The Sistine Chapel is one of the world's most celebrated artistic achievements, attracting millions of visitors and inspiring awe more than five centuries after its creation. Yet behind its magnificent frescoes lies a fascinating story of ambition, rivalry, politics and power. The creation of the chapel brought together some of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and unfolded against the backdrop of a highly competitive and politically charged papal court.

This captivating course explores the hidden history of the Sistine Chapel, from its origins in the 1480s to the creation of Michelangelo's famous ceiling and the dramatic unveiling of The Last Judgement. Discover how artists including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Perugino contributed to the chapel's early decoration, and examine the intense rivalry between Michelangelo and Raphael that helped shape some of the greatest masterpieces of Western art.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE RESOURCES

• Hersey, George L (1993). High Renaissance art in St. Peter's and the Vatican: an interpretive guide. University of Chicago Press, Chicago

COURSE OUTLINE

• The politics of the Renaissance papacy
• The origin of the Sistine chapel and its precedents
• The collaborative process behind the 1480s fresco cycle by Perugino, Botticelli and Ghirlandaio
• The ceiling and how Raphael conspired to bring Michelangelo down by having him paint fresco
• Raphael’s tapestry cycle
• The Last Judgement and its censorship
• The Sistine chapel today 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Know more about the infamous rivalry between Raphael and Michelangelo
• Understand the interconnection between art and politics in Renaissance Rome
• Analyse the content and composition of Italian Renaissance painting