Michelangelo and the Human Dignity: An Anthropological Reading of the Sistine Frescos

The anthropology of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) is studied with special referecne to his frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, both the Ceiling (1508-1512) and on the altar wall: The Last Judgement (1536-1541). The analyses of the frescoes were done with the help of Florentine Neo-Platonic philosophy, which is the philosophical background of Michelangelo. The Neo-Platonic concepts such as the ascension, hierrachical structure, concept of beauty, and the image-likeness of God are evident in all the basic works by the artists, especially in the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, which are studied in this work.