Vasari: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling Frescos

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1. While I enjoyed Vasari’s beginning, where he provides background on Michelangelo’s life…it almost reads like a novel not a history. I sense not only admiration for Michelangelo, but love. Vasari, it seems idolizes him.

2. It took me a moment to realize Vasari was speaking about the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Frescos. I wonder if there is any truth to the beginnings of the frescos. Vasari raises Michelangelo so much, making his appear “divine”. The story regarding the “mould” humanizes Michelangelo, he had to learn too, and sometimes made mistakes. I am grateful the problem was corrected, or we would surely be missing out on an amazing piece of art.

3. Vasari’s statement that the frescos “could never be equaled by a brush in the hand of any …show more content…

From page 470 to 488, I enjoyed reading about Michelangelo’s life. I particularly enjoyed his reaction to the painter who received a lot of money from his painting. “As long as he wants to be rich, he will continue to be poor” (477). The comment displays a shift in attitudes toward art, it had become a profession in which one could now amass fame and fortune. As Michelangelo stated, sometimes chasing money did not equate quality. (Which is often true today.) Vasari depicts Michelangelo who was an artist for his love of the profession, not for the money, and his lifestyle seems to support that notion.

9. I really wish Vasari wrote Michelangelo’s story like he did Titian. All the superlatives that he used to describe Michelangelo really took away from his history. Titian’s history seemed more objective, while remaining subjective. I do not know if some of the writing was lost in translation.

10. I appreciated here his “frowning” down on how Giorgione made use of models. Vasari surmises that because they (Giorgione, Palma, and Il Pordenone) had not been to Rome to study “perfect works” they were not as great as those artists who did. This statement reminded me of Chapter 17 which discusses disegno/colore. The Italian Renaissance book stated Vasari caused quite a controversy with his statements. As we know today beautiful art can be made using different techniques, mediums, and

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