All posts tagged: Michelangelo

Sistine Chapel Exhibition Heads to Shopping Mall in New Jersey

Sistine Chapel Exhibition Heads to Shopping Mall in New Jersey

Published by Jenni Sidey

The similarities between Rome and Paramus, New Jersey, are legion, and soon there will be one more point of commonality: Michelangelo’s hallowed paintings in the Sistine Chapel. The setting will be the Westfield Garden State Plaza shopping mall, and the occasion will be “Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition,” an “immersive experience” opening April 10. “Rated 4.8 stars globally, the exhibition faithfully recreates all 34 of Michelangelo’s ceiling and altar masterpieces using licensed high-resolution imagery and an advanced printing technique,” reads a press release (which deserves some credit for not bumping that rating up to 5). “From The Creation of Adam to The Last Judgment, every fresco is rendered in vivid detail, allowing visitors to explore the emotion, depth, and artistry of the Vatican’s most celebrated space—without crowds, time limits, or a trip to Rome.” Related Articles A “verified guest review” of the traveling exhibition from Fedel S. counts as a rave: “I doubt that I may ever have the opportunity to visit the real Sistine Chapel, so this exhibit gave me an informative and beautiful …

Drawing of Foot Discovered as Michelangelo Work Sells for .2 M.

Drawing of Foot Discovered as Michelangelo Work Sells for $27.2 M.

Published by Jenni Sidey

Last March, a person who now wishes to remain anonymous submitted a photograph of a small, framed drawing of a foot to Christie’s online “Request an Auction Estimate” portal. Just under a year later—and after months of authentication research—the work, newly identified as an authentic drawing by Michelangelo, sold for $27.2 million on a $1.5 million–$2 million estimate. Christie’s specialists determined that the work was a previously unknown study for the foot of the Libyan Sibyl, a figure featured in the artist’s Sistine Chapel ceiling. The drawing sold on Thursday after 45 minutes of bidding during Christie’s Old Master and British Drawings sale in New York, surpassing the previous auction record for a Michelangelo work—another drawing that sold for $24.3 million at Christie’s Paris in 2022. Related Articles According to the auction house, the red-chalk drawing is one of only about 600 Michelangelo drawings known to exist today. Of those, roughly 50 are studies related to the Sistine Chapel. “In the 23-plus years I have been in the industry, I have been privileged to see …

10 Must-See Chapels in Italy

10 Must-See Chapels in Italy

Published by José Betancourt

While most flock to museums to experience world-famous artworks, some of the most influential pieces reside outside institutions—especially in Italy, where, during the Renaissance, a number of wealthy patrons commissioned works of art in smaller chapels. Those chapels were intended as places where their family legacies could live on after their deaths. Many of them still contain some of the most incredible examples of art and architecture; most are open to the public. There are many chapels, both within and beyond Italy. Which ones are most essential? Below is a list of the ones that cannot be missed. Scrovegni Chapel in Padua Image Credit: Steve Christo/Corbis via Getty Images Constructed by Enrico Scrovegni to atone for the sin of usury—lending money at unreasonably high interest rates to the benefit of the lender—the Scrovegni Chapel boasts the most important frescos painted by Giotto, who painted religious scenes during the 14th century with naturalism, illusionism, and earthly settings that were unusual for their time. The fresco cycle narrates the history of salvation, including the life of the …