Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel are the most spectacular I have ever seen or ever will see; arguably the best art ever created by man.
Not yet 30, Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor, not a painter, when he was coerced by Pope Julius II to decorate his personal chapel. During the four grueling years it took to finish the ceiling the artist and the pontiff had a love/hate relationship. But the world is a better place for the result. The main part of the barrel-vaulted ceiling shows the artist's interpretation of stories from the Genesis, "In the Beginning...," the most famous scene being God creating Adam. The colors today are as vibrant as when Michelangelo painted them thanks to a restoration in the 90s.
Twenty-four years after he completed the ceiling, Michelangelo was back at work in the Chapel, this time at the bequest of Pope Paul III. The aging artist now had to paint "The Last Judgement" on the wall near the Pope's altar, a job that would take another four years. Not only had Michelangelo's style changed, so had his perspective. Now it's a case of "Jesus is coming and this time he's really pissed." One thing that didn't change was his dedication. Every brushstroke on each of the 300 figures on the fresco were done by Michelangelo himself. By the way, that's his face on the lifeless skin held by St. Bartholomew.
You may have seen photos of Michelangelo's masterpieces in the Sistine Chapel, but this is one thing you must actually experience first-hand. It may not change your life or make you a religious person but seeing the Sistine Chapel will possibly make you more human.
