The art of the Vatican; a brief history of the palace, and an account of the principal works of art within its walls . Bramante, would ac-cept no excuses. He would have no mausoleum whilehe was still alive; he had engaged the sculptors time,and that time should be spent on nothing but the ceil-ing of the chapel. Thus, grumbling, and with muchdistaste, the great sculptor was forced into becominga painter. And to-day, the fame of Michelangelorests not so much on the works of sculpture he leftbehind, wonderful as they are. It is the marvelthat his brush wrought above the line of those of thequatt
The art of the Vatican; a brief history of the palace, and an account of the principal works of art within its walls . Bramante, would ac-cept no excuses. He would have no mausoleum whilehe was still alive; he had engaged the sculptors time,and that time should be spent on nothing but the ceil-ing of the chapel. Thus, grumbling, and with muchdistaste, the great sculptor was forced into becominga painter. And to-day, the fame of Michelangelorests not so much on the works of sculpture he leftbehind, wonderful as they are. It is the marvelthat his brush wrought above the line of those of thequattrocento that has placed him beyond all com-petitors, as far away from the striving and imita-tion of those who came after as it is from all who hadgone before. This so-called ceiling is not only the actual roof-ing. It extends down the walls to the line wherethe windows begin to spring into their arched central part of the ceiling is flat. From thereit is slightly vaulted, the pendentives ending betweeneach two of the twelve windows. This entire smooth,easily curved surface is covered with painting that. DESIGN OF THE CEILING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL Ubc Sistine Cbapel m leaves not one square inch undecorated. Unlike theearlier wall paintings of the Renaissance, there areno large spaces or even intertwining lines given overto arabesques, wreaths of flowers, fruits, gro-tesques, and conventional ornament. Figures —figures everywhere. For background or separation,architectural forms alone are used. No ornamentper se. With his brush Michelangelo built a struc-ture thait, springing from the window, rises ingrandly conceived lines, a temple without a founda-tion, yet so artfully, so skilfully designed, that onenever thinks of the unreality of its formation. Pi-lasters, cornices, platforms, arches, and niches, —it is scarcely possible, as one looks upward, to sus-pect that this marble edifice is but a simulation, —nothing but brush work. It is no wonder that themere mecha
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Keywords: ., boo, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectart, bookyear1903
