I was not aware of the rivalry between Michelangelo and Raphael for painting the Sistine chapel. When the pope discovered the talents of Raphael, the commission for painting the Sistine chapel had already been given to Michelangelo. The rivalry between the two men was very intense. Raphael never gave up hope that he would be asked to take over the painting of the Sistine chapel from Michelangelo. The rivalry between the two was so intense that they did not support each other in a way that you hope professionals would. For example, Raphael knew that painting in Rome would require a different recipe for plaster than painting in Florence. Michelangelo was not forthcoming in sharing his recipe. Throughout the book you begin to understand that Raphael may have been the superior painter. Michelangelo wanted to be sculpting not painting. The rivalry existed because the person deemed to be the best painter in the Vatican will be given the title of architect of the Vatican. The book also covers the time of the building of Saint Peter’s Basilica.
This book gives you a glimpse into what must have been like for an artist of this time. It consumed every part of life. While their art is priceless today, they were paid very little for it. They had no life outside of art. The competition was fierce. Yet they felt the pressure to leave this earth with the body of their work. And we are all very grateful that they did.
Although it had been recommended to me, I had not read the authors first book, Oil and Marble, before reading this one. It is not necessary that you read them in order. I since have gone back and read Oil and Marble. From that book I did learn more about the life of Michelangelo. If you enjoy Italy or art or reading historical fiction, you don’t wanna miss this book.
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
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