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The Creation On 10 May 1508 Michelangelo began the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, depicting the Creation. At first, was common practice at the time, he began working with assistants. Soon, however, becoming dissatisfied with their ability, he had them dismissed and destroyed the little work they had done. He then undertook the whole task alone, closing himself in the chapel and refusing entry to anyone, Pope Julius included. He worked in cramped conditions, lying on the scaffolding, a few inches from the section he was working on and effectively was not able to see what he was doing. By 1510 half the work was complete. As he had become more familiar with fresco technique, he was able to work more rapidly, finishing the whole work on 31 October 1512. Julius was very satisfied, marvelling at Michelangelo’s ability. Michelangelo was by then only 37, but already universally regarded as a master. “The Sistine Ceiling is a shallow barrel vault divided up by trompe l'oeil architecture into a series of alternating large and small panels which appear to be open to the sky. These are the Histories. Each of the smaller panels is surrounded by four figures of nude youths - the Ignudi - who are represented as seated on the architectural frame and who are do not take part in the Histories. Below them are the Prophets and Sibyls, and still lower, are the figures of the Ancestors of Christ. The whole ceiling completes the chapel decoration by representing life on earth before the Law: on the walls is an earlier cycle of frescoes, painted in 1481-82, representing the Life of Moses (i.e. the Old Dispensation) and the Life of Christ (the New Dispensation). The Histories begin over the altar and work away from it (though they were painted in the reverse direction): the first scene represents God alone, in the act of creation, the story continues through the rest of the Creation to the Fall of Man, then progresses toward the Flood and the Drunkenness of Noah. The work owes much to Neo-platonic philosophy, current during Michelangelo's youth, perhaps best represented with the Ignudi, examples of perfect human beauty. Below them are the Old Testament Prophets who foretold the coming of Christ, while on the four corners are scenes from the Old Testament representing Salvation. The Prophet Jonah is above the altar, since the three days he spent inside the whale were believed to prefigure the Resurrection. On the lowest parts - and very freely painted - are the Ancestors of Christ. Many years later he returned to the Sistine Chapel, to paint another masterpiece, The Last Judgement. For an illustration of The Creation, please click here. |