Michelangelo Buonarroti wasn’t a great painter, per his own admission, especially compared to his contemporaries and students, Caravaggio and Raphael. He wanted to be more renowned as a sculptor, which was his first passion, and he is recognized as arguably the greatest ever. He declined to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling, thrice, fled twice, was caught and brought back twice, and was supposedly punched in the face by Pope Julius II at least once. Visitors are not to make any sound for the duration of their strictly time-limited stay, but there is usually no need for any enforcement; the scale, complexity, and beauty of the enterprise makes the tourist speechless and humble as he walks across the hall, neck straining and head held high, looking up—mortality in presence of divinity.
It is impossible to describe what a profound experience Sistine Chapel can be,…
