From Papal Drama to Artistic Triumph: The Untold Stories Behind The Last Judgment
From Papal Drama to Artistic Triumph: The Untold Stories Behind The Last Judgment
“Genius is eternal patience.”
– Michelangelo
From 1508 to 1512, under duress from Pope Julius II, Michelangelo created one of the greatest masterpieces in art history: the Sistine Chapel ceiling. He considered himself a sculptor — and said so, loudly — but was compelled to paint. Their relationship was famously stormy. Julius demanded. Michelangelo resisted. Genius was the result.
But did you know that The Last Judgment, the massive fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel — painted two decades later — was also the product of papal pressure and personal history?
It was Giulio di Medici, Michelangelo’s childhood friend and devoted patron, who commissioned the work after becoming Pope Clement VII. Originally, he asked Michelangelo to paint The Resurrection. But Clement died in 1534 before work began. His successor, Pope Paul III, a savvy patron of the arts, kept the commission alive but changed the subject to The Last Judgment — a sweeping and powerful vision of heaven, hell, salvation, and damnation.
Michelangelo, now older and more introspective, poured his soul into the fresco. In one haunting moment, he even painted his own face into the scene — on the flayed skin of St. Bartholomew, held limply by the saint’s outstretched hand. It’s a chilling self-portrait: raw, vulnerable, and almost confessional. Here is the image:
But not everyone approved. After Michelangelo’s death, the Church — now under pressure from the Council of Trent and the growing Counter-Reformation — found the nudity scandalous. Pope Pius IV ordered that the offending bits be covered. The task fell to painter Daniele da Volterra, who added strategically placed loincloths and fig leaves to the nude figures, earning him the derisive nickname Il Braghettone — “the breeches-maker.”
The result is a work layered with drama, both divine and human — from childhood friendships and papal rivalries to artistic defiance and religious reform.
Now, for a limited time, you can experience these masterpieces up close — in a way the Vatican will never allow.
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
St. Mary’s Cathedral, 1111 Gough Street, San Francisco
June 21 – September 14, 2025
This breathtaking exhibit — produced by SEE™ Global Entertainment and Martin Biallas — brings Michelangelo’s frescoes to eye level. No crowds. No time limits. No craning your neck 60 feet in the air. Just you and the art.
Come see the glory, the controversy, the genius — reimagined in San Francisco.
Visitors are encouraged to share their photos and social media posts with the following hashtags: #SEEGlobalSF #SistineChapelExhibit
Plan Your Visit:
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition
Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption
1111 Gough StreetFree on-site parking (first come, first served)
June 21 – September 14, 2025Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:30am – 5:00pm (last entry at 3:30pm)
Duration: 60 to 90 minutes
Tickets start at $26 adults / $16 children Students & military: $18 | Kids 4 and under: FREE Wheelchair accessible All ages welcome
Get tickets: chapelsistine.com/exhibits/san-franciscohttps://chapelsistine.com/exhibits/san-francisco/