tour 2 of 5
Michelangelo
The Sistine Chapel
'I have finished the chapel that I have been painting. The
pope is very well satisfied.'
Michelangelo is probably most famous for the beautiful frescoes
he painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican (the
Pope's palace) in Rome.
Fresco painting is very difficult. Michelangelo would have
painted standing up on wooden scaffolding and working above his
head. He quickly grew annoyed with his assistants and dismissed
them, doing all the work himself. It took him four years to finish
completely.
Michelangelo worked on his drawings endlessly until he had
exactly what he wanted (see left). When they were perfect he
enlarged them by putting a grid over the top and transferring them
a square at a time. He then traced them onto the walls of the
chapel by dusting charcoal through holes made in the outlines, or
by cutting through the outlines with a knife. Finally he painted
the frescoes in brilliant colours.
Resources for teachers
Discussion ideas and activites on the Sistine Chapel
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