Michelangelo did not paint the ceiling lying down

Cinema created a comfortable myth about one of art’s most uncomfortable jobs.

Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling while standing on wooden platforms built high above the floor.

He bent his head backwards for hours, and a humorous poem described the physical pain of the work.

The four-year project demanded balance, stamina and painting skill on a monumental scale.

The detail changes the usual picture of Michelangelo. A famous life can look inevitable from a distance, but close up it is built from experiments, accidents and small decisions.

Creative work can transform physical limits and ordinary objects into a new language.