A review by jennutley
Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling by Ross King

4.0

This one is aptly named. It's about Michelangelo, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and Pope Julius II (with a little Raphael thrown in for good measure). It's as much about the history of the times as it is about how to create frescos, source pigments, foreshorten figures, or write scathing letters to your family. I feel edified and enlightened though I'll probably need to read it again before going back to Rome to visit. And I'd love to find a similar book about other works in the Vatican Museums.

My one critique would be the lack of illustrations throughout and a really dismal set of color plates in the middle that are too small, leave out aspects discussed in the text, and just aren't enough to accompany the narrative. I had to read with my iPad handy to illustrate the details and the other works of art and architecture mentioned. Even black and white illustrations throughout the text would have been less disappointing.

Thanks Michelle!