Michelangelo's The Sistine Chapel

This week, the major ideas that were presented were about the big name Italian Renaissance artists like Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian. There were other artists highlighted as well, however, the majority of the material was about the work of these three artists that are still very well known and recognized today. Their work was during the High Renaissance and after during the Mannerism period. These artists would have not been able to have the success they had without the commissions of important people such as popes or the Medici family.
Michelangelo was wanted by Pope Julius II to build his tomb. However, it took Michelangelo too much time to complete and it was never finished. Michelangelo worked on this piece off and on throughout his

What makes these paintings still leaving people in awe today was the fact that Michelangelo had to paint these pieces standing up since they were on the ceiling. I cannot image the amount of pain his back and neck went through while working on this series. However, I think it’s extremely beautiful the way Michelangelo interpreted the Biblical stories that are represented on the ceiling. Almost everyone is familiar with the painting Creation of Adam where Adam is reaching to God. However, there are other paintings with extreme detail that are more visually interesting such as Deluge for example. I had never seen this piece before and I thought it was a great representation of the story of the great flood and how the rest of the population was left to die besides Noah and his family. I rarely see paintings the depict this scene in such a dramatic and insightful way like Michelangelo did. I can not image having to try to find any piece of land possible just so my family and I could survive like the characters in this painting are doing. Michelangelo brings to life the tragedy that is occurring as these families are facing their death and clinging on to anything as a source of

It was about the analysis of the meaning behind Titian’s Venus of Urbino and if it is actually the goddess Venus or if it was depicting a bride. I had no idea that this could have possibly been depicting a bride until I read this article. It was interesting to learn that during the time of the Italian Renaissance that brides-to-be and bridegrooms were not actually the ones being painting in pictures before their wedding; they had body doubles that would be painted for them. This article helped bring an understanding to the societal norm during this time because today that would be ridiculous if someone were to have a different person step in their place to take their wedding photos. However, it was to preserve the bride’s purity for her husband, especially if the painting was going to be of a nude model. I also thought that the author presented many good points about how this painting is more likely to be of a bride than of the goddess Venus such as contextual clues like the absence of Cupid. Another reason this painting is so controversial is because of the confidence that is displayed in the nude model’s posture and gaze at the viewer instead of looking away. This shows that the woman who was being painted might have been familiar with the artist which is also interesting in