ONLINE ART HISTORY COURSE “Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling” 

Course Description:

When Michelangelo was hired by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistine Chapel Ceiling, little did he know the turmoil that awaited him. Never had such a large-scale painting been attempted on a ceiling – and by a sculptor no less! After 4 ½ years of physical strain, personal conflict with the pope, and an endless demand for inspiration, Michelangelo covered nearly 7,000ft2 of ceiling with some of the most beautiful and sublime figures in history. This online course will unpack the history, execution, iconography, and meaning of the art world’s most important ceiling.

Course Objectives:

• To learn to appreciate the rich and influential aspects of Italian Renaissance art and architecture.
• To develop the fundamental skills of art historical analysis that include formal analysis and iconographic interpretation.
• To develop an ability to interact in a personal and intimate manner with works of art and their surroundings

Virtual Classroom: Full access to an online educational platform with videos of recordings, syllabus, and readings.

Credits: Certificate of Completion

Location: LIVE INTERACTIVE ON-LINE ART HISTORY LECTURES

Optional Readings: Information will be provided 2 weeks before the start of the course.

Complete syllabus will be provided 2 weeks before the start of the course.

• ALL LECTURES WILL BE RECORDED AND AVAILABLE FOR VIEWING AT YOUR CONVENIENCE IN OUR VIDEO LIBRARY FOR TWO WEEKS AFTER THE COURSE HAS ENDED.

Lecture 1 – The Sistine Chapel before Michelangelo

Wednesday, May 13

Decades before Michelangelo climbed up on the nearly 70 feet of scaffolding to adorn the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, a veritable “All-Star Team” of late-15th- century artists had already decorated its walls. Artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Pietro Perugino, and Luca Signorelli were sent to Rome by Lorenzo “il Magnifico” de’ Medici to pay homage to the original patron and namesake of the chapel – Pope Sixtus IV. This lecture will examine the pre-history of the Sistine Chapel – from its construction through the early Renaissance frescoes that had already transformed the chapel into extraordinary decorative complex.

Lecture 2 – The Genesis Scenes

Wednesday, May 20

The nine main and central scenes of the Sistine Chapel celling depict scenes from the Creation Story in the Book of Genesis. This lecture will unpack these nine scenes to reveal their method of execution, outside artistic influences, and Michelangelo’s own unique imaginative interpretation of rather familiar stories – particularly in the “Creation of Adam” scene.

Lecture 3 – The Prophets and Sibyls

Wednesday, May 27

Positioned alongside the nine main Genesis scenes, between the triangular spandrels, Michelangelo painted some of the most powerful and remarkable figures of his entire career – the “Prophets and Sibyls.” In the contest of the ceiling’s iconography, these Old Testament and pagan figures had each, in their own way, prophesied the coming of Christ. This lecture will explore the development, iconography, and stylistic importance of all seven prophets and five sibyls to assert their role as absolute masterpieces of Renaissance painting.

Lecture 4 – The Lunettes

Wednesday, June 3

The most overlooked portion of the Sistine Chapel ceiling is the lunettes – 14 arched, semi-circular spaces above the windows on the upper walls of the chapel. Depicting the “Ancestors of Christ” as recounted in the opening of the Gospel of Matthew, each lunette contains a painted central tablet with the Latin name of the ancestor flanked by painted figures. While the subject matter of the lunettes fits in perfectly with the messianic pre-figuring program of the ceiling, the imagery is much more relaxed, sometimes comic, and very often caricaturist. This lecture will explore the role, imagery, and meaning of the lunettes and how they are more reflective of Michelangelo the man than Michelangelo the artist.