The Sistine Ceiling

About this course:

The Sistine Chapel at the Vatican was finished in 1480 to little fanfare, but when the ceiling was painted by Michelangelo in 1508, the Chapel entered the annals of art history. The painting was hailed by all who saw it and continues to enjoy its reputation as the most famous painting in the world. In this course, we look at the Chapel to discover its history, previous decoration and learn how Michelangelo’s passion (and talent) drove him to spend a challenging four years creating it for the church and the pope.  We carefully explore each section of the ceiling to understand how it fits into the overall program—a biblical account of man’s need for salvation from God.  We also learn about Michelangelo’s Last Judgement, painted on the end wall many years later. Finally, we consider the many restorations throughout history, including the most recent in the 1980s that returned the ceiling’s glorious original colors painted by Michelangelo. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to the video for 30 days.