Michelangelo is one word. It was the artist's first name and he became so famous during his lifetime that he was known, and is still known, simply by his first name. The same happened to Rembrandt (also his first name).
The completed work in the Sistine Chapel does not have a name, at least not officially, and it never has. The reason why was that the series of paintings covered so many subjects over such a long period of time that one title couldn't really convey the total message of the works.
Unlike a painting like "Saint John Slaying A Dragon", which is specifically about a single moment in time, or "The Last Supper", which is specifically about a last supper, the Sistine Chapel murals cover an eternity and way too many aspects to be contained in a single title.
Most art people I know simply refer to it as 'Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.' If you refer to it as such everyone will know exactly what you mean.
2007-05-13 09:46:29
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answer #1
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answered by Doc Watson 7
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What do the frescoes depict?
A lot! The main panels down the center depict scenes from the Book of Genesis, from the Creation, to the Fall, to shortly after Noah's deluge. Adjacent to each of these scenes, on either side, are immense portraits of prophets and sibyls who foretold the coming of the Messiah. Along the bottoms of these run spandrels and lunettes containing the ancestors of Jesus and stories of tragedy in ancient Israel. Scattered throughout are smaller figures, cherubs and ignudi (nudes). All told there are more than 300 painted figures on the ceiling. By the way, have you noticed the wealth of architectural members and moldings which dissect the ceiling? Most of those are actually two-dimensional, skillfully painted in by Michelangelo to demarcate separate compositions.
2007-05-13 08:15:14
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answer #2
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answered by shetaz5360 3
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I know that one segment has a title, "the last judgement" but with the earlier portions I believe he was instructed to paint particular subjects (scenes from the Bible of his choice). I don't think that like a single piece of art (ie in a frame, on the wall) that this work has one single name.
2007-05-13 08:26:36
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answer #3
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answered by Holla H 2
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Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni aka Michelangelo.
2016-05-17 08:03:37
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answer #4
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answered by jackie 3
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overall, there is no name. however, it is broken down into several separate paintings, each referring to, and named for, specific events in the bible(ie:"the creation of light", etc)
2007-05-13 09:18:56
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answer #5
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answered by maryk 3
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