Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, best known as Michelangelo, was a European artist born in Caprese, Italy in 1475 during the Renaissance period. He realized his artistic talents early on in his childhood and, despite resistance from his father, he studied under the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio at the age of 13. He was then invited to live at the palace of Lorenzo di Medici, ruler of the Florentine Republic, where he studied sculpture under Bertoldo di Giovanni. He later became a noted sculptor, painter, and architect and created sculptural masterpieces like the Pieta and David. Due to the prominent Catholic influence present in his upbringing and in society at the time, most of his works were of a religious nature and done for the Catholic church.
In 1508, at the age of 33, he was commissioned by Pope Julius III to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with an image of the 12 apostles. Initially, Michelangelo refused the request because he feared it was part of a conspiracy against him, instigated by competing artists who wanted to ruin his reputation. As a sculptor, he believed that a failed painting would discredit his talent as an artist. Pope Julius insisted until Michelangelo hesitantly agreed and painted from 1508 to 1512. In The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, Symonds stated that the pope “renewed his request that Michelangelo should enter his service; and when the latter still resisted, he clinched the matter” (39). Instead of the proposed painting of the 12 apostles, Michelangelo painted the entire ceiling in fresco with over 300 biblical figures that recreated stories from the Old Testament of the Bible.
He began with the story of Noah above the entrance and continued the scenes in reverse chronological order. He ended with the separation of light from darkness above the altar. It was noted that “Michelangelo’s artistic development is seen as wed to this counterchronological progress or ascent” (Barolsky, 31). After the completion of the first scene, he continuously increased the size of the figures, and as the paintings progressed, he added more motion to them. Adding the use of sculptural factors, he created the illusion of architectural framework to divide the panels and scenes. He employed the use of bright, vivid colors like royal blue, yellow, pink, and green which contrasted with the eggshell colored ceiling. Perhaps the most popular panel painted on the ceiling is one titled Creation of Adam.
This painting is located at the center of the room and is characterized by 2 main figures in the foreground. The figure on the left, Adam, is leaning away almost nonchalantly with this arm and pointer finger extended towards God who is on the right. God is to the right and slightly above Adam. He is floating on a cloud, surrounded by angels and is also extending his arm and finger towards Adam. He holds a woman under his other arm and touches a child with his other hand. It is believed that they represent Mary and Jesus. As opposed to Adam’s body positioning, however, God’s body is curved and leaning forward towards Adam. He has a white and grey beard that flows backwards in response to the accelerative movement. He is portrayed as elderly, but strong, wise, and powerful. Both figures display Michelangelo’s signature style in their muscular, twisting bodies that resemble two dimensional sculptures. Though God appears powerful, he is dressed in a simple white sheet. His humble clothing is in direct contrast with previous the paintings of an all-mighty creator and ruler dressed in lavish clothing. Michelangelo’s representation more accurately embodies the beliefs of the Catholic church with regard to the portrayal of God. This panel is representative of the birth of humanity as God is giving Adam life through the touch of their fingers. A reverent tone is present throughout all of Michelangelo’s paintings, but he also incorporates a style of humanism within them. He combines these two contrasting ideas exquisitely as he uses humanism to focus on the beauty of human beings, while using Christianity to emphasize their flawed and sinful nature.
At the time of the commission of the Sistine Chapel, the Italian city-states of Florence, Milan, Venice, and Rome were at the center of religion, art, commerce, and political power in western Europe. The painting was completed during the historical period known as the Renaissance. The era was aptly named as it was essentially the rebirth of classical culture revolving around the rediscovery of the arts, sciences, and philosophy in which humans were at the center of life’s stage. At the time, most of the religious and political power rested on the Catholic Church and the Pope in Rome. Throughout the Middle Ages, the Church was the institution that preserved the classics that would later reemerge. The church’s power, however, slightly diminished as the Italian city-states became rich and no longer needed papal armies to protect themselves. Competition between these cities positively affected the quality and quantity of results by artists, scientists, and architects. Prior to the Renaissance, Europe was hit by the Black Plague which eliminated one-third of the population in the continent. As a result of the low population, Europeans also benefitted from an abundance of job opportunities in craftsmanship, shipbuilding, and trading.
Michelangelo’s motivations and art works, including the Sistine Chapel ceiling, were direct products of the values emphasized and the events that occurred in his environment. Every religious, political, and cultural aspect of the time can be seen present in his art. Even the non-religious pieces he created were heavily influenced by the Renaissance culture. As a devout Catholic, Michelangelo used his art to serve the church that he loved and to express his genius on multiple medias. Michelangelo became one of the most renowned artists of all time and The Sistine Chapel ceiling is regarded as a masterpiece of the 16th century.