Α characteristic of Michelangelo’s work was that human nature was
always the main element in his compositions. He would place humans in the
center of his painting or sculpture to signify man’s power and capabilities as
this was the main subject of the renaissance. Defying the principals of the 15 th
century, Michelangelo ranks those who appear in his work by importance, thus
succeeding in composing the different periods of Christianity.
Picture 8: Roof Frescoes, Capella Sestina (1508-1512)
A crucial novelty was also the depiction of themes from Ancient Greek
and Roman tradition such as Sibilils. Depicting women was still not common.
The dome, covered by a line of pictures depicting the history of mankind as
shown in the Bible was so high that it is considered a novelty. The figures had
also undergone deformation so as to appear normal from the spectator’s point
of view. The importance of this work of art is revealed should one think that
under this dome marched the Papal sequence to perform rituals. In 1513,
following the death of Pope Jules II, the new one Jules I orders Michelangelo to
rebuild the front end of San Lorenzo’s church in Florence.
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