Helpful Score: 1
I really enjoyed this book, and found it so easy to read for Non-Fiction! I wanted to understand more about the Sistine Chapel before my trip to Italy next month, and this book really has me excited to see it now. It follows Michelangelo's journey throughout the 4+ years that he painted the chapel of the Vatican, along with Pope Julius' story and the conflicts that Rome undergoes.
The novel walks through in a timeline the creation of each of the main sections of the chapel, and it's amazing to see how Michelangelo's art changes as he learns and grows, and as the Julius' conflicts impact him. This was the first fresco that Michelangelo had ever been commissioned to paint; previously he had focused on engraving (he had just completed David). Initially, Julius had hired him to build his tomb out of marble, and then changed his mind and forced him to do the Sistine Chapel, which he was not at all interested in doing. He never got over his disappointment and anger at Julius for this, even though the Sistine Chapel ended up being what he was best known for. It was also interesting to read about the competiveness between the artists of that time, especially Michelangelo, Leondardo da Vinci, and Raphael.
The center section of the book has great pictures and outlines that I found myself referring back to as Ross King discusses the creation of each section of the Sistine Chapel. If you're at all interested in art or this time period (or plan to visit the Sistine Chapel), I'd definitely recommend this book.
The novel walks through in a timeline the creation of each of the main sections of the chapel, and it's amazing to see how Michelangelo's art changes as he learns and grows, and as the Julius' conflicts impact him. This was the first fresco that Michelangelo had ever been commissioned to paint; previously he had focused on engraving (he had just completed David). Initially, Julius had hired him to build his tomb out of marble, and then changed his mind and forced him to do the Sistine Chapel, which he was not at all interested in doing. He never got over his disappointment and anger at Julius for this, even though the Sistine Chapel ended up being what he was best known for. It was also interesting to read about the competiveness between the artists of that time, especially Michelangelo, Leondardo da Vinci, and Raphael.
The center section of the book has great pictures and outlines that I found myself referring back to as Ross King discusses the creation of each section of the Sistine Chapel. If you're at all interested in art or this time period (or plan to visit the Sistine Chapel), I'd definitely recommend this book.
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