![]() The author intends to give the reader much more than a bird’s-eye view of the planning and attention to detail that went into every aspect of the project, not just the painting itself. So intricate and detailed were the renderings of the Old Testament stories that none other than an artistic genius could have completed them. ![]() As one source puts it, “The iconology of all church paintings was the business of churchmen.” There was an entire retinue of theologians well suited for the task. One such historical point has to do with Michelangelo being selected to paint the ceiling in the first place. The narrative is pregnant with just as much of the daily activities on and around the scaffolding erected beneath the Sistine ceiling as it is with life in Italy in the sixteenth century. King does an impressive job of juxtaposing the intricacies of art and history. It had been said that Michelangelo finished the some of the most intricate figures of the ceiling at “an almost mind-boggling velocity.” The depiction of Adam with his arm outstretched should have taken weeks to complete. Certain portions of the ceiling had to be completed quickly before the mixture dried, rendering it useless. The artist used an intonaco lime mixture that dried quickly. The mechanics behind painting frescos depend to a large degree on the materials used. One source describes the impression as “such as to make everyone astonished and dumb.” A historical narrative this may be, but King’s book is not without a ticking clock. In the fall of 1512, the Pope and his Cardinals get their first glance at the finished product. There are quite a few run-ins between the two, some which King recounts, in the four years it takes to complete the project. Julius is squeamish about the idea, but de’Grassi is adamant. Additionally, he and Julius had argued bitterly over plans for the Pope’s tomb. First, Michelangelo’s inexperience as a painter makes him a less than qualified candidate for the job. Julius intends to replace the old décor with biblical frescos as master of ceremonies at the Vatican, de’Grassi is tasked with the job of hiring a painter.ĭe’Grassi’s choice ruffles the Pope’s feathers, for a number of justifiable reasons. A man of low birth, Julius seeks to add a bit of flair to his papacy, thinking a fresh redesign of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling is the ideal way to accomplish this. On the one hand, there is Pope Julius who, just prior to 1508, orders Paride de’Grassi to completely strip out the existing décor. Aside from the technical aspects of producing such a vast work of art, the author sheds light on the personalities at work. From the assistants who directly supported Michelangelo’s work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling to the artist’s often-turbulent rivalry with Raphael, King spares no detail, not even the day-to-day details are missing from King’s account. Instead, the book provides an account of Michelangelo’s quotidian work and the people who labored alongside him. It does not dramatize the events the way some historians might. King’s book covers the four years it took Michelangelo to complete the project and all of the challenges that came with it. Michelangelo, an experienced sculptor – having completed his famous statue of David some years before, had limited experience as a painter working with fresco techniques. Michelangelo had been newly commissioned by Julius to paint the ceiling of the recently renovated Sistine Chapel. ![]() Ross King’s historical work Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling begins in 1508 around the time that Pope Julius II was head of the Catholic Church.
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