The Sistine Chapel Ceiling

The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted by Michelanglo between 1508 and 1512 under the authorization of Pope Julius II. It was up to Michelangelo to come up with the design for the painting. He depicted scenes from the book of Genesis, some of which include God Separating Light from Darkness, the Creation of Adam, the Creation of Eve, the Temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, and the Flood. All the pictures are very detailed and Michangelo used strong figures of people to demonstrate his knowledge of human anatomy. Today, the painting is fully intact however, to prevent deterioration – there is no amateur photography allowed inside the Sistine Chapel.

"The Last Judgement"

Sites for further Information

   "The Sistine Chapel"
    http://www.prs.k12.nj.us/schools/phs/Social_Studies/World_History/SistineChapel/SISTINEHOME.HTML

    "Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling"
    http://www.science.wayne.edu/~mcogan/Humanities/Sistine/Panels/index.html Note: This site has mostly pictures (but they're pretty good).

    "Unique Projects: The Sistine Chapel"
    http://www.carrier.com/wp/nao_in1/nao_in1d2.html

You also might want to see our pages on Michelangelo's other work.  Such as "David" and the "Pieta".

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