The Sistine Chapel - Paradise in Rome (Paperback)

Ulrich Pfisterer

ISBN 10: 160606553X / ISBN 13: 9781606065532

Published by Getty Trust Publications, Los Angeles, 2018

About this Item

Paperback. The art of the Sistine Chapel, decorated by artists who competed with one another and commissioned by popes who were equally competitive, is a complex fabric of thematic, chronological, and artistic references. Four main campaigns were undertaken to decorate the chapel between 1481 and 1541, and with each new addition, fundamental themes found increasingly concrete expression. One overarching theme plays a central role in the chapel: the legitimization of papal authority, as symbolized by two keysone silver, one goldto the kingdom of heaven. The Sistine Chapel: Paradise in Rome is a concise, informative account of the Sistine Chapel. In unpacking this complex history, Ulrich Pfisterer reveals the remarkable unity of the images in relation to theology, politics, and the intentions of the artists themselves, who included such household names as Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Through a study of the main campaigns to adorn the Sistine Chapel, Pfisterer argues that the art transformed the chapel into a pathway to the kingdom of God, legitimizing the absolute authority of the popes. First published in German, the prose comes to life in English in the deft hands of translator David Dollenmayer. This scholarly but concise and accessible account of the decoration of the Sistine Chapel examines the history and explains the meaning of the masterpieces contained within. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9781606065532

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Sistine Chapel - Paradise in Rome (Paperback)
• Publisher: Getty Trust Publications, Los Angeles
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 160606553X
• ISBN 13: 9781606065532
• Binding: Paperback
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The art of the Sistine Chapel, decorated by artists who competed with one another and commissioned by popes who were equally competitive, is a complex fabric of thematic, chronological, and artistic references. Four main campaigns were undertaken to decorate the chapel between 1481 and 1541, and with each new addition, fundamental themes found increasingly concrete expression. One overarching theme plays a central role in the chapel: the legitimization of papal authority, as symbolized by two keys—one silver, one gold—to the kingdom of heaven.
 
The Sistine Chapel: Paradise in Rome is a concise, informative account of the Sistine Chapel. In unpacking this complex history, Ulrich Pfisterer reveals the remarkable unity of the images in relation to theology, politics, and the intentions of the artists themselves, who included such household names as Botticelli, Michelangelo, and Raphael. Through a study of the main campaigns to adorn the Sistine Chapel, Pfisterer argues that the art transformed the chapel into a pathway to the kingdom of God, legitimizing the absolute authority of the popes. First published in German, the prose comes to life in English in the deft hands of translator David Dollenmayer.
 

About the Author

Ulrich Pfisterer is professor of art history at the Institut für Kunstgeschichte at the Lugwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich. David Dollenmayer is a prizewinning literary translator and emeritus professor of German at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, Massachusetts.