Essay on Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel: Intrigue and Debate Among Art Historians

Introduction

Michelangelo's decoration of the Sistine Chapel has intrigued and confounded art historians for eras (McConomy 10). Though this masterpiece is one of the most written about works of western art, there is no agreement as to the proposed meaning of either the individual ceiling frescoes as a whole. The fundamental basis of separation for critics is whether to see Michelangelo as a displaced Florentine Neoplatonist in the service of the highest Christian authority. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of Michelangelo's renowned artworks (McConomy 10).

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There are several characteristics of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel that makes it appealing, and undeniably apparent to potential visitors (McConomy 10). The ceiling of the chapel is really highly elevated, and there are a lot of appealing paintings that would attract any visitor who access the inside of the Sistine Chapel. Before assessing Michelangelo's decoration of the Sistine Chapel, it is important to contemplate briefly the state of chapel decoration prior to Pope Julius 11, and Michelangelo. The chapel, inaugurated by Pope Sixtus IV, was previously decorated with wall murals between 1481 and 1483, encompassing of two antique sequences illustrating the lives of Moses and Jesus (McConomy 10). The two series of wall frescoes are organized such that they offer a historical story beginning on the altar wall, proceeding along the longitudinal wall and the climax on the entrance wall. This organization of the decoration of churches with historical narratives organized from the altar to the entrance was a quattrocento tradition.

Another element of the decoration of the Sistine Chapel prior to Michelangelo is the frescoes on the south wall which portrayed the life of Moses, portraying him as a Jewish father, leader, and protector of the Jewish people (McConomy 11). On the opposite wall is the unfolding of the life of Christ, with the keen role being paid on the ministerial works of Jesus. The two decorations on these walls display the life of two different periods in the history of humanity; the era of Moses demonstrates the history of humanity under the law, while the teachings of Christ depict the life of humanity beneath grace (McConomy 11). The decorations on the wall frescoes can also be argued typologically. It is evident that the occurrences of the Old Testament appear before those of the New Testament. Therefore these paintings also explain Renaissance humanist principles in several ways. For example, the events of the life of Moses are inscribed before the life and teachings of Christ. Baptism replaces circumcision as an indication of God's favor and grace (McConomy 11). The crossing of the Red Sea and the calling of the Apostles are two different renaissance periods that recall the efficacy of baptisms as both illustrate movement through the water towards salvation (McConomy 12).

The last feature of the decoration of the Sistine Chapel prior to Michelangelo is the fresco of The Assumption of the Virgin on the altar wall. Perugino's fresco combines and complements the motifs prevalent in the historical scenes and the portraits of the popes (McConomy 12). Michelangelo's design for the decoration of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is intricate in both its formal scheme and its figurative connotations (McConomy 12). One of the notable innovative features of Michelangelo's decoration of the ceiling that is different from the other paintings that came before this one was that he took into consideration the architectural structure of the vault upon, which the paintings were placed (McConomy 13). He organized a "comprehensive tectonic system" of decoration, establishing a unique visual unity unlike the previous painters like Perugino who made their paintings to illustrate biblical narratives, such as the difference in the era between the life of Moses, and the teachings of Christ (Wolfflin 52).

In the humanist view, an artist is given a chance to relay their reasoning through artistic work on matters spirituality or historical narratives. The two predominant features of Renaissance humanism is human dignity and freedom of the will (McConomy 3). The divisions within the Michelangelo's ceiling design follow the natural architectural sections of the cupola and make use of the architectural spaces, mainly the lunettes, and spandrels (McConomy 3-4). The significance of humanistic education is to enlighten learners in an effort to cultivate a fully developed crop of individuals living up to their highest human potential and preparing people to make wise moral decisions (Nauert 15). Further, adding replicated architectural features used to split the symbolic superficial of the vault. His ceiling decorations can be divided into three architecturally different fields, comprising the most significant parts of the design; the histories, successively the length of the spine of the ceiling, and the momentus figures of the Prophets and Sibyls placed in a section between the spandrels above the lunettes (McConomy 13). Further, the series of frescoes in his decorations represent the ancestors of Christ, placed in the lunettes around the windows on the wall, and the adjacent spandrels above (McConomy 12). In a nutshell, Michelangelo's ceiling design is able to illustrate his religious humanism (McConomy 2).

Redressing Jews on Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling

Among the most renowned accomplishments of the Italian Renaissance is Michelangelo's painting of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling inaugurated by Pope Julius 11 (Wisch 143). The glowing series of the ancestors of Christ were among the first mesmerizing revelations of the decorated Sistine ceiling (Wisch 143). Their vivid cangiante apparel contradicted Michelangelo's plea to Pope Julius that painting was "not his artwork", and also traditional adverse clarifications of these figures as belonging to "the scope of shadow and death" due to their previous dark tonality (Wisch 143). The renewed visibility of the ancestors has elicited a lot of discussions, with several scholars proposing a more positive understanding. In his decoration, Michelangelo placed a large yellow circle, which represented the Jewish badge.

To gain a deeper understanding of why Michelangelo's decoration of the ceiling is of significance, then the history of the badge will be succinctly described, gearing attention on Rome and Florence cities crucial to Michelangelo's experience (Wisch 144). The contexts of spreading antisemitism in Rome and Florence during Michelangelo's residence in both cities, when adorning the badge come under more strict control will also be explored (Wisch 144). When Michelangelo decided the predominant theme for the ceiling decoration, he was limited by the traditional features represented on the walls. As earlier indicated, the wall decoration comprised of the history of mortality under the law, and grace (McConomy 11). The Christian importance of these frescoes lies in the general typological construal of the Genesis narrative as a revelation of the New Testament (McConomy 14).

Another argument in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling is the prophets and sibyls which are accompanied by a sequence of frescoes depicting the ancestors of Christ (McConomy 15). These frescoes appear in the spandrels, and lunettes above the windows of the chapel. The list of ancestors inscribed there is similar to the ones noted in the first chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Finally, the four huge corner spandrels depict significant scenes from the Old Testament (McConomy 14-15). At the entrance, the wall has located the frescoes illustrating the stories of Judith and Holofernes, and the story of David and Goliath (McConomy 16). These two narratives inform the victory of the weak over the strong in an effort to save the Jewish people from confident destruction. Historically, these two narratives portend the demise of John the Baptist, as they all involve beheading. The narratives of Judith and David both point to the death of Christ and the ensuing salvation (McConomy 16).

Conclusion

In conclusion, the apparent effect that Renaissance humanism has on both Michelangelo and Milton decorations provides the basis upon, which the two may appropriately be merged together to explain the Renaissance humanist principles in his decoration (McConomy 113). Michelangelo's frescoes decorating the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel depict the broadest exploration of the humanistic motif of the dignity of humanity, and human existence. Their belief in the dignity of humanity compels Michelangelo to portray Adam and Eve as free and independent individuals who opt to disobey God's only commandment despite their knowledge and apprehension of gravity of such revolution, and the harshness of the penalties of themselves and their posterity (McConomy 113-114). Michelangelo's humanist views focused mainly on men, insisting on Eve's participation in the freedom to ascertain one's nature bequeathed on humanity by God. Finally, Michelangelo follows faithfully the humanistic notions of learning. He was greatly learned in the classical, and Christian tradition, and that best explains why he finds expression in their respective works (McConomy 113).

Works Cited

McConomy, E. E. "Renaissance humanism in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and Milton's" Paradise Lost"(Italy, John Milton)." (1999): 1-131. Retrieved from https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp01/MQ37223.pdf

Nauert, C. G. (2006). Humanism and the culture of Renaissance Europe. Cambridge University Press. Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?hl=en&lr=&id=oXaa5t5YIIsC&oi=fnd&pg=PA6&dq=Nauert,+Charles+G.,+Jr.+Humanism+and+the+Culture+of+Renaissance+Europe.+New+Approaches+to+European+History.+Cambridge:+Cambridge+UP,+1995&ots=DrHDxybmTK&sig=otJflgs2HJDOylrpYgTG40qpegg&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false

Wisch, Barbara. "Vested Interest: Redressing Jews on Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling." Artibus et Historiae (2003): 143-172. Retrieved from https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/56174816/Wisch-Vested_Interest_2003.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%3DVested_Interest_Redressing_Jews_on_Mich.pdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAIWOWYYGZ2Y53UL3A%2F20200222%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20200222T095023Z&X-Amz-Expires=3600&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Signature=b8072b8ebe0400e1cfcecef0dd910eab664e9e58301427d95b8f79227449a57a

Wolfflin, H. (1968). Classic art: An introduction to the Italian Renaissance. Phaidon.