How much did Michelangelo get paid for the Sistine Chapel?

The pope was persistent; according to Giorgio Vasari, he was provoked by Bramante to insist that Michelangelo take on the project, leaving him little choice but to accept. The contract was signed on 8 May 1508, with a promised fee of 3,000 ducats (approximately US$600,000 in gold in 2021).

How old was Michelangelo when he painted the Sistine Chapel?

In 1508, 33-year-old Michelangelo was hard at work on Pope Julius II’s marble tomb, a relatively obscure piece now located in Rome’s San Pietro in Vincoli church. When Julius asked the esteemed artist to switch gears and decorate the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling, Michelangelo balked.

How did Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling?

In order to reach the chapel’s ceiling, Michelangelo created special scaffolding. Rather than build the structure from the floor up, he installed a wooden platform held up by brackets inserted into holes in the wall. As he completed the painting in stages, the scaffolding was designed to move across the chapel.

Did Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel alone?

The legend of Michelangelo being a lonely painter taking care of the strenuous work of painting alone the 12.000 square feet of the Sistine chapel is not true. When Michelangelo got the commission he was an extremely skilled sculptor but initially lacked familiarity with the complex fresco technique.