10th Anniversary Project
The Sistine Hall which reproduced ceiling picture and the front fresco "Last Judgement" of the Cappella Sistina of Vatican.
The ceiling was comprised in the third curved surface of the part which linked the wall to the ceiling called "spandrel" and the delicate curve and was not able to reproduce that I produced it with Sue board as a task of extreme difficult technically in the opening those days in 1998.
In 2007, as a commemorative project for the 10th anniversary of the museum's opening, the museum attempted to recreate this three-dimensional curved surface. It was extremely difficult to bend a ceramic panel without breaking it, but after much trial and error, they succeeded in doing so by applying the principle that glass melts and bends at high temperatures.
It opened to the public on April 1, 2007, allowing visitors to experience Michelangelo's masterpiece in an even more impressive way.
Meaning of the Cappella Sistina ceiling picture perfection reproduction
Michelangelo was ordered by Pope Julius II to paint a large fresco on the ceiling of the chapel from May 1508 in just 4 years. When he saw the painting, art historian Vasari wrote, "This painting is the light that illuminates our art. This painting has become the light that illuminates this world that was in darkness." The literary giant Goethe was also amazed, saying, "When you see this ceiling, you can see how much we humans are capable of." Even today, there is no end to the throngs of people from all over the world who visit the chapel to look up at the ceiling.
There is a magnificent scene of "Creation" depicted in the Old Testament "Genesis". God appears in the first moments of the world, illuminating the darkness and creating men and women of mankind, but mankind crashes against God's will, and God punishes mankind for the "Noah's Ark." These are the 9 scenes in the center of the ceiling, a magnificent drama of God and humankind.
But the punishing god makes a covenant with humans and promises that he will never destroy humanity. Noah's descendants grow and spread on the ground, and because of their weaknesses, they encounter various hardships.It is the fate of the Jewish loss of homeland and exile. To the suffering people, the great prophets shout that the savior of mankind will soon appear and save them from their sins.That is the figure of the huge "prophet" and "priestess" drawn on both sides of the ceiling painting. Among the prophets Michelangelo painted his self-portrait, showing that he was a timeless prophet. The nomadic people are the "ancestors of Christ" painted on the lower half-moon and sail-shaped walls. Finally, the long-awaited Christ appears on the half-moon-shaped wall at the very end of the ceiling painting.
However, it is technically extremely difficult to imitate the part connecting the ceiling and the wall, which is composed of complicated curved surfaces, and the aspect showing subtle warpage with a ceramic plate, and such a curved surface. The "heroes of the Old Testament", "ancestors of Christ" drawn above, and "the prophets and shrine maidens" drawn by Michelangelo, which are considered to be the greatest figures, could not be reproduced in the chapel of Otsuka. 10 years after opening, as the only hall of fame where you can experience the arts of the world while staying in JapanOtsuka Museum of ArtIs attracting more spectators than it was at the beginning every day, and the Sistine Hall, where you can feel the vastness of the actual size, is the central space of this building.
That is why we are celebrating our 10th anniversary. Otsuka Museum of Art, And Otsuka Omi Ceramics Co., Ltd. made all-out technical efforts to completely reconstruct Michelangelo's feat, including curved surfaces. To celebrate the 10th anniversary of the museum's opening, I would like to sincerely congratulate you on being able to provide the entire picture of the ceiling mural to spectators from all over the country.
Chiba University's emeritus professor
Otsuka Museum of Art Painting Selection Committee
The late Midori Wakakuwa
Otsuka Museum of Art 2nd director Akihiko OtsukaOn March 31, 2007, he was awarded the Grand Master of the Order of Saint Silvestro by the Vatican in recognition of his achievements in introducing Christian traditions to Japan and deepening their understanding through numerous artworks. |