In a letter to his father, Michelangelo drew a sketch of what is was like for him as he painted the Sistine Chapel. Many of us were taught that he laid down to paint. In fact he stood, with his neck always up in an awkward fashion. This makes his magnificent works even more astonishing.
In our class we found that even five minutes of working in this manner was difficult and tiring. How did he do it for hours on end?
I hope you can find time to share this Virtual Visit to the Sistine Chapel with your children. It allows you to spend as much time as you need without craning your neck to enjoy it. You can zoom in or out as it suits you. You may want to talk with your children, beforehand, about the nudes they will see in this painting.
We also took a look at Raphael and his cartooning method which he perfected. It was more difficult than it sounded.
Raphael’s cartoon of “School of Athens” resides in a museum in Milan, Italy and is truly spectacular. Take a look for yourself! They call it a “rough draft!” Wow!
So much beauty and talent came from the artists of the Renaissance. My hope is always that it will inspire me to continue to discover and improve my own talents!