Stumbling Upon the Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo, "The Creation of Adam."

Well, I have yet to visit the Vatican to see the famous frescos of Michelangelo painted in the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, but the virtual experience I stumbled upon while using the site stumbleupon.com was fascinating, particularly because one of my class discussions is based on this topic.

I don’t remember how I stumbled upon stumbleupon.com but I highly recommend it to other instructors to find images, videos, libraries, articles and more, about almost any given topic. Plus, the site is like a game of chance, once you choose a topic or topics it will return site upon site of things related to those preferences. Stumbling, as the act of clicking on box on the site is called, reminds me in a sense of the experience of cranking a slot machine; you never know if the next crank will be a winner, so you keep playing. There is no money involved, of course, but if you invest a few minutes you will find something that is interesting, amusing, new, or useful for your courses.

Take a look at the Sistine Chapel for example and zoom in to see the biblical scenes in great detail. You may even discover the prominent bear bottom that seem so out of place, not too far below “The Creation of Adam” in the center of the ceiling. Use your mouse to turn around 360 degrees to get a sense of the entire space or look at the detailed patterns of the tiled floor. Appreciate Michelangelo’s dark humor by finding his self portrait in the beheaded head of Holofernes, who is being carried out on a platter by his slayer, Judith, with the help of her maidservant; or check out the scenes of the Last Judgment behind the altar to find yet another self portrait of Michelangelo, this time as St. Bartholomew, the martyr who was flayed alive.>

I think this is an amazing way to study or simply enjoy the details of the Sistine Chapel’s frescos, and it is free to access from the comfort of your home. Then, try your luck and stumble!

~Carol