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One kneeling and three seated nude men
Sketch for Libyan Sibyl area of Sistine Chapel
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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