iDC City Library
Reading, Writing & Rome
12/13/05
by centuries of grime and soot, Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine
Chapel were cleaned in a painstaking process that began in the 1979 and
lasted thirteen years - three times longer than it took Michelangleo to
paint the ceiling.
This
50-minute video documents the laborious cleaning process that brought
Michelangelo’s frescoes back to their original glory. If you’ve
ever been curious about the process of restoration - its complications
and complexities - than Return to Glory is for you. It
provides a close-up look at the processes that were used by art
conservators as they sponge-bathed each and every massive figure on the
Sistine Ceiling. And it documents exciting discoveries made in
the process. Splendidly colored figures formerly hidden by layers
of dirt and grime emerge before your eyes.
Likewise,
if it’s Michelangelo’s amazing capacity to render the human body that
interests you, than this is a documentary film that you won’t want to
miss. You can’t get this close to the Sistine Ceiling in a visit
to the Vatican Museums, and you can’t begin to see the details that
this video highlights - including a figure that bears Michelangelo’s
hand print!
Return to Glory is
currently out of print, but you’ll find copies in many public and
university libraries. And, with a careful search, you’ll discover
that there are some used copies floating around the internet.
Nippon Television Network Corporation, 1996. Distributed by CCC of America, Inc.
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