Michelangelo's frescoes on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling: Decoration vs. Narrative

Essay from the year 2012 in the subject Art - History of Art, grade: 1,7, University of Essex (Art History), course: The High Renaissance in Italy, language: English, abstract: In 1508 Michelangelo began with his working on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, he completed it four years later. His frescoes show stories of the Old Testament about creation and fall of humankind and give an anticipation of salvation through Christ. Michelangelo at first did not want to paint the ceiling because he saw himself as sculptor and thought of the commission as trap of his rivals. Moreover, it was unusual for ceiling frescoes to show narration, they were in general regarded as minor compared to walls. Michelangelo, undeniably, taught art history better, his artwork became a masterpiece of High Renaissance. This essay is going to examine Michelangelo's concerns in decorating the ceiling, especially in regard to the representation of narration and how successful his attempts were.