‘Michelangelo’ reproductions exhibit offers unique perspective
Perhaps the most significant takeaway from “Michelangelo — A Different View,” reproductions of the artist’s famous Sistine Chapel frescos, is what a colossal project those paintings were in the first place.
Applying wet paint on wet plaster on the chapel ceiling and walls, Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni depicted scenes from Genesis; prophets, sybils and heroes from the Old Testament, and the spectacular “Last Judgement” with its more than 300 figures.
This work by the Renaissance painter and sculptor continued from 1508 to 1512, resulting in one of the world’s most famous bodies of art and most frequently visited tourist sites.
Although there is no substitute for witnessing the real thing in Vatican City, a touring exhibition of reproductions of the frescos, sanctioned by the Vatican, is on view through Jan. 23, at the Columbus Convention Center. “Michelangelo – A Different View” serves as an overview and educational primer on the great paintings.
The exhibit occupies Ballroom B of the Union Station Ballroom, with the reproductions positioned on the walls and the floor. The floor is where visitors will find the scenes that are on the Sistine Chapel ceiling — God’s creation of the world and humanity and Adam and Eve’s fall from grace. (The taller viewers are, the better they’re able to see these floor-positioned works.) Included, of course, is the iconic scene of God creating Adam, with the divine hand almost touching the human hand.
Panels on the ballroom’s walls show Michelangelo’s portraits of Old Testament figures such as Daniel, David and Goliath and Joel as well as other heroes and sibyls including the beautiful young Delphica. At the far end of the ballroom is the reproduction of “The Last Judgment.”
As visitors enter the room, they will find to their right reproductions of the Quattrocento frescos, 15th century works depicting the life of Jesus and Moses painted by Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Perugino, Domenico Ghirlandaio and Cosimo Rosselli. These paintings were already in the Sistine Chapel when
Michelangelo began his work there.
An audio guide discusses all the paintings in the exhibit; an actor portrays Michelangelo and describes his intentions with each work. Viewers may scan a QR code at the beginning of the tour to launch the audio guide; headphones are not provided.
If viewers follow the numbered audio guide from first to last, they’ll find themselves walking back and forth across the room to match with the reproductions. A better approach is to select an area of the exhibit and thumb through the audio guide to selectively listen to the descriptions. Altogether, the audio guide runs about an hour.
Tickets for the exhibit are sold in onehour sessions. Viewers can spend as long as they like in front of any of the frescos listening (or not) to the audio guide, which makes for a quiet and contemplative experience.
Those lucky enough to have already seen the real frescos in Rome most likely will savor this reminder and refresher of how expansive and intricate this Michelangelo masterpiece is. For those who haven’t been to the Sistine Chapel, this comprehensive overview is a most worthwhile experience.
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