“This is Not My Art” by Adriano Marinazzo (Photo: courtesy of Muscarelle Museum of Art)
The famed Sistine Chapel and its artist, Michelangelo, gains a new perspective with an ongoing exhibition at the Muscarelle Museum of Art in Williamsburg, Virginia. Titled Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, the exhibition features 38 objects related to the ideation and planning of the storied chapel located in the heart of the Vatican. Of this number, seven drawings are being shown in the United States for the first time, making this a historic exhibition.
Aimed at depicting the early beginnings of the Sistine Chapel’s planning and offering a glimpse into the Renaissance master’s mind, The Genesis of the Sistine toggles between displaying artifacts such as sketches and lithographs with the final product.
A projected digital model of the completed ceiling frescoes and architecture titled This is Not My Art pans slowly over the Sistine Chapel’s composition. This allows viewers an unprecedented opportunity to more closely examine Michelangelo’s painstaking attention to detail. The model was created by the exhibition’s curator, Adriano Marinazzo.
Marinazzo, a dedicated Michelangelo scholar, sees this show as a culmination of over a decade of work. “I selected these drawings based on the studies and publications I have worked on over the past 15 years,” he told Hyperallergic. “It is a highly focused, original, and deeply personal project.”
The seven drawings making their U.S. debuts are all part of a singular initial plan for the chapel’s ceiling, which was eventually abandoned. The drawings were split up some time after their abandonment, and this exhibition marks the first time they will be displayed together in one frame.
The Genesis of the Sistine also includes a never-before-seen letter from Francesco Granacci, Michelangelo’s friend and assistant. In the letter, Granacci writes about his struggles to recruit more assistants to finish the frescoes. Portraits of Michelangelo, some made by him and one made by his contemporary Giuliano Bugiardini, also give visitors a glimpse into the Renaissance painter who singlehandedly imagined the Sistine Chapel as we know it today.
This exhibition is a landmark show, thanks to the unique combination of works it presents. Numerous prestigious cultural institutions, such as the Vatican Museums, Gallerie degli Uffizi, Musei Reali, and Casa Buonarroti, loaned a variety of objects for the exhibit. Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine offers an unparalleled opportunity to step back in time and witness the intricate origins of one of history's greatest artistic masterpieces, illuminating the genius of Michelangelo in a way never seen before.
Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine is currently on view at Muscarelle Museum of Art through May 28, 2025. Tickets are available for purchase on Muscarelle Museum of Art's website.
A new exhibition titled Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine features numerous sketches, plans, and lithographs created by Renaissance master Michelangelo in preparation for his work on the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican.
Photo: courtesy of Muscarelle Museum of Art
The exhibition combines past with present, showing Michelangelo's preparatory sketches in conjunction with enlarged photographs of the final product.
A sketch study for a portion of the fresco mirrors an enlarged photo of the final product (Photo: courtesy of Muscarelle Museum of Art)
Seven sketches are making their debut on U.S. soil in this show, as well as a never-before-seen letter addressed to Michelangelo by his friend and assistant.
A letter featured in the exhibition (Photo: courtesy of Muscarelle Museum of Art)
Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine also includes portraits of Michelangelo, giving new perspectives to the artist behind the beauty of the Vatican chapel.
Photo: courtesy of Muscarelle Museum of Art
Exhibition Information:
Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine
March 6–May 28, 2025
Muscarelle Museum of Art
603 Jamestown Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Muscarelle Museum of Art: Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Muscarelle Museum of Art.
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