Ross tells the story - or to be more accurate, the history - of the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling as an easy-going but information-packed narrative, his deep knowledge of his subject blending seamlessly with contemporary anecdote and gossip. He is particularly illuminating on the psychological tug of war between Michelangelo and Pope Julius II - neither of them the easiest of characters - and the shenanigans of the Renaissance papacy. Fascinating.
(Annabel Bedini - bwl 29 April 2005 ) |
