The Agony and the Ecstasy

Michelangelo's Magnificent Sistine Chapel Ceiling


The Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

On this day, November 1, 1512, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo, was exhibited to the public for the first time. When I was a boy, my Father went to Rome as part of his work for the International Space Program. He brought me several sets of art slides of the city. My favorite was a shot of the entire ceiling that showed clearly all nine scenes from the Bible and the Twelve Apostles. It is a fascinating picture and one can explore and admire it for hours on end.

Charlton Heston played the great artist in the 1965 film The Agony and the Ecstacy. Michelangelo was a sculptor, not primarily a fresco artst, so he was reluctant to take the commission. He was already working on the Pope's own tomb. Pope Julius II, who in 1506 began the grand rebuilding of St. Peter's Cathedral as a symbol of Papal power, wanted to have the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel painted as well.

On May 10, 1508, the contract to begin the work was signed. Four years later the work was completed. Michelangelo was originally commissioned to paint figures of the Twelve Apostles, but he expanded the scope of the work to paint nine scenes from the Bible, among them the famous Creation of Adam, with the iconic figure of G-d's hand and Adam's touching.