Siting Michelangelo

Michelangelo’s originality as an artist lay not only in ideas about perfection and beauty, but also in his unique approach to the artistic process and art’s site specificity. Michelangelo’s frescoes in the Sistine Chapel and the sculptures of the Medici Chapel and Julius II’s tomb should all be understood as dramatic interventions at their sites. Instead of adapting to and blending in with their surroundings, these are works that interact with the space, the ceremonies, and the music. In addi…