Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Fresco Paintings

Michelangelo's work is characterized by the painstaking work and technique which evidences the highest level of craftsmanship that was "typical of fresco painters in the Renaissance period" (De Vecchi 26). The famous painter began his work by applying plaster and carefully choosing his pigments. Although his work was clearly that of a genius, it was also done very much in the style and spirit of other great Florentine masters like Domenico, Ghirlandio, and Luca Signorelli.

Michelangelo's paintings spread across the entire "shallow barrel vault[ed]" ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (Murray 63). The vaulted ceiling is covered with paintings of robust religious people and scenes; the first half is done in the typical fifteenth-century color scheme, and the second half is done in colder colors and tones (De Vecchi 28). Thus, as a piece of Renaissance art, the second half of the ceiling is much more progressive and innovative, while the first half of the ceiling is typical of other artwork created in the same period. And, although all of the individuals and groups of figures that Michelanglo painted appear in vivid colors and appeart three-dimensional, Michelangl

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en after the restoration was completed show how Michelanglo painted with colors that were more primary and vibrant than anyone ever imagined. So, while Michelanglo's paintings look similar to other medieval artifacts and the other artworks of the Renaissance period, after the cleaning of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the world can now see how extraordinary a painter Michelanglo really was: his fresco paintings appear more alive and striking than the works of many other artists that were done during the same period. The colors which other Renaissance painters used in their works appear somewhat more subdued than those used by Michelanglo. For example, Antonello da Messina's portrait of Christ appears depicted in softer tones, the body is a more realistic flesh color, while the buildings are pale cream and the sky is a dull midnight blue (Lesberg 5). Most paintings by other Renaissance artists like Pinturicchio, Andrea del Verrocchio, Fra Filippo Lippi, Perugino, Pisanello, Giovani Bellini, Luca Signorelli, Cosima Tura, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Carlo Crivelli, and some specific works by Antonio del Pollaiuolo Melozzo da Forli ("Angel Musician") and Piero della Francesca ("The Montefeltro") clearly show that most of the painte
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Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page)

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