Sistine Chapel Images

Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King research project

            As I mentioned in my previous blog entry, I have came across new evidence that Bramante may have had other intentions relating to Michelangelo painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel than originally thought.  In Ross King’s book, ‘Michelangelo and The Pope’s Ceiling’, he says, “Bramante knew that Michelangelo not only lacked valuable experience in the tricky art of fresco but also understood little of the technique by which frescoists created illusionistic effects on high, curved surfaces.  Painters of vaults, such as Andrea Mantegna, would portray bodies in a receding perspective – lower limbs in the foreground, heads in the background – so that they appeared to be suspended in the air above the spectator.  Mastery of this virtuoso method of foreshortening, often known as ‘di sotto in su’ (from below upward), was notoriously difficult.”  When knowing this apparent lack of a particular skill of Michelangelo’s, it makes sense that Bramante was worried about him painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  Along with Pope Julius II, he had dedicated much of himself to rebuilding Rome.  From this account, it seems as though he was genuinely worried about the outcome of the frescos.  He was trying to avoid a disaster that could possibly taint the atmosphere of one of the most significant chapels to the Christian faith. 

            However, it seems as though Piero Rosselli openly disagreed with Bramante’s opinions regarding Michelangelo’s painting techniques.  On page 27, Ross King quotes Piero Rosselli saying to the Pope, “Holy father, he has never spoken to Michelangelo, and if anything he has just told you is true, I would like you to cut off my head.” Although it is not evident that a decision on the Sistine Chapel ceiling was made that night when they were all talking, it did come about the Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to Rome to begin work on the now magnificent frescos. 

Research project: "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling", Ross King

            Besides the fact that they were both extremely talented artists, Michelangelo and his competitor, Bramante could not be more different.  Bramante was a handsome, extroverted man who became extremely rich over the years in his life.  Michelangelo on the other hand lived a modest life.  Michelangelo was known for being annoyed by others easily, and created enemies quite quickly. 

            At the beginning of my research on the Michelangelo and the pope’s ceiling, I came across a common belief that it was Bramante that convinced Pope Julius II to  commission Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  It was said that Bramante resented Michelangelo’s skill as a sculptor, and this was his way of distracting the pope away from having Michelangelo do projects that he would excel in.  He knew that Michelangelo was a sculptor, not a painter.  Therefore he would either refuse the project, or do a horrible job of it.  Either way, it would be an embarrassment to Michelangelo’s name, and that was believed to be Bramante’s true intention.  This would also distract away from Bramante’s apparent botch job designing St. Peter.  He apparently spent too much money right off the bat, which left him with a smaller budget, and therefore forced him to make unsafe budget cuts for the structure.

            After further researching this topic, I have found that although Pope Julius II was indeed considering Michelangelo to work on the Sistine Chapel, it may have been so that Bramante’s participation in the endeavor was quite unlike what it was said to have been.

            In Ross King’s book, Michelangelo and The Pope’s Ceiling, he says, “One of Julius’s main ambitions as pope was to recapture the grandeur that was Rome.  Rome was known as caput mundi, the “capital of the world”, but when Julius was elected in 1503 this title was wishful thinking.  The city was a vast ruin.” (page 15).  Rome’s fresh water had been compromised, and diseases such as malaria and plague’s became an epidemic.  The city was an utter disaster, and Pope Julius II made it his mission to rectify what was once a great city, especially under the rule of his uncle, Pope Sixtux IV. 

            Bramante’s involvement with Pope Julius II was that the two of them planned to rebuild the city together.  The Pope wanted to construct several buildings and monuments, grand in size that would redeem some of Rome’s pristine, and make it a more suitable place for the church and comfortable for it’s occupants.  Under the Pope’s rule, Bramante continued to revive Rome through architectural exploration.

            One structure that was particularlly dear to the Pope’s heart was the Sistine Chapel, because is uncle, Pop Sixtus IV was involved in overseeing some changes to a small chapel inside of it, where the Sistine Chapel got it’s name.  Twenty-one years after the Sistine Chapel was constructed, there started to become cracking in the vault.  This was confusing because the architect, Baccio Pontelli, who constructed the building had made certain that the structure was solid.  It happened to not be any of his doing, but rather the structure had been placed on faulty soil. 

            After alterations were made to the Sistine Chapel in order to ensure it’s safety, the chapel itself became a great interest of Pope Julius II.  Now this is where the story differs from common belief.  When suggesting Michelangelo to be the one to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Bramante said to the Pope, “Holy Father, nothing will come of it, because I have talked of it much to Michelangelo, and he has said to me many times that he does not wish to attend to the chapel.” (Page 21).  According to this account by Bramante, he said that Michelangelo only wanted to work on the tomb, nothing else. 

Research project: "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" by Ross King

            In 1508, Pope Julius II returned to Rome after defeating the French in a battle that had broken out earlier, and had originally distracted him from his mission of having Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.  Upon his return, there was a contract dated for Michelangelo’s commission of the Sistine chapel ceiling on May 10^th, 1508.  Cardinal Alidosi wrote this contract.  According to the contract that was supposedly lost at one point, Michaelangelo was supposed to be paid 3,000 ducats.  This is about 30 times the normal amount that an artist of that time would get paid in one year.

            Before beginning this project, the pope made it clear that he wanted the image of the Sistine chapel ceiling to be a scene of twelve large figures of the Apostles.  Michelangelo wanted a much more breathtaking scene.  He negotiated with Pope Julius II, and eventually he agreed to let Michelangelo have more of a say on what would be the content.  The final product of the ceiling was about three hundred figures.  The original 12 apostles requested by Pope Julius II became sibyls and prophets. 

            Michelangelo was not traditionally a painter himself.  During the time of this commission however, he took inspiration from Jacopo della Quercia.  It is evident that Quercia’s images were on Michelangelo’s mind while he was painting the Sistine chapel.  As for the ceiling itself, the design was influenced by Hadrian’s Villa, Santa Maria del Popolo, and Pinturicchio, which was a choir vault by Bramante. 

Research project: "Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling"

            There was an untrue story that according to Ross King stated that, “Bramante had persuaded the pope to abandon the project by warning him that it was bad luck to have one’s tomb carved during one’s lifetime, and had then proposed an altogether different commission.” (page 11).  However it was later realized that this was not the truth.  The reality was that the Bramante told the pope “I believe he does not have enough courage and spirit for it, because he has done too many figures and, above all, the figures are high an in foreshortening, and this is another thing from painting ground level”.  It seemed at though Bramante did not want Michelangelo to succeed at all. 

            One reason why Bramante was not on Michelangelo’s side was because he believed that Michelangelo did not know how to use the technique of di sotto in su, which is basically foreshortening in that the figures appear to be standing above so that the perspective is right on.  However, when Bramante saw that Michelangelo was actually good at painting, and received praise for his work, he attempted to have the commission taken from him and given to Rafael of Urbino instead.  It seems to me as though Bramante was extremely jealous as well as threatened by Michelangelo’s talent and success.  He tried to diminish it in many different circumstances. 

            There was a thriving competition between Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci.  They were competing for work on frescos in the Palazzo della Signoria.  Michelangelo did a cartoon for the Battle of Cascina, and Leonardo did a scene of the Battle of Anghiari.  This scene that Leonardo painted was of a battle that took place in 1440 when the Florentine Republic initiated a war with the Milanese army.  It wasn’t that large of a battle, but Florence ended up winning the battle.  Although it was small, it was an important moment in history because the end result made it so that central Italy would be run by the Florentines.

In 1505 Michelangelo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II to work on the tomb.  Both of the incomplete paintings by Michelangelo and Leonardo were hung in the Council Hall until 1512. 

Response to Sir Anthony Blunt’s “Artistic Theory of Italy"

            When comparing Michelangelo and Leonardo based on their artistic styles and approaches, it is evident that they went about their craft in two different ways.  Leonardo was not just an artists, but a student of science as well.  They were intertwined in his career, and used scientific observation to further understand his own artistic style.  Although Michelangelo was brought up in artistic teachings that were similar to Michelangelo, he took away different beliefs from it.  He knew that nature played an important role in art and understanding it, but overall he was more interested in beauty, and portraying that most importantly in his art.