MICHELANGELO: Impoverished and eccentric in youth, Michelangelo sought fame, glory, and wealth through his art. As punishment for embezzling money from a commissioned work, the Pope gave Michelangelo the task of painting the Sistine Chapel. The life-long project would temper the young Michelangelo's erratic behavior. (Artrenewal.org)
Michelangelo ; Why did he choose a religious theme for his masterpiece? - The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a famous site in Vatican City, in Rome, is filled with paintings by Michelangelo, depicting stories about gods. For hundreds of years, people have looked up at those remarkably true-to-life masterpieces.
THE LAST JUDGEMENT': 1541, fresco, Cappella Sistina, Vatican, Holy See (Vatican City State) (Artrenewal.org)
As people’s minds are dazzled, they may ask, Why did Michelangelo spend his lifetime creating this eternal masterpiece? What was he trying to tell people? For many years, people, regardless of their social classes, have all had to raise their heads to see this magnificent painting by this great master.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a famous site in Vatican City, in Rome, is filled with paintings by Michelangelo, depicting stories about gods. For hundreds of years, people have looked up at those remarkably true-to-life masterpieces.
As people’s minds are dazzled, they may ask, Why did Michelangelo spend his lifetime creating this eternal masterpiece? What was he trying to tell people? For many years, people, regardless of their social classes, have all had to raise their heads to see this magnificent painting by this great master.
He painted the different consequences of people doing good or evil. He changed the ordinary environment of the chapel into a place of worship for future generations. He spent his whole life in unparalleled hardship and loneliness. Because of his belief in God, his works revealed a miracle in all respects. His belief pushed his art toward the pinnacle of the art form, and it has commanded respect from generations in the world of art.
Many figures on the ceiling are almost nude, but these images do not cause any impure thoughts in the people who view them. Michelangelo never married. He put his mind completely into his art. His pure mindset during the course of his painting gave the images of his characters a purity like that of a baby.
When seeing these huge paintings, besides being touched by the solemnity of heaven, people will also not have any evil thoughts and are likely to exercise moral restraint in front of Michelangelo’s works.
Like others, I was curious about the question, Why did he paint them on the ceiling?
The answer seems to me to be that believing in God is very solemn, and the righteous belief in the divine exceeds all secular affairs. Perhaps because of these reasons, a ceiling is the most suitable place for depicting heaven. People should forever have hope and reverence toward heaven.
Why did he choose a religious theme for his masterpiece?
From his artwork, one sees that he displayed his belief through his painting. It was the most important thing in his life. From Genesis to the Last Judgment, viewers’ minds are deeply touched. It seems as if one is being unceasingly purged of bad things.
Sometimes, I seem to see godly expressions in the figures’ eyes and bearing. Since people’s attitude toward a righteous belief may be unclear, distorted, or even lacking, Michelangelo did his best to expound his righteous belief in his paintings of the stories in the Bible.
If people do evil things or slander those with righteous thoughts—no matter whether they are the Pope, priests, ordinary people, or religious followers—the verdict in the Last Judgment will be guilty, without exception. ( theepochtimes.com )
ERITHRAEA: 'The Erithrean Sibyl,' fresco, Cappella Sistina, Vatican, Holy See. (Artrenewal.org)
ADAM: Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel: Genesis, 'The Creation of Adam' (Artrenewal.org)
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