron, God's appointed leaders. The people on the right are angry with Moses, who is shown as an old man with a long white beard. They want to dismiss him and appoint a new leader who will take them back to Egypt. Joshua stands protectively between them and Moses. In the centre, Korah leads the rebellion of Aaron's sons and some Levites, challenging Aaron's authority as high priest. Aaron, in a blue robe, swings his incense censer, while his rivals fall to the ground.
The fourth fresco shows the punishment of the rebels, who are swallowed up by the earth. The two innocent sons of Korah, the rebel leader, float on a cloud, spared from punishment. The inscription in the triumphal arch above them reads, "Let no man take the honour to himself except he that is called by God, as Aaron was." This fresco serves as a warning against opposing God's appointed leaders and asserting papal supremacy.
The Sistine Chapel's frescoes have had a profound impact on art, with Giorgio Vasari describing them as "a beacon of our art." They have brought enlightenment to painting, with Michelangelo's attention to detail and perfection in depicting the human form. The chapel's fame is largely due to these frescoes, particularly the ceiling and "The Last Judgment" by Michelangelo, which are considered some of the greatest achievements in Western art.
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Frequently asked questions
Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling from 1508 to 1512, taking around four years to complete.
As of 2023, it has been 511 years since Michelangelo completed the Sistine Chapel in 1512.
The restoration of the Sistine Chapel took around 15 years, from 1980 to 1994.
The Sistine Chapel was built between 1473 and 1481 or 1482. So, it took around 8 or 9 years to build.
