The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City is one of the most famous paintings in history. A linchpin of High Renaissance art, the legendary fresco was painted between 1508 and 1512 by the equally legendary Michelangelo (although the rumor that he painted it while lying on his back is unfounded).
It is simply astounding and has been a source of inspiration for centuries —particularly The Creation of Adam, a transcendent image interpreted from Genesis that shows the hands of God and Adam nearly touching. It has been replicated everywhere from pop art reincarnations to Coca-Cola ads, and is a universally recognized symbol of humanity.
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The Creation of Adam, a transcendent image interpreted from Genesis / ©Musei Vaticani – Scriptamaneant
If you’ve seen the paneled fresco in person, you’ll understand how breathtaking it is but, with the current travel restrictions, you can now peruse the painting in the comfort of your own home. The Sistine Chapel is a three-volume, collectors’ limited edition book series, created from a collaboration between Callaway Arts and Entertainment, the Vatican Museums and Italian art publisher Scripta Maneant of Bologna.
Each silk-covered book measures a whopping 24×17 inches and weighs around 25 lbs. Across the collection’s 822 pages, the fresco is presented in 1:1 life size with 99% color fidelity. The series was five years in the making— not far off the time it took Michelangelo to create the original.
The Sistine Chapel book is the result of a collaboration between Callaway Arts and Entertainment, the Vatican Museums and Italian art publisher Scripta Maneant of Bologna. / ©Musei Vaticani – Scriptamaneant
The Sistine Chapel, $22,000, callaway.com
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