Sistine Chapel
- Book Review,
by Michael Hirst, Gianluigi Colalicci
From Publishers Weekly
Completed earlier this year, the lengthy and painstaking restoration of Michelangelo's 16th-century frescoes in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel removed layers of soot, varnish and grime, revealing his hidden intents, clarity of form and harmonious color schemes. Featuring nearly 300 color photographs by Takashi Okamura, this impressive album documents the restored ceiling and wall frescoes--depicting biblical scenes, the prophets and sibyls and the Last Judgment --in all their primordial force. Specialized, academic essays by 10 Italian, British and American art historians, curators and restorers investigate the construction of the Chapel over a medieval building on the same site, Michelangelo's preparatory drawings, his use of color, the sources of imagery for the costumes worn by the Ancestors of Christ, etc. Hirst is professor of art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London. Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
Abradale does it again with this magnificent budget volume. A collection of essays on the restoration of the famous ceiling, it also contains 312 stunning illustrations along with numerous full-size plates, close-ups, and a gatefold of the entire collage. All that for $30 makes this one of the best bargains of the year. Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Booklist
Nine years in duration, the elaborate restoration of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel frescoes was one of the major events in recent art history. Not executed without controversy, the restoration renewed the vivid colors of Michelangelo's greatest work--in fact, caused a reevaluation in the minds of art historians of the master's use of color. (The controversy centered on concern that restorers had taken off too much of the accumulated overlay of the ages and that maybe Michelangelo had himself surfaced the frescoes with a layering of varnish meant to subdue the vibrant coloring.) Approximately 300 photographs of the restored frescoes are brilliantly presented here, a visual enticement to enjoy the original color as well as the form and the composition of these spectacular works. Accompanying the perfect reproductions are nine essays by specialists discussing such topics as Michelangelo's preparatory drawings for the figures in the frescoes, the plaster and pigment techniques he employed, the issue of whether he used assistants or not, and his use of color. This magnificent, celebratory book--of both the frescoes and their restoration--belongs in every active art-history collection. Brad Hooper
Publishers Weekly
"Impressive."
Booklist
"This magnificent celebratory book-of both the frescoes and their restoration-belongs in every active art-history collection."
Language Notes
Text: English
Original Language: Italian
From the Publisher
Michelangelo's monumental frescoes in the Sistine Chapel are among the world's great masterpieces. A nine-year restoration finally brought the paintings' original vivid colors to light once again, and they are reproduced here in all their glory. Author itative essays accompany the colorplates. 312 illustrations, 293 in full color, gatefold, 933/4 x 1211/2"
Buy from Amazon
Compare Prices
|
|
Home
