Pope Jules II, head of the Catholic Church and governor of the Papal
States from 1503 until his death in 1513, calls Michelangelo to Rome in 1509
to assign to him the creation of a mausoleum, for which he would have to
sculpt 40 small statues. However, the task is never completed as money did not
suffice. At the same time Michelangelo picked up other tasks, including the
decoration of Capella Sestina’s dome with the figures of the 12 Apostles. From
1508 to 1512, Michelangelo succeeded in painting over 300 biblical figures and
religious compositions in general, such as scenes from the book of Genesis, the
Apocalypse and Noah’s ark. It is said that in this four year period (1508-1512)
Michelangelo did not exit Capella Sestina at all, except for a few times and
would also not let anyone enter the chapel, which ultimately resulted in people
gathering around it curious to find out what was going on.
Picture 7: The Apocalypse (1534 – 1541), Capella Sestina
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