Art: Outside of the Textbook
...vers the entire wall, is called The Last Judgment (Il Giudizio Universale). This was painted between 1539 and 1545 for the Pope. He was recognized in the fresco as St. Peter. Michelangelo even put one of his enemies, St. Barthemule in the painting representing Minos in Hell. He has a serpent biting his penis. St. Barthemule argued to the Pope to be taken out of this fresco, however the Pope refused to change it. When you look overhead in the Sistine Chapel, you see a fresco that extends across the entire ceiling painted by Michelangelo. The center tile in the ceiling is the infamous piece, Creation of Adam (Creazoine di Adam). This fresco was painted in 1508, free of charge for the Pope. The Creation of Adam has uniquely shaped clouds behind Adam and the Creator. There is a theory that Michelangelo painted these clouds, perfectly shaped like the human brain, to represent the Creator passing intelligence to Adam. The last piece I visited in the Vatican Museum was the sculpture, Pieta, located in St. Peters Basilica. This marble sculpture erected in 1499 is very unique, being the only piece signed by the artist Michelangelo. Michelangelo signed this sculpture across the breast of Mary. The over-sized Mary is holding the body of her lifeless son. The next museum we visited was the Galleria dell’Accademia (Gallery of Academics) in Florence, Italy. The first piece we came across was the marble sculpture of David. This famous piece by Michelangelo was carved three years before he painted the Sistine Chapel. This piece was carved for the Palace of Florence as a warning for intruders. David was set in front of the Palace to represent that you would be killed like Goliath if you intruded into Florence. David is believed to be the ideal man, with all the perfect bodily features. As I went into the room of paintings, I found a very beautiful fresco by an artist that was unknown to me: The Virgin of the Cintola (1508-1509) by the Italian, Francesco Granacci. This mural was once in Florence, in the church of San Pier Maggiore. Granacci’s style of art imitates that of Leonard da Vinci and Raphael. In the Galleria dell’Accademia was a collection of “Madonna” paintings. One was Italian artist, Botticelli’s, Madonna with the Christ Child (1467-1470). This piece is tempera on wood originally from a Florentine hospital of Santa Maria Nuova. Another “Madonna” piece is Madonna and Child (1432-1516). Italian artist, Giovanni painted this tempera on wood. This piece shows the Madonna holding her baby, surrounded by life-sized angles. The last piece I found in this museum was my favorite. The Tempest (1477-1510), by the Italian artist Giorgione Bellini, is a fresco on canvas. This piece is unique because it is mainly a landscape portrait, however there are two figures in the foreground. These figures draw your attention away from the storm in the background. The last museum we toured was the Louvre in Paris, France. The first piece I visited was Italian artist, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (1793). This painting on wood was much smaller t...