The Sistine Chapel

St. Peter's facade by Simona Albanese

Aerial view of the Sistine Chapel (center). Image © Google Earth

The Sistine Chapel is one of the most beautiful and perfect work in the art history!!!

Look this wonderful presentation on the Sistine Chapel clicking on the link .....it is amazing!! 

My dad has sent me the link...just because I have a strong passion for art like him!!

Here a brief history of the Chapel:

The Sistine Chapel was commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, from whom it derives its name, in 1475. It was designed to be the pope's chapel and the site of papal elections. In 1481 Sixtus IV called to Rome the Florentine painters Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli and the Perugian Pietro Perugino to decorate the walls with frescoes. The fresco project took only 11 months, from July 1481 to May 1482.

Michelangelo was called in a later time, being younger in comparison to the other artists. The Sistine ceiling was originally painted by Piero Matteo d'Amelia, who included a star-spangled sky. But in 1508 Pope Julius II della Rovere commissioned Michelangelo to repaint the ceiling. He worked on the project between 1508 and October 31, 1512, in cramped conditions high on a scaffolding and under continous pressure from the pope to hurry up. 

Michelangelo was later called back to paint The Last Judgment (1535-1541) on the altar wall. The work was commissioned by Pope Clement VII (1523-1534) shortly before his death, and Clement's successor, Pope Paul III Farnese (1534-1549), forced Michelangelo to complete it quickly. 

In recent decades, the Sistine Chapel has been carefully cleaned and restored, beginning with the 15th-century wall frescoes in 1965. The cleaning and restoration of the lunettes, the ceiling and The Last Judgment, a painstaking process using computer analysis, lasted from 1980 to 1994. The restoration included removing several of the "modesty" drapes (called braghettoni)   that were added over some of the nude figures later by Daniele da Volterra.

As a result of the restoration....some are happy ...some are not...you need to go and have a look by yourself and then you come make a judgement!!! 

Happy vision!!