Words Edel Cassidy
Previously known as the Cappella Magna, the Sistine Chapel is named after Pope Sixtus IV (pontiff from 1471 to 1484), who had it rebuilt between 1477 and 1480. As the pope’s private chapel, it is the site of the principal papal ceremonies and is used for the conclave of the College of Cardinals for the election of a new pope. The Sistine Chapel is home to many of the world’s most famous frescoes.
Frescoes of the 15th century
Because of the importance of the Sistine Chapel, a team of the finest artists of the High Renaissance were commissioned to decorate it. These included Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pinturicchio and Cosimo Rosselli who painted frescoes on the walls of the chapel from 1481 to 1483.
Six frescoes of the Sistine Chapel on the north wall depict the Stories of Jesus, and include:
The Last Supper by Cosimo Rosselli
The southern wall is decorated with the Stories of Moses, and include:
Baptism of Christ by Pietro Perugino and assistants
Temptations of Christ by Sandro Botticelli
Vocation of the Apostles by Domenico Ghirlandaio
The Sermon on the Mount attributed to Cosimo Rosselli
Giving the Keys to St Peter by Pietro Perugino
- Moses Leaving for Egypt by Pietro Perugino and assistants
- The Trials of Moses by Sandro Botticelli and his workshop
- The Crossing of the Red Sea by Cosimo Rosselli, Domenico Ghirlandaio or Biagio di Antonio Tucci
- Descent from Mount Sinai by Cosimo Rosselli or Piero di Cosimo
- Punishment of the Rebels by Sandro Botticelli
- Testament and Death of Moses by Luca Signorelli or Bartolomeo della Gatta
Sistine Chapel ceiling
It was during the reign of Pope Julius II (pontiff from 1503 to 1513) that Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine ceiling, providing us with one of the most celebrated works of art in history. He worked on it for four years, from 1508 to 1512.
The centre panel of the ceiling, which consists of nine alternating large and small panes, is divided into three sections, each with three paintings.
The first three paintings tell the story of the creation:
- The Separation of Light from Darkness
- The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Plants
- The Separation of Land and Water
The second three depict the creation of Adam and Eve and the expulsion from the Garden of Eden:
- The Creation of Adam
- The Creation of Eve
- The Fall and Expulsion
The final three portray the story of Noah and the Great Flood:
- The Sacrifice of Noah
- The Great Flood
- The Drunkenness of Noah
Prophets and Sibyls
Placed around the centre panel of the ceiling are twelve prophetic figures – five Sibyls of the Classical World and seven prophets of Israel – all of whom are said to have foretold the coming of Christ.
Lunettes and spandrels
The eight spandrels, or triangular spaces, between the prophets and Sibyls represent the generations of Christ’s ancestors. The crescent-shaped areas, or lunettes, above the windows also portray the forefathers of Christ with accompanying tablets identifying them.
Pendentives
Four large triangular panels in each corner of the ceiling depict stories of the salvation of the people of Israel. The four are:
- The Brazen Serpent
- The Punishment of Haman
- David and Goliath
- Judith and Holofernes
The Last Judgement
More than twenty years after completing the Sistine ceiling, Michelangelo returned to the Vatican as a sixty-year-old man, commissioned by Pope Paul III (pontiff from 1534 to 1549) to paint The Last Judgement. The work, depicting the second coming of Christ, spans the entire wall behind the altar and took six years to complete (1535–1541).
The narrative of the artwork of the chapel up to that point represented the history of salvation: God’s creation of the world, his covenant with the people of Israel and Christ’s life on earth. The addition of The Last Judgement completed the story, filling the gap between Christ’s life and his second coming on the Day of Judgement.
The dominant figure of Christ in the centre, with a gesture of his hand, decides on the fate of the human race. Those who are damned sink into the depths of hell and those who are saved rise into heaven. His mother, Mary, beneath his raised hand, looks away and seems to cower in fear at the scene – her days of intercession are over.
The Last Judgement met with immediate criticism from the conservative Counter-Reformation religious officials for many reasons. They were especially critical of the painting’s 300 figures, mostly nude. The defence of the fresco by those who appreciated the artistry of Michelangelo, particularly Giorgio Vasari who proclaimed that it was ‘directly inspired by God’, counterbalanced their disapproval.
Two decades after the fresco was completed, the Council of Trent condemned nudity in works of art in sacred places, decreeing that ‘all lasciviousness be avoided; in such wise that figures shall not be painted or adorned with a beauty exciting to lust’. The Council specifically stated that all the naked images in The Last Judgement were to be covered. A pupil of Michelangelo, Daniele da Volterra, was hired to cover the offending body parts with flora and loincloths. Further campaigns of overpainting the figures by other artists followed.
When the artwork was restored in the 1990s, the coverings by the later artists were removed. As the original modifications had been done in dry fresco, they were easier to remove than if the paint had been applied to wet plaster. However, it was decided to leave the modifications done by Volterra intact. Fabrizio Mancinelli, director of the Vatican Museum, believed that Volterra’s additions were an important aspect of the history of the work, as they may have helped save Michelangelo’s masterpiece from total destruction: following the Council of Trent’s decree, many artworks in churches were destroyed but an exception had been made for The Last Judgement.
Read more – Rome: Hidden treasures of the Eternal City
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