Suleman Ayub

Celestial Cartography and Renaissance Architecture: Sistine Chapel Sistine Chapel is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, Vatican. The chapel was originally called the Cappella Magna. It was named after Pope Sixtus IV, because he was responsible for its restoration between 1477 and 1480. Sistine Chapel is considered to be one of the top examples and achievements of Renaissance architecture. The chapel is used for both religious and functionary papal activities. Its significance can be estimated by the fact that it is used as the Papal conclave. The frescos decoration in the interior of the chapel especially the Sistine chapel ceiling and The Last judgment painting by Michelangelo is the main reason for its fame and importance (Dawson, 1992). Figure 1 shows the majestic interior of the Sistine chapel view from the entrance. Fig1. Interior of the Sistine chapel A team of Renaissance painters including the following, created a series of frescos depicting the Life of Christ and Life of Moses (Hartt and de Tolnay, 1950):  Pinturicchio  Cosimo Roselli  Pietro Perugino  Sandro Botticelli 1  Domenico Ghirlandaio The completion of the frescos was celebrated by Sixtus IV on 15th August 1483 during the Feast of Assumption and it was dedicated to Virgin Mary. However the value of the chapel was changed forever, when Michelangelo painted a masterpiece on the Sistine Chapel ceiling between 1508 and 1512. Later on he painted The Last Judgment between 1535 and 1541 (Hooper, 2001). Renaissance Architecture The architecture between the early fifteenth and early seventeenth centuries is known as Renaissance architecture. The architecture demonstrates a conscious revival and developments in certain aspects of the Roman and Greek architecture and material culture (Lowry, 1962). Renaissance architecture follows Gothic architecture and was later on succeeded by Baroque architecture. Filippo Brunelleschi is considered one of the first fathers of Renaissance Architecture, who innovated it in Florence. Renaissance Architecture later on spread on to various Italian cities. Impact of this architecture can be found in the following countries (Hughes and Lynton, 1962):  England  Germany  France  Russia  Other parts of Europe However the amount of impact, variability and dates of spread vary in these areas. The main attributes Renaissance style, principal and architecture depend upon (Murray, 1964):  Proportion  Regularity of Parts  Symmetry  Geometry 2 These are all the main elements also present in Roman architecture, of which many examples are still present and from which it takes its foundation (Hitchcock, 1981). Classical Roman architecture examples are the cornerstone for the Italian Renaissance architects. The revival of both Roman architecture and literature have been proved to be significant in the history of mankind. At the time of Renaissance architecture, it was considered essential for an architect to study ancient ruins and buildings of the Rome especially the Pantheon and the Colosseum. These still possess huge significance from history and teaching point of view for architects from all over the world. Classical orders, symmetries and elements such as pediments, arches, pilasters, columns, entablatures and domes form the basis of Renaissance architecture. Similar to the Classical world, Renaissance architecture is characteristic of mathematical proportion, harmonious form and measurements based on human measurements (Anderson, 2013). Architects during the Renaissance period trained helpers, in order for them to rise their status from skilled labor to artists. This proved to be a major role-player for the progress and spread of the Renaissance architecture. Renaissance architects aimed at creating buildings that would not appeal to reason but also emotion. Most important architects during the Renaissance architecture include the following (Prentice and Booton, 1970): 1. Leon Battista Alberti 2. Filippo Brunelleschi 3. Andrea Palladio Features of Renaissance Buildings The following are some of the distinct features of the Renaissance architecture that can be found in every building constructed during the period (Chastel and Murray, 1965):  Square: Most of the building possessed square or rectangular symmetrical shapes such as found in Sistine chapel.  Columns: Roman type columns were used by Renaissance architecture  Front: The front of the building or more commonly known as the façade were symmetrical from vertical axis. 3  Ceilings: Flat ceilings was generally constructed by the Renaissance architecture.  Arches and Domes: Arches and domes are a characteristic of Renaissance architecture. This style was also extracted from Greek and Roman architecture. An example is shown in Figure 2 (Sistine chapel). Fig2. Arches and domes present in the Sistine chapel Architecture Structure Being a high rectangular building, the chapel’s exterior is marked by decorative and architectural details as shown in Figure 3. During the Renaissance period this aspect is common in most Italian churches. There is no professional exterior doorways leading to the chapel as from the beginning it has always been connected to the Papal Palace, from where it has been accessible. Hence the exterior of the chapel can only be admired from nearby windows of the Palace. The building is comprised of three stories. The lowest floor is a basement with numerous utilitarian windows and a doorway leading to the courtyard. Firm supports and foundations are found in the basement in order to support the structure of the chapel. On the chapel floor, six tall arched windows rising from each side and two at the either end are the characteristic of the building. On the third floor there are wardrooms for guards. Furthermore it consists of an open projecting gangway which surrounds the building (Hooper, 2001). 4 Fig3. Exterior of the Sistine chapel Interior of the Sistine Chapel If the interior of the chapel is observed, it can be easily deduced that the general proportions of the chapel was designed by using length as a unit of measurement. The length has been divided into three parts to calculate the width and divided in half for the height. This ratio of length has been maintained throughout the chapel, for example there are six windows on each side whereas only two at the ends. Throughout the Renaissance architecture, such defined proportions can be found (Mancinelli and McConnachie, 1995). Frescoes The Sistine Chapel great artistic designs show frescoes walls with fascinating aesthetic beauty. Southern walls are decorated with varied stories.  Moses exodus from Egypt  The temptations of Moses  The Red Sea crossing  Descending from Sinai  The rebel’s punishment  The death of Moses 5 Christ’s Stories characterize Northern walls.  Christ Baptism  The temptation  The last supper The ceiling of the chapel was originally painted as golden stars and a blue sky. However in 1508, Michelangelo was hired by Pope Julius II to repaint the ceiling. The paintings were completed in two installments (Michelangelo Buonarroti and Redig de Campos, 1963):  First series of painting between 1507 and 1512  Painting of the Last Judgment over the altar between 1535 and 1541. The scale of the work initially intimidated Michelangelo, who was reluctant to accept the work. He felt that he would be unable to complete the task and considered himself more of a sculptor than a painter. He was of the view that his enemies were involved in offering him the project, considering that he would fail and ruin his career (Pietrangeli, 1994). Frescos In order to reach the ceiling Michelangelo needed a support. Donato Bramante, an architect proposed an idea of building a suitable scaffold which would be suspended in the air by ropes. However the scaffold that he designed was flawed and cannot be used. The matter was taken before Pope, who ordered Michelangelo to build a scaffold of his own. Hence Michelangelo constructed a wooden platform on brackets, high up near the top of the windows. He painted while on standing position on the scaffolding (Rebman, 2000). Michelangelo used bright colors for the painting so that it could be easily seen from the floor. He painted the ancestors of Christ on lower parts of the ceiling. Male and female prophets are painted above that. Nine stories from the Book of Gensis are painted on the highest section of the ceiling. Even though the Pope commissioned him to paint only twelve figures, the Apostles, but he turned down the offer as he considered himself as a sculptor and not as a painter. Consequently as a compromise he was allowed to paint biblical scenes of his choice in addition. When he was finished after four years, he had painted more than three hundred figures including the Great Flood 6 and the creation of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Michelangelo painted over 460 square meters of frescoes (Salvini, 1980). Only after recognizing the symbols, frescos and images of the Sistine chapel ceiling as one unified religious symbol of thought, Celestial cartography can be acknowledged by the human eye. The symbols, frescos and images of the Sistine chapel ceiling can be analyzed collectively from this perspective. It cannot be visualized by observing any isolated symbols, frescos or images, even though each one has its own artistic importance and theological significance. Collectively the symbols, frescos and images of the Sistine chapel form a story of celestial cartography portrayed or as thought by the Roman Catholic Church in the Renaissance period. Even the mosaics of the walls, ceiling and floor of the chapel are characteristic of the spiritual nature of the chapel’s artwork. After a close analysis of the Sistine chapel ceiling, it can be realized that Michelangelo’s perception is of God creating the universe, along with His angels and other heavenly beings. This is rather a new concept introduced by Michelangelo in the Celestial cartography as normally it did not portray an imagery of such kind. It was of the view that the spiritual realm and circles of angels cannot be visualized, however unprecedented Michelangelo tried to capture that. There is a major aspect of the artwork that should be comprehended before any deep analysis of the symbols, frescos and images of the Sistine chapel. That is that there has been no attempt to conceal the teachings from public examination. This can be demonstrated by the fact that the frescos and images are clearly visible to all the people entering the chapel. No efforts have been made to conceal these from the viewing of anybody who enters the chapel (Shapley and Seymour, 1974). There are two sets of six frescos, each of which supports the six cycles of mosaics of the floor. This is the first observation made by anyone entering the chapel. The details are these frescos are as follow: • Six frescos on the south wall depicting the life of Moses. • Six frescos on the north wall depicting the life of Christ. These were painted by several artists prior to Michelangelo’s work. It provides an example of many similar works found in the Sistine chapel i.e. the comparison of the opposite. Even the symbols, frescos and images of the Sistine chapel depict the same comparison, upon curious examination. This idea has been seeded into the minds of the designers long before the restoration 7 of the Sistine chapel and even before any of the Michelangelo’s work. This analysis has been made because a large number of patterns and frescos before Michelangelo’s involvement unify into one system of thought (Shrimplin, 2009). The east wall is painted with two frescos which depict Christ and Moses ascending into heaven. The south side of the entrance wall pictures The Defense of the Body of Moses while the north side shows The Resurrection of Christ. Another significant feature of the Sistine chapel is that the opposite wall to the altar shows The Last Judgment. This portrays Christ’s visit to the earth from the heavens in order to witness the leaving and dead. In complete opposite to this the south and north walls depict scenes independent of time (Shrimplin, 2013). Any first observer would just be overwhelmed by the quantity of imagery and scenes surrounding the chapel 360o. It is a bombardment of symbols, frescos and images of that no one can absorb and understand at a first glance. Furthermore there is also an introduction to a concept of six directions, by sing the shapes of cube and spheres. Such an atmosphere is created by the chapel using a three-dimensional space enclosed in a rectangular shaped box thrice squared. Even though the chapel has a three dimensional reality, however the assembly of the frescos bring out more. Between the areas of the fourteen windows of the chapel, there are frescos of more than twenty four popes. The position of these frescos has been strategically selected. The roof of a church is considered as the heaven. Hence these frescos provide a division between the heavenly and the earthly frescos. Since the early times of Christianity up till now pope is considered to be the Vicar of Christ on earth. He is beloved to be the illuminator of the teachings on earth, mediator between heaven and the earth. Hence the frescos are placed between windows such as they shine the light on the earth. These popes are depicted to be supporting the foundations of the building i.e. the earth and the ceiling depicting the heaven. This is similar to the twenty four column wide fresco painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling wide fresco. From a deeper perspective the symbolism of the pope represents an individual’s soul i.e. the mediator of the earth and the heaven. The array of the frescos of the pope aligns at the midpoint between the heavenly and earthly frescos. This signifies that they are literally separating the heaven and the earth (Talan, 2010). 8 Chapel Ceiling Analyzing and parsing the basic design of the ceiling is quite important and has been neglected due to the presence of exquisite frescos. It is actually a mathematical masterpiece. In order to be accurate of the size and positioning of the frescos Michelangelo had to have the exact measurement of each corner of the curved ceiling, even before he could start his work. In order for the entire cartography of the chapel to become a reality and to be perfect and not only complete, Michelangelo had to plan each and every panel fresco before the commencement of his work. It would not have been possible to achieve a masterpiece if he would have just built a scaffold, climbed it and started painting, thinking his work as he go along. Each tiny detail had to be planned prior to any work. And the magnificence of the Sistine chapel is a witness to such a management. Michelangelo used an architectural design integrated in his painting in order to achieve his goal. Even the last minute detail planning was carried out by Michelangelo even before building the scaffold. Since the ceiling is curved, the measurement would be different that those of the floor. In order for Michelangelo’s work to be accurate the blueprints of the ceilings needed to be exact measurements (The Sistine Chapel: a glorious restoration, 1994). Fresco Scenes of Chapel Ceiling It is an extraordinary amount of work considering that there are thirty six pairs of nude figures positioning each other, especially considering that no two sets are similar. There have been many contradictions raised on the elaborate study of anatomy present in the figures of a religious building. The entire ceiling can be broken into 3x3 square sections comprising of the following biblical categories (The Sistine Chapel: a new vision, 2008): 1. Creation 2. Noah 3. Adam and Eve Each of these categories is further divided into three panels. When each panel is observed separately three others can be observed on its side. Hence symmetry is formed. Similar is the case with the floor of the chapel. The mosaic is one large 3x3 square and two smaller ones on the altar. If the nine panels are numbered sequentially from the altar to the entrance door the following arrangement is observed (Figure 4. Shows the entire view of the fresco found on the ceiling): 9 1. The Creation of Light and Darkness fresco has been numbered the first since it is related to the first day of creation. 2. The Creation of the Sun and the Moon fresco has been numbered the second since it is related to the second day of creation. 3. The Collection of the Waters under the Heavens unto One Place fresco has been numbered the third since it is related to the third day of creation. 4. The Creation of Adam fresco has been numbered the sixth since it is related to the sixth day of creation. 5. The Creation of Eve is numbered the fifth. The position of this fresco is due to Eve’s birth before that of Adam. This is technically not incorrect since on the seventh day Adam was placed on a sacrificial altar and Eve was formed from his rib. 6. The Temptation and Expulsion of Adam and Eve panel has been numbered the eight because the even took place on the eight day of creation. 7. The Sacrifice of Noah is the seventh panel in the sequence. 8. The flood scene panel next in the sequence is the eight panel in the altar. It perfectly fits the description of the second day of the creation and hence has been numbered two. 9. The Drunkenness of Noah has been numbered the last and hence ninth of the fresco panels. Fig4. Complete view of the ceiling Frescos Conclusion The primary objective of the majestic Sistine chapel is to glorify God in the Divine creative mode, elaborating His powers. In short each and every fresco presented in the Sistine chapel represents a 10 story in itself and collectively represent a larger picture. The Sistine chapel cannot be analyzed with its parts alone and out of context but the overall understanding of the text of Christianity and the culture is the preliminary requirement of understanding the art and masterpiece present in the Sistine chapel. In this short analysis it has been tried to cover all aspects related to the Sistine chapel. Since it was also renovated after its creation and different people and teams have worked on it, hence it possess several deep virtues and attributes, some of which have been touched here such as Celestial Cartography, Renaissance Architecture and Michelangelo’s exquisite painted frescos. There is significantly more to be analyzed and written than done in this brief analysis. Truly the Sistine chapel is a world in itself. 11 References Anderson, C. (2013). Renaissance architecture. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Chastel, A. and Murray, P. (1965). The Architecture of the Italian Renaissance. Renaissance News, 18(2), p.130. Dawson, M. (1992). 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