Free Essays on Sistine Chapel

The chapel was built between 1475 and 1483, in the time of Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere. A basic feature of the chapel itself, so obvious that it is sometimes ignored, is the papal function, as the pope's chapel and the location of the elections of new popes. Furthermore, the building was in some respects a personal monument to the Della Rovere family, since Sixtus IV saw to its actual construction and the frescoes beneath the vaults, and his nephew Julius II commissioned the ceiling decoration. Oak leaves and acorns abound, heraldic symbols of the family whose name means literally "from the oak." The Chapel is rectangular in shape and measures 40,93 meters long by 13,41 meters wide, i.e. the exact dimensions of the Temple of Solomon, as given in the Old Testament. It is 20,70 meters high and is surmounted by a shallow barrel vault with six tall windows cut into the long sides, forming a series of pendentives between them. A marble mosaic floor of exquisite workmanship describes the processional itinerary up to and beyond the marble screen, to the innermost space, where it offers a surround for the papal throne and the cardinals' seats. The architectural plans were made by Baccio Pontelli and the construction was supervised by Giovanino de'Dolci. The walls are divided into three orders by horizontal cornices; according to the decorative program, the lower of the three orders was to be painted with fictive "tapestries," the central one with two facing cycles - one relating the life of Moses (left wall) and the other the Life of Christ (right wall), starting from the end wall, where the altar fresco, painted by Perugino, depicted the Virgin of the Assumption, to whom the chapel was dedicated. The upper order is endowed with pilasters that support the pendentives of the vault. Above the upper cornice are situated the lunettes. Between each window below the lunettes, in fictive niches, run images of the first popes - from Peter to Marc... Free Essays on Sistine Chapel Free Essays on Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel was built in 1473 under Pope Sixtus. It is most famous for it’s beautiful decorations and artwork. There are different colored marble floor mosaics, which are well known, but the paintings on the walls and ceilings are the chapel’s most famous feature. Frescoes by many artists cover the walls depicting scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ. However the most famous achievements in the chapel are the artwork of Michelangelo. Across the ceilings he painted nine episodes from genesis that are representations of the stages of creation and man’s temptation and fall. Below these scenes are the scenes of figures and prophets with episodes from the Old Testament, all designed for the salvation of Christianity. The last great work in the chapel was Michelangelo’s Last Judgment on the altar wall. Over the following years the wall accumulated soot and animal glues from previous restorers. By 1980 cleaning and restoration of Michelangelo’s frescoes began. Before beginning the restoration, computers were used to map every single inch of the 2,732-square-foot ceiling. A huge movable scaffold was used to test the areas, much like the one Michelangelo used while painting. After all the testing was done, full restorations were in progress. The dull, dark ceilings of the Sistine chapel no longer exist. The vivid colors provide a new way of looking at Michelangelo’s work. It took restorers a total of fourteen years (from 1981 to 1995) to remove the centuries’ worth of grime and decay. The restoration of the chapel is often called the restoration of the century. But it was followed by much controversy. After restoration was completed many people argued and were upset, saying that the restorers had distorted and destroyed all of the frescoes. Some people even said that it has been ruined. They complained that Michelangelo had used a second coat of paint to soften the colors and that the restorer... Free Essays on Sistine Chapel The chapel was built between 1475 and 1483, in the time of Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere. A basic feature of the chapel itself, so obvious that it is sometimes ignored, is the papal function, as the pope's chapel and the location of the elections of new popes. Furthermore, the building was in some respects a personal monument to the Della Rovere family, since Sixtus IV saw to its actual construction and the frescoes beneath the vaults, and his nephew Julius II commissioned the ceiling decoration. Oak leaves and acorns abound, heraldic symbols of the family whose name means literally "from the oak." The Chapel is rectangular in shape and measures 40,93 meters long by 13,41 meters wide, i.e. the exact dimensions of the Temple of Solomon, as given in the Old Testament. It is 20,70 meters high and is surmounted by a shallow barrel vault with six tall windows cut into the long sides, forming a series of pendentives between them. A marble mosaic floor of exquisite workmanship describes the processional itinerary up to and beyond the marble screen, to the innermost space, where it offers a surround for the papal throne and the cardinals' seats. The architectural plans were made by Baccio Pontelli and the construction was supervised by Giovanino de'Dolci. The walls are divided into three orders by horizontal cornices; according to the decorative program, the lower of the three orders was to be painted with fictive "tapestries," the central one with two facing cycles - one relating the life of Moses (left wall) and the other the Life of Christ (right wall), starting from the end wall, where the altar fresco, painted by Perugino, depicted the Virgin of the Assumption, to whom the chapel was dedicated. The upper order is endowed with pilasters that support the pendentives of the vault. Above the upper cornice are situated the lunettes. Between each window below the lunettes, in fictive niches, run images of the first popes - from Peter to Marc...