Elizabeth Lev traced the exciting historical context of the paintings of the Sistine Chapel. From its inauguration in 1480, the Sistine Chapel saw three major painting cycles over 70 years. The cycles corresponded to a major geopolitical shift—the discovery of the New World and circumnavigation of the globe—whose impact can be seen in the artwork. Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, Perugino, and of course, Michaelangelo documented the expanding worldview of the age through the visual arts, while painting for the elite body of men charged with the task of running the universal church.
