That Sistine chapel has been made famous by Michelangelo's ceilings would be an understatement. The Sistine Chapel is his own handiwork. And he has infused it with his own special genius and how! Using his remarkable skills, he has brought the Bible to life-painting learning stories and the central events to allow even a common man to experience the essence of the Biblical teachings. The rendition has been perfect - each character is taken from daily life. Yet, these are transfused with all elements of the ethereal. God is light, imagination, illumination and everyone gets his due during the last judgment according to his own conduct. If the Genesis shows the fall of man, the New Testament brings the great redeemer Jesus who shows the way-through love
HISTORY:
The Sistine Chapel derives its name from Pope Sixtus della Rover who restored the old Capella magna. He employed a team of artists including Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli to finish the work by 1482. Upon finding it inadequate and perhaps influenced by the winds of renaissance, the Pope called upon Michelangelo to paint the ceiling that called for urgent renovation. A long crack had appeared due to the static and had been temporally fixed by Bramante by tying some rods. But the old ceiling was irreparably damaged. Michelangelo took charge only when given the complete power of conception and execution.
THE PAINTINGS:
Michelangelo placed nine Central stories illustrating episodes of the Genesis within a powerful painted architecture, with at their sides Michelangelo's vision was an illustration of nine central stories of the Bible -graphically portraying the pathos and the conditions that led to the teachings of Genesis. At the side s were figures of Nudes, holding medallions with texts taken from the Book of Kings. The twelve prophets and sibyls are seated on grandiose throne at the base of the architectural structural. They are counterpoised by Christ's forefathers, portrayed in the Webs and in the Lunettes. The miraculous salvation of people of Israel is depicted in the four corners of the pendentives.
THE GENESIS:
The nine central panels illuminate the story of Genesis- from the creation of man to his fall, from the flood to his rebirth with the family of Noah. The nine stories are divided into groups of three, depicting the origins of the universe, man and the evil. "The central part of the ceiling shows nine stories of the Genesis, divided into groups of three, relative to the origin of the universe, of man and of evil. The first three episodes (Separation of Light from Darkness: Genesis 1:1-5; Creation of the sun, moon and planets: Genesis 1:11-19; Separation of Land from Sea: Genesis 1,9-10) dominated by the figure of God, Creator of the Universe, are followed by those of the Creation of Adam (Genesis 1:26-27) and of Eve (Genesis 2:18-25), with the figures of man and woman in their nakedness, the symbol of innocence (Genesis 2:25) which will be lost with Original Sin (Genesis 3:1-13), shown in the next panel together with the resulting Banishment from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:22-24). The last three frescoes (The Sacrifice of Noah: Genesis 8:15-20, The Flood: Genesis 6:5-8,20, The Drunkenness of Noah: Genesis 9:20-27) show the fall of mankind and its rebirth with Noah, chosen by God as the only man to be saved for repopulating the earth after the Creator had decided to destroy every living creature in it because of human evil."
The first three episodes show Separation of light from darkness, creation of the sun, moon and the planets, separation of land from the sea dominated by the figure of God, Creator of Universe, are followed by those of the creation of Adam and of Eve with the figures of man and woman in their nakedness, the symbol of innocence which will be lost with original sin, shown in the next panel together with the resulting banishment from the garden of Eden.
The water of the deluge is used symbolically as it takes the form of water of baptism that creates a new mankind, eventually to be saved by Christ. The four corners pendentives depict the miraculous salvation of Israel.
THE NEW TESTAMENT:
Upon been given the task of altering the decoration of Sistine chapel, Michelangelo decided to paint the Last Judgment series on the outer wall. He began by showing the glorious return of Christ according to New Testament. The Christ is the redeemer, tending to his flock, giving succor -miraculously healing the sick by his most potent weapon-love. For unlike the Old Testament, revenge and honor is forgotten. In their place, the true redeemer triumphs - that empathizes, feels and accepts. He finally heals the suffering of the multitudes of Israelites. Michelangelo tried to give form to the unimaginable and ineffable majesty of gods. With Genesis as his guide, he not only made the Sistine chapel a showcase for his unparallel talents, but more importantly, the shrine of the theology for the entire human kind.
The conclave for the election of the supreme pontiff is always held in the Sistine chapel. And with good reason. As the late Pope John Paul said " The Sistine chapel is the place that, for each Pope holds the memory of a special day in his life…. Precisely here, in this sacred space, the cardinals gather, awaiting the manifestation of the will of Christ with regard of the successor of St Peter… Thus the Sistine Chapel became once again before the whole Catholic community the place of action of the Holy Spirit that nominates the Bishops in the Church, and nominates especially he who must be the bishop of Rome and the Successor of Peter".