The Shocking Secrets of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Artwork The recent cleaning of the Sistine Chapel frescoes removed layer after layer of centuries of accumulated tarnish and darkness. The Sistine Secrets endeavors to remove the centuries of prejudice, censorship, and ignorance that blind us to the truth about one of the world's most famous and beloved art treasures. Some images that appeared in the print edition of this book are unavailable...

You cannot stand underneath the masterwork that is the Sistine Chapel without considering the genius and painstaking work that went into its creation. Michelangelo Buonarroti never wanted to paint the Sistine Chapel, though. Appointed by the temperamental Julius II, Michelangelo believed the suspiciously large-scale project to be a plot for failure conspired by his rivals and the "Warrior Pope." After all, Michelangelo was not a painter-he was a sculptor....

In the same style, manner, and format as The Louvre: All the Paintings, every Old Master painting that is on display in The Vatican is included in this deluxe, slip-cased volume with companion DVD, as well as hundreds of additional masterpieces and treasure in the Papal collection.

"An scholarly exposition of the symbolism of the renowned fresco cycle, illustrating both Michelangelo's frescoes and those of the quattrocento"--Provided by publisher.