A reader writes:
Here is an amazing bit of technology that you would never see in person, as you would NEVER be alone in the room. It is ALWAYS VERYCROWDED and of course you can’t see Michaelangelo’s artwork close up as you can here. This is especially spectacular if you have a large high-definition screen! Too many details to view on an iPhone.
TO VIEW EVERY PART OF THE MICHAELANGELO’S MASTERPIECE, JUST CLICK AND DRAG YOUR ARROW IN THE DIRECTION YOU WISH TO SEE. In the lower left,click on the plus (+) to move closer, on the minus (-) to move away.Choir is thrown in free. MOVE THE ARROW AND YOU WILL SEE EVERY PART OFTHE CHAPEL.This virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel is incredible. Apparently done by Villanova at the request of the Vatican .
Click here: Sistine Chapel
Speaking of the Sistine Chapel, according to Trumpet:
The choir of Westminster Abbey and the choir of the Sistine Chapel will perform together twice in late June. One of the performances will be in the Sistine Chapel. They will also perform a concert in Westminster Cathedral in May. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the prayer and the performances are “a sign of moving together along the same path.”
Pope Benedict xvi and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams prayed together, yesterday, March 10, during evening prayers at a monastery near the Coliseum in Rome.
A stone cross from Canterbury will be erected in the church. The monastery is the same one from which Pope Gregory sent out monks to convert Britain to Catholicism in the sixth century.
Picture: Pope Benedict XVI talks with Rowan Cantuar, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams during the Pope’s visit to the Archbishop’s official residence, Lambeth Palace in London.
¡Impresionante fotografía!
How anyone can question as to who was the greatest artist that ever lived, and not put Michaelangelo in the forefront confounds me! He was by any word a magician, his sculptures bearing almost lifelike personas and his paintings to me anyways, far outmatching the likes Leonardo’s. I watched a documentary recently on the painting of the Sistene Chapel, it stressed a point basically unknown by most people; that the ceiling is not flat, that it has arches, yet the figures do not distort by this fact, and in fact some figures although the arch will bend the light one way the figure seems to defy physics and is leaning the other way!….What an incredibly amazing work of art this is….
This is an amazing piece of technology, thanks Dan for posting it.
R
Dan: A friend sent me the URL at beginning of March which I sent onto several other acquaintances. One knowledgable reply sent me the following important comment, just so that we keep Mick Angelo.in proper perspective:
“It’s not all Michelangelo’s work, he painted the ceiling and the ‘Last Judgement’ (with the assistance of his pupils), the frescos on the side walls were done by a variety of artists including Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Cosimo Rosselli, Hendrik Van den Broeck, Matteo da Lecce. For details see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sistine_Chapel
It’s truly an amazing piece of technology. As several others have commented: “You can see it from your armchair; You don’t need to crick your neck; You don’t need a hand mirror; You get to see it close up. You don’t get hurried along by the security people; And no worries about the Italian stifling heat wave!”
Lets not downplay Michaelangelo’s (M’s) work here! Yes others painted the side frescos far before M’s work, as the ceiling was adorned only with ‘stars’ beforehand. M managed to paint 1,100 sq meters, which required basically (looking up) for four years! …It is not only a herculaneum accomplishment, physically and mentally, but an astounding work of art.
R