First official Art Info post: The Sistine Ceiling

As you all know, I am a total geek for art history. It was one of the major reasons why I came to Rome for the semester. That being said, every so often I am going to write a post about something interesting i have seen or learned that I think the rest/some of you might find interesting too. 

As many of you also know, I am in a class specifically on Michelangelo and his work in Rome. In the past few days, we have been talking about the Sistine Ceiling at great length. So here are some things I didn't know and found particularly interesting/strange/amazing.

- The lowest band of paintings were painted by several Florentine artists such as Botticelli, Perugino, and Ghirlandaio. These were done in 1481-1482. At this point, the ceiling was a dark blue sky with bright gold stars.

- The ceiling cycle and the last judgement wall were painted almost 30 years apart.

- The ceiling itself can be divided into two halves. This is because Michelangelo stopped working on it for about 6 months in the middle. During those 6 months, art historians believe he underwent a stylistic change in his painting.

- Michelangelo did everything in his power to get out of painting the Sistine Chapel. He thought was a bad painter (he experienced mold problems with the fresco at first). 

- No two bodies on the ceiling are in the same position. 

- Michelangelo was displeased with the final product. Pope Julius II (who commissioned the ceiling) made him reveal the work too early. We do not know what else Michelangelo would have added. 

- During the most recent cleaning and restoration project, many of the details painted after the fresco dried were lost. In addition, Michelangelo himself said that he always intended for th ceiling to darken due to soot produced during conclave. So, the question is, are we now seeing the ceiling the way we think it should look or the way Michelangelo intended it to look?  

- It was around this time in his life that Michelangelo began experiencing deep depression, something which he would not really escape for the rest of his life.

- The central series of nine panels running down the center of the ceiling are supposed to be in chronological order according to Genesis. However, the third to last scene, The Sacrifice of Noah, is technically in the wrong place. According the Genesis, the scene of the Drunkeness of Noah and the Sacrifice should technically be switched. Why would Michelangelo do this? Clearly it couldn't have been a mistake....he was working in the Vatican.

Hope you all found this as interesting as I did. More to come.

Best, Lauren