Michelangelo painted the Sistine Ceiling in four years, 1508-1512. Read below an excerpt of Michelangelo’s biography by Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), the first art
historian. Visit the Sistine Chapel with the modern art historians of SmartHistory.org in Second Life, a virtual environment. Vassar College recreated the Sistine Ceiling on their Second Life “campus”. You don’t need to open an account in Second Life to visit, but you can tour Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Ceiling via SmartHistory’s video. I’ve added a video clip of sidewalk art based on Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam from the Sistine Ceiling. What do you think of these virtual recreations of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel? Why do you think these paintings are still significant for contemporary society?
Excerpt from Vasari’s biography of Michelangelo in Lives of the Artists
When the Pope was returned to Rome, Bramante (a friend of Raffaello’s, and therefore little a friend to Michael Angelo) tried to turn his mind from finishing his sepulchre, saying it was an evil augury and seemed like hastening his death to make his own grave; and he persuaded him that on Michael Angelo’s return he should set him to paint the ceiling of the chapel in the palace, in memory of Sixtus his uncle. For Bramante and Michael Angelo’s other rivals thought to draw him away from sculpture, in which they saw he was perfect, and make him produce less worthy works, not to be compared with Raffaello’s, knowing he had had no experience in painting in fresco. So when he was returned and proposed to the Pope to finish his tomb, he desired him instead to paint the ceiling of the chapel. Michael Angelo sought in every way to shift the load off his back, proposing Raffaello instead. But the more he excused himself, the more impetuous the Pope became. So seeing that his Holiness persevered, he resolved to do it, and the Pope ordered Bramante to make the scaffold. He made it hanging by ropes passed through holes in the ceiling, which when Michael Angelo saw, he asked Bramante how the holes were to be stopped up when the painting was finished. He answered, “We must think of that afterwards, but there is no other way.” So Michael Angelo knew that either Bramante was worth little or that he was no friend to him, and he went to the Pope and told him the scaffolding would not do. So he told him to do it his own way. He therefore ordered it to be made on supports, not touching the wall, and he gave to a poor carpenter who made it so many of the useless ropes that by the sale of them he obtained a dowry for one of his daughters.
Visit the Sistine Chapel in Second Life
Sidewalk version of Michelangelo’s Creation of Adam
Because of the disruption caused by Hurricane Sandy to the University’s class schedule, I have decided to forego a deadline for the remainder of the Discussion Topics this semester. Please make sure you contribute the minimum of 10 blog posts to the course by the last week of class. It is an easy, and dare I say, even fun way to study and to add 10 points to your final grade average.
The simulation was interesting in the sense that it’s amazing how they could create that but the narrators didn’t grasp my attention. If anything they made me want to exit the video. The simulation is interesting how it can capture so much detail and also that they can include real picture when ever they want. Its also amazing how Michael angelo uses illusion and how nothing was actually sculpted except the triangles. He also observed the room very carefully by using the light to his advantage. Michael angelo may have not likes painting but he put an extreme amount of detail into his work and even made most of it look like a sculpture.
I believe that the virtual creations of Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel to be quite fascinating. to be able to recreate something so historic virtually is actually very impressive. to be able to add much detail it is insane to think about how much time that person had to do this. the frescoes that Michelangelo made are even more impressive then the virtual one because of all the dedication he uses to make them using fake architecture to so different sides of the frescoes and creating all that before the plaster was to dry. for a person who doesn’t love his painting he still put more than enough effort to put such great amount of details.
The virtual recreations are very impressive. They are very useful, because anybody can see the sistine chapel virtually any time they want, and additionally we are able to look at the paintings from a close view, something we would not be able to do in real life if we wanted to take a close look of the ceiling and or high parts of the wall. The paintings tell stories about the old testament, starting with genesis (god’s creation of the world). Therefore these paintings should be important to many religions across the world.
I find michelangelos work very impressive. How he creates architectural illusions, and his detailed work and vivid characters. You can notice he was a sculpture by the anatomy of the character’s bodies.
The virtual recreations are very impressive. They are very useful, because anybody can see the sistine chapel virtually any time they want, and additionally we are able to look at the paintings from a close view, something we would not be able to do in real life if we wanted to take a close look of the ceiling and or high parts of the wall. The paintings tell stories about the old testament, starting with genesis (god’s creation of the world). Therefore these paintings should be important to many religions across the world.
ps: I find michelangelos work very impressive. How he creates architectural illusions, and his detailed work and vivid characters. You can notice he was a sculptress by the anatomy of the character’s bodies.