Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses Ross King's 2003 non-fiction account of the painting of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, 'Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling'. The writer notes that the work reflects on all the components involved - the ceiling, Michelangelo's frescoes - as well as his involvement. More importantly however, the writer maintains that this title is a reflection on Michelangelo's detachment from the job which has become one of his crowning achievements and that it was in fact the ceiling of the Pope who commissioned the job, and not of Michelangelo. The writer points out that King goes to great lengths to make these points clear and he does so with great accomplishment that the reader is left to believe that Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists in world history, did in fact struggle with this job and he was just biding his time until he could again sculpt. The writer concludes that King makes his point convincingly, with utmost care and ample factual evidence, while creating a historical account which reads almost like a novel.

From the Paper:

"One such example of suspense in a historical work has to be the story of a young master in Rome who shares the city with Pope Julius II and the Sistine Chapel. Not Michelangelo, this is Rafael who is praised as a prodigy by those of his time and whose story is told by King intermittently throughout. Upon reading, it is almost as if one is kept waiting for some kind of collision between the two artists, Rafael and Michelangelo. Although nothing comes of it, the ambiguous tone in which Rafael is discussed, leaves a great deal to be anticipated by the reader. Also, Rafael's depiction is brought up through the work and without any sort of pattern or predictability. Just one example of King's ability to keep his work interesting, Rafael is an interesting subject that adds more to the story."

Sample of Sources Used:

• King, Ross. Michelangelo & the Pope's ceiling. New York : Walker & Company, 2003.

More papers on Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling:

• Descriptive Essay # 111265 : "Spirituality in Michelangelo's Sistine Ceiling"
• Essay # 72400 : "Shattering the Glass Ceiling"
• Essay # 99037 : "Ross King"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: