We stand together beneath a ceiling, bodies pressed together. All our eyes are wide — trying to take in as much as possible. No cameras, no video, just you staring up at a ceiling meant to represent our very creation. The tilt of our heads is probably a slight revenge from Michelangelo who had to paint this ceiling in the most agonizing positions.
A voice bellows from above. It is not God, but it booms all the same: Silence. Respect the silence.
The voices drop once more, but never for long. Voices whispering in a hundred languages. I look up in awe and feel myself tear up.
I am not religious, but I can appreciate religious art, especially when it comes to the Sistine chapel.
I’m high school art I wrote a paper about Michelangelo and the Sistine Chapel. Of course, I only saw photos, but seeing it—and other famous art—in person is an entirely different experience. It changes something in our brains. Even w/ the best photography, photos replicate. They are flat. Nothing replaces in-person viewing. Even w/ the “hall monitors” present, I’d go see the SC again.
ReplyDeleteErica, you have had a nice vacation in Italy. What a miracle this must be to see in person. I can understand the "Voices whispering in a hundred languages." That is a great description of what you saw. I'm glad you were able to see it.
ReplyDeleteOh, what an awesome experience. When I was a music teacher teaching the Renaissance to 8th graders, I taped a picture under each desk in my classroom. When the students arrived they had to lay on the floor and color the pictures as if they were Michelangelo.
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