Master of Renaissance Art....or A Disgrace to Christainty?

There are those who see Michelangelo’s portrait on Sistine Chapel ceiling as an excellent interpretation of the Book of Genesis. Author James Romaine writes in “Scripture on the Ceiling,” that Michelangelo created an artwork in which people can come and worship. As John Writes mention that Michelangelo is “the least understood of great works of art," (Romaine, 1). Michelangelo wanted to tell a story of human action that foretold the story of the New Testament. Michelangelo’s fresco artwork combined Renaissance’s idea of unity between “Christian doctrines with philosophy of classical antiquity,” (Romaine, 2). However, when worshippers enter the chapel the stories from the book in Genesis are in reverse chronological order. According to Michelangelo, he wanted to show Noah’s shame to represent the shame people feel when they sin. Later Michelangelo was called back to do the Last Judgment to show the coming back of Christ and the various saints.

On October 13, 1541, Michelangelo’s picture of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel was revealed. From this moment picture showed unity amongst the saints. However, Michelangelo’s artwork also faced harsh criticism for several saints being nude, especially Saint Catherine of Alexandria. According to Cynthia Stollhans in her article, “Michelangelo’s Nude Saint Catherine,” understands Michelangelo’s portrayal of Catherine as a representation of how she was tortured several times throughout her life. Michelangelo faces harsh criticism for his depiction of Saint Catherine nude, even though, he follows traditional views.

Even though Michelangelo’s depiction of the Last Judgment received high praise from Pope Paul III at the time it was first reveal that did not prevent the portrait to be altered later in history. In 1564 according to Pope Pius IV, he felt that the saints “should be represented with decency and decorum,” (Stollhans, 1). So, Danielle da Volterra repainted Saint Catherine in a green dress. However, Michelangelo’s original work loses its appeal and does not have a same impact that it once had on an audience. For instance, Nino Serini wrote to his patron, Cardinal Ercole Gonzaga of Mantua, declaring the painting a work of beauty. At the same time poet, Nicolo Martelli was so moved by the artwork that he wrote two sonnets and a madrigal (Stollhans, 1). Still this did not prevent much criticism believing that the painting is indecent.

In 1564 Giovanni Gilio points out that in the Last Judgment that Michelangelo has placed Catherine “the saint of young, nubile girls” and Blaise “the saint of marriageable boys,” (Stollhans, 1). He claims that Michelangelo placed the two saints together as a way to make people laugh. However, he forgets that Michelangelo depicts the posture and the lack of clothing of Saint Catherine from Greek, Latin and Italian manuscripts. Ironically, as there are several stories that describe Saint Catherine nude, an author named Pietro Aretino opposed Michelangelo’s interpretation of Saint Catherine, however; he has written a book in which retells the story of how she was tortured and stripped of her clothes. As recorded since the 13th century Saint Catherine has been shown nude or partially nude.

Still what is more daring in Michelangelo’s painting is the position of Saint Catherine’s body. In the Last Judgment Saint Catherine is hunched over with her head down as she picks up the broken wheel. Michelangelo shows why Catherine is considered a saint amongst the others.

Works Cited

Romaine, James. Scripture on the Ceiling. http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdf?vid=9&hid=6&sid=6c48854b-ac40-4b3d-81f4-6debfbf6b754%40sessionmgr2.

Stollhans, Cynthia. Michelangelo’s Nude Saint Catherine of Alexandria. http://www.jstor.org/view/02707993/ap040036/04a00070/0.