Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 11

How did Michelangelo create the extensive frescoes we see today in the Sistine Chapel? It was an incredibly difficult process which had to be accomplished quickly. This clip shows what the artist (and perhaps an assistant) had to go through, just to prepare the ceiling for painting.

It is the surface itself - the plaster, in fresco painting - which binds the paint to a wall, ceiling or whatever object is being decorated. Because a fresco artist has to work very quickly, the process is like "a race against the clock."

It's difficult for anyone - even a brilliant artist - to get things exactly right the first time. And ... when one is painting a ceiling ... it's nearly impossible to get a proper perspective.

In the winter of 1508, as Michelangelo was making progress on his Sistine masterpiece, mildew developed. It showed up wherever he had painted on the ceiling.

Inexperienced as a fresco artist, Michelangelo had made a terrible mistake by applying the plaster when it was too wet. He had only one fix: Whatever work was completed had to be destroyed.

Modern artists, trying to recreate what Michelangelo went through, were astonished at the physical demands of painting the Sistine Ceiling. After just a week, one of them had to wear a neck brace. Michelangelo worked on the project for years.

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