The Last Judgment Michelangelo and the Death of the Renaissance

by Connor, James A.

• ISBN13: 9780230623897
• ISBN10: 0230623891
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2010-08-03
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Summary

Painted on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, 28 years after Michelangelo completed the glorious and hopeful ceiling,The Last Judgmentis full of stark images depicting the End of Days. Here, James Connor uncovers the secrets behind the fresco, and details the engrossing stories of conspiring kings, plotting popes, and murderous rivalries between noble families who were vying for control over Michelangelo and his art. This book combines enchanting storytelling with incisive historical detective work, demonstrating how Michelangelo was inspired by Copernicus and how the Counter-Reformation arose from the ashes of the Renaissance.

Author Biography

James A. Connor is a professor of English at Kean University and a former Jesuit priest. He is the author of three books: Silent Fire, Kepler’s Witch and Pascal’s Wager. He lives in Rahway, NJ.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vi
Prologue: Standing in the Sistine	p. vii
Introduction: The Dying Pope	p. 1
The Great Commission	p. 17
Clement's Brainstorm	p. 31
Pope Julius's Tomb	p. 41
The Altar Wall	p. 65
Colors	p. 79
The Children of Savonarola	p. 97
Vittoria Colonna	p. 113
Sol Invictus	p. 133
Saints, Martyrs, and Angels	p. 145
The Outer Orbit: The Naked and the Dead	p. 163
The Damned	p. 173
The Censorship of the End of the World	p. 185
The Last Days of Michelangelo Buonarroti	p. 201
Further Reading	p. 211
Notes	p. 215
Index	p. 227
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