Welcome to Vatican City — sort of.
“Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition” features full-size reproductions of the 34 frescoes the Italian artist painted on the ceiling of the Vatican City chapel more than 500 years ago.
“People don’t realize how big they are because when you’re in the chapel and look up 60 feet, they look like a stamp,” said Martin Biallas, CEO of touring exhibition group See Global Entertainment.
The pieces depict stories from the Old Testament, like the well-known “Creation of Adam” painting.
Not all of the works were painted on the chapel’s ceiling. “The Last Judgement” was painted on the altar wall of the chapel and features more than 400 characters, including a self-portrait of Michelangelo as St. Bartholomew after he’d been skinned alive.
These life-sized recreations allow for an experience completely separate from the original experience in Vatican City.
“What this does is it compliments that experience,” Biallas said. “Because now you can see them in a way that you cannot see them over there. That in itself is an interactive experience.”
You can take a trip to Rome at the Oakbrook Center through Aug. 15. Get additional details on the exhibit here.
Follow Angel Idowu on Twitter: @angelidowu3
Angel Idowu is the JCS Fund of the DuPage Foundation Arts Correspondent.
