| The Italian Renaissance is filled with great stories that resulted in great art, and the story and art of Michelangelo are an enduring example.
The story begins in 16th-century Rome, which was quickly becoming the cultural center of the Western world. At 33 years of age, Michelangelo was summoned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was not a painter—he was a sculptor—and when asked to paint the ceiling, he replied, “Painting is not my art.”
According to Giorgio Vasari’s “Lives of the Artists,” Michelangelo suspected that Bramante, a highly respected architect who worked for Pope Julius II, wanted to ruin his reputation by having him paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
It is true that Michelangelo did not know how to fresco, but this did not deter him. For four grueling years, Michelangelo took what he learned and tirelessly painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling. It was not easy. According to Ross King’s book “Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling,” Michelangelo had to deal with family issues, rivalries, technical mishaps, and politics to complete one of the largest and most phenomenal fresco paintings in history… |
