A Brief Look at the Sistine Chapel Ceiling
It is widely acknowledged that Michelangelo’s frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel are the greatest achievement in Western art, having inspired artists through the ages to use its styles and motifs in their own work. Since its unveiling 490 years ago, this complex masterpiece has transfixed countless viewers through its historical illustrations and predominant themes of the human experience. Michelangelo’s decoration of the ceiling is a monument to the extraordinary creative and integrative capacities of the mind (Oremland,1). Many of the historical records which traced its progress, technique, cost, and time spent on it have been lost or destroyed. Thus, the questions of how, when, and why Michelangelo painting the ceiling have been the topic of much debate over the centuries. Recently even more controversy arose when the ceiling was cleaned and restored to its original color and beauty. Nevertheless, as the work is better understood, the universality of themes which give it vitality and endurance is better appreciated. The Sistine Chapel was begun by Pope Sixtus IV probably in 1475, the year Michelangelo was born. It was built to serve functional and symbolic purposes. Functionally, it was to be a fortress into wh
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Approximate Word count = 1471
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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