Michelangelo's Decision To Paint The Sistine Chapel

Being that Michelangelo was a sculptor, what did he think about painting? Michelangelo ardently stated that he himself was not a painter, which was part of the reason why he did not want to paint the Sistine Chapel. He felt that it would not match up to his own high standards for himself. He believed that painting was for women and mediocrities like Rafael.
How was Michelangelo Buonarroti coerced into painting the Sistine Chapel? Michelangelo had actually fled the Vatican after Pope Julius canceled his commission for Julius’s tomb and did not want to go back. However, he was eventually forced back and commissioned by Pope Julius to paint the Sistine Chapel. He was most likely coerced into painting it because Bramante, the architect, basically said that Michelangelo would not be good enough for the task. He mocked Michelangelo, saying that he would only make a fool of himself and fall out of favor with the Pope …show more content…
The Pope originally wanted the paintings to come from the New Testament. He wanted lots of geometric squares and circles and twelve separate panels for the twelve apostles. However, Michelangelo thought that to be too boring, saying that there was no drama and no scope to study the human form. Michelangelo defied the Pope by painting from the Old Testament and using his own eyes to find inspiration.
What did you find most interesting or important in the video? The thing that I found most interesting was Michelangelo’s character and personality. It was cool to be able to look into the mind of one of history’s greatest sculptors and painters. Michelangelo seemed very arrogant and troubled but was definitely a genius. I was amazed at how he defied the authority of the Pope in running away and disobeying the Pope’s orders on how to design the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Michelangelo’s actions showed that he would stop at nothing in order to fulfill his own vision of what he wanted his works to look