On November 1 of 1512, one of the most sublime artistic creations in history, the ceiling paintings of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, opened for public viewing. The masterpiece appears on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (named for Pope Sixtus IV, who ordered the chapel built in 1479), which is part of the Vatican Palace in Rome. The Sistine Chapel remains important today; it’s where the College of Cardinals convenes when the time comes to elect a new pope.

I will not try to describe the artwork of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in detail. Suffice it to say the ceiling depicts memorable biblical scenes exquisitely executed. There are many websites you can visit if you want to see the artwork for yourself. Click here to visit one.

Context for Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel

What I plan to do instead in this post is provide more context for the importance of this work. For one thing, Michelangelo is not the only famous artist to paint parts of the Sistine Chapel. The walls feature frescoes by such famous figures as Sandro Botticelli. The ceiling that Michelangelo painted took him parts of five years to complete. Pope Julius II commissioned the work to begin in 1508 but Michelangelo didn’t finish until 1512.

Another interesting thing about Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is that it seems he never wanted the job to begin with. Most of his prior experience had been in sculpture, and he had little practice painting frescoes. It’s a sign of his artistic talent that not only did he create a masterpiece that’s stood the test of time artistically speaking, but also in terms of physical durability. Modern artists have touched up a few parts and removed some dirt that accumulated over the years, but that’s all. (Compare this, for instance, to Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper, where he experimented with new paints that faded over time.)

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Finally, I’d like to point out that the ceiling of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel is a different work of art from the famous The Last Judgment painted on the wall behind the chapel’s altar. Although also by Michelangelo, it’s a later addition. Pope Paul III commissioned it in 1534.

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