Michelangelo Hated Painting the Sistine Chapel so much He Wrote a Poem About It

Michelangelo. One of the masters of the Renaissance was gifted with the craft to shape life in various formats. He was a sculptor, painter, architect and, to our surprise, a poet. His work captured realism the world has never seen before, so it comes as no surprise that many wanted to hire his skills. It is rare for an artist to portray their emotions during the process of the work, especially when the artist does not want to be working on the project in the first place. However, on this occasion, Michelangelo wrote a poem stating his frustration with the project, and we are going to share it with you today.

The Unskilled Painter

Michelangelo spent five long, excruciating years painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel from 1508 to 1512. This outstanding work of Renaissance art, which spans more than 10,000 square feet, is well-known across the globe, yet not many of us know of the torture Angelo went through to complete it. Despite Michelangelo's unique ability to convey intense expression and passion via his work, most people cannot comprehend the complete storey of the renowned artist's five-year journey. Furthermore, many people are unaware that Michelangelo's stunning, detailed images were painted by a novice painter. Nobody would believe that the hand behind the brush was uninterested in creating such magnificent works of art.

Michelangelo was not regarded as a skilled painter during his lifetime. On the other hand, his popularity sprang from the statues he carved in Rome and Florence during his younger years. Bacchus (1496-1497), his first sculpture in Rome, was commissioned by a French ambassador's barber. The Pietà (1498-1499), Michelangelo's first contribution to the Catholic Church, was commissioned by the French ambassador. The Virgin Mary was shown bearing the body of Jesus Christ in the artwork. It was praised for Mary's pure and simple look and Jesus' divine serenity in death.

Angelo sculpted the enormous statue of the biblical figure David in Florence a few months later. Florentine citizens and artists, including Leonardo Da Vinci, were stunned by the sculpture David (1501-1504). He was eventually assigned to work with Da Vinci on Florence's grand city hall walls, the Palazzo Vecchio, painting war cartoons. Then, in 1505, he was summoned by Pope Julius II to Rome, hoping that he was to be commissioned for the Catholic Church once more.

The Commission

Michelangelo was hired to work on a mausoleum, or sepulchre, for the Pope when he arrived in Rome. Julius II envisioned a mausoleum with an area of 800 square feet, three floors high, with twenty-six statues. To complete the enormous project, he was willing to pay Michelangelo more than two hundred thousand crowns. However, because the pope's wishes were too lavish and the cost was too great, the basilica where he wanted his tomb to be placed refused to accept it. At this point, Julius and Angelo had formed a close connection since they shared a proud, headstrong, and honest personality. After repeated quarrelling and the loss of each other's trust, they always found a way to reconcile. However, the pope's temperament abruptly altered once he was refused a mausoleum, and Angelo was expelled from the Vatican.

Donato Bramante, a papal Italian architect, sparked the controversy by warning the pope of the bad omen he had invited by erecting his funeral monument while still alive. Jealous of Angelo's fame, Bramante persuaded Julius to employ Michelangelo to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling instead, anticipating that he would fail terribly. Meanwhile, Michelangelo chose to leave the Pope and return to Florence, prompted by his exile. After several attempts by the pope to compel the competent painters to return to Rome, Michelangelo finally met with him three years later in 1508.

Angelo hesitated when the pope asked him to paint frescoes of the twelve Apostles on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, knowing that he lacked experience in murals. Despite this, Julius persisted in persuading Angelo to accept the job, and Angelo grudgingly agreed on one condition. Michelangelo requested that something more suitable be painted on the ceiling, stating that he should be free to "do as he pleases." Angelo suggested nine scenes from the book of Genesis, starting from the creation of the world and concluding with Noah and the flood. This would be challenging for any skilled painter, so Angelo had his hands full on this project. Finally, the pope agreed to his proposal, and Michelangelo began painting.

The Painting

Bramante was tasked with building the scaffolding; however, his method was inefficient and resulted in holes in the ceiling. This infuriated Angelo so much that he obtained authorization from the Pope to banish Bramante, and he built the scaffold himself so that there was no room for error. Michelangelo still doubted his ability to complete the assignment, so he enlisted the help of his childhood buddy, Francesco Granacci, to help him prepare drawings for the frescoes. Angelo quickly picked up on it, and Granacci and two other assistants were soon painting over the master's chalk outlines. However, Michelangelo's hubris overcame him, and he regretted bringing his three assistants, who were unable to convey the art in accordance with his exact thoughts. He dispatched his companions to Florence and embarked on the project alone, spending most of his days alone in the eerie space between the platform and the ceiling.

Michelangelo felt irritated; his head was thrown back, his spine was arched downward, and his face was covered with paint, and he ached regularly. As the winter approached, things only worsened. Nearly a third of the ceiling was completed between May and the start of winter. Still, it was entirely damaged by mould that formed due to the ideal conditions of cold weather and moisture in the Roman lime Michelangelo used to build the plaster. When the pope came to inspect the painting and saw what had happened, Angelo shouted down, "I told you I was no fresco-painter; what I have done is ruined". Angelo put the project on hold for about a year while he awaited better weather and the disappearance of the mould. Michelangelo's frescoes underwent a significant transformation following this interval. The paintings grew in size and expression, and they got more passionate and expressive. He persevered with the arduous task until 1512 when it was eventually finished.

The Creating of Adam, for example, is depicted in a well-known fresco that displays Michelangelo's shift in form and style. Even from the church ground, the gigantic twisted bodies are incredibly dramatic, and the movements reflect a strong emotion that can be sensed. Angelo's first few frescoes were small and intricate; thus, this style is a complete contrast. When seen up close, the scene of The Great Flood is full of motion. Only four stories are depicted in the painting; however, they are difficult to view from the ground. Michelangelo was aware of the problem, but he chose not to express his displeasure by continuing to paint the ceiling using the new method.

The Poem

Michelangelo had to battle his great disdain for the frescoes while painting them, and it was not easy for him to finish the project. According to some academics, Michelangelo suffered from deconditioning syndrome, which is a state of physical and emotional lethargy caused by a prolonged lack of exercise or movement. This is due to the widespread notion that he worked while lying down on the scaffolds, close to the ceiling. Michelangelo, in reality, spent hours upon hours painting, standing upright on his planned platform, with his head down, his spine folding in on itself, and his feet throbbing. He resented taking the job and, to share his discontent, wrote a poem in 1509 to express his displeasure with the situation:

I've already grown a goiter from this torture,

hunched up here like a cat in Lombardy

(or anywhere else where the stagnant water's poison).

My stomach's squashed under my chin, my beard's

pointing at heaven, my brain's crushed in a casket,

my breast twists like a harpy's. My brush,

above me all the time, dribbles paint

so my face makes a fine floor for droppings!

My haunches are grinding into my guts,

my poor ass strains to work as a counterweight,

every gesture I make is blind and aimless.

My skin hangs loose below me, my spine's

all knotted from folding over itself.

I'm bent taut as a Syrian bow.

Because I'm stuck like this, my thoughts

are crazy, perfidious tripe:

anyone shoots badly through a crooked blowpipe.

My painting is dead.

Defend it for me, Giovanni, protect my honour.

I am not in the right place—I am not a painter.

—Michelangelo

Michelangelo's difficult achievement remains on as a renowned piece of art from the year 1513, when the chapel was eventually reopened to the public, until the present day. Due to withering and careless handling, the paintings have taken on a poor tone, but they nonetheless demonstrate that he accomplished the assignment and outshined those who questioned him. His commitment and expertise continue to inspire artists and historians, as well as astound those who witness his creations, even though it cost him his physical and mental health.

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