Sistine Chapel • Hacker News Board

Re: Sistine Chapel

#181

Post by jacquesm » Sat, May 31, 2014, 6:39 AM UTC

chrismcb wrote: post #128

pbhjpbhj wrote: post #97

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There's a better one still IMO. It's a place of worship, you're supposed to look at the images and ponder your relationship with, and position before, the Almighty Creator. If you're messing around with your camera, or others are, then you're invariably far to distracted to meditate on higher things.

So, one is only allowed to ponder your relationship before the Almighty Creator while one is in the Sistine Chapel? Or am I not supposed to be distracted by the beautiful works of art? While I appreciate the need to respect others who may want some peace and quite while worshiping, this is total hogwash. One can ponder one's relationship with their creator ANYWHERE, not just in some small made up room.

Except of course that that particular room was made for exactly that purpose.

As a total atheist I would still very much want to make room for the people who are using that place for its original purpose as opposed to me, who just comes to appreciate the work of the man that spent an appreciable part of his life creating one of our most important works of art. Even though they could do what they're doing anywhere and I could do (until I saw this link) what I'm doing only there.

Re: Sistine Chapel

#182

Post by jacquesm » Sat, May 31, 2014, 6:48 AM UTC

gknoy wrote: post #176

srean wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Upvoted. I just imagined Michaelangelo giving you a knowing nod of agreement. Not the most ergonomic surface to paint on.

Didn't he do a lot of the painting lying down?

No, he constructed a harness that allowed him to be in a mostly standing up position close to the ceiling, which meant that he was looking up most of the time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Michelangelo_painting_God....

Re: Sistine Chapel

#183

Post by jacquesm » Sat, May 31, 2014, 6:53 AM UTC

dredmorbius wrote: post #135

jacquesm wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Mankind has made the most incredible art inspired by religion. Along the same lines, Bach's Chorales and in fact quite a bit of his other work. Try this, if you feel like some really nice classical music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MC3Upv8DuRQ

Don't make that attribution error of associating the patron with the artist. Yes, religion was the primary patron of visual, sculptural, and musical arts for much of the period from the Renaissance to the Enlightenment. But it wasn't the only. And you'll find beautiful works among the secularist of the Classical and Romantic periods, say, the Pre-Raphaelites. Of whom neither the artists, models, nor subject are gener…

Pretty much all of Bach's works were dedicated to God.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soli_Deo_gloria

For Michelangelo I'm not so sure, but for Bach there is absolutely no doubt.

Re: Sistine Chapel

#184

Post by jacquesm » Sat, May 31, 2014, 6:56 AM UTC

luxpir wrote: post #172

cgore wrote: post #160

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bach was deeply religious, and not just because of some lap-dog sense of "that's who's paying the bills." He signed most of his works as "SDG", short for "Soli Deo Gloria", which roughly translates as "to God alone belongs all glory. His meaning being that any ability Bach thought he had was solely just God showing off: Bach made beautiful music, but God made Bach, and he knew it.

It's also an era-fitting and socially acceptable way to humble-brag, if I'm wearing my cynic hat.

Bach was humble enough and gifted enough that he didn't have to brag. I'm fairly sure he meant what he wrote when he did that. This is not DHH bitching about how he came in second in a car race with the better car.

During his own time Bach was not even hailed as a great composer, his genius and contributions only gained appreciation long after he died.

Re: Sistine Chapel

#185

Post by frik » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:02 AM UTC

Saint Peters VR-Tour:

http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/vr_tour/M...

more Saint Peter VR-Tours: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/san_pietro/vr_tour/i...

more Vatican VR-Tours: http://www.vatican.va/various/basiliche/index_en.html

  Special thanks to Villanova University in Pennsylvania (USA)
  for its contribution to the realization of the Virtual 
  Reality Tour of the Sistine Chapel

-- http://www.vatican.va/various/cappelle/index_sistina_en.htm

The Sistine Chapel HTML file contains some commented text:

  Photography: Chad Fahs & Paul Wilson, Villanova Department of Communication
  Stitching & Image Correction: Chad Fahs & Paul Wilson
  iOS conversion of the entire site is done courtesy of
  the Villanova Center of Excellence in Enterprise Technology
  and the Villanova Computer Science Department
  contact: Frank.Klassner@villanova.edu

Please add "(2010)" to the headline (see copyright on the chapel floor)

Re: Sistine Chapel

#186

Post by seanmcdirmid » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:06 AM UTC

Locke1689 wrote: post #13

jacquesm wrote: post #6

Very nice. In fact, almost nicer than being there (though you should do that anyway if you get the chance). Because now you can experience the details for as long as you want without a hundred other people around you who are just as annoyed at you as you are at them. I get it that a tourist complaining about tourist attractions being too crowded is total hypocrisy on my part. But at the same time what I wouldn't give…

Having tried the Oculus Rift, the potential to experience this would be incredible. Although there's nothing quite like just sitting on a worn stone bench alone in a cathedral, just the chill air around you. It often makes me wish for a non-religious religion -- just a refuge of tranquility.

> It often makes me wish for a non-religious religion -- just a refuge of tranquility.

Like Buddhism? Try chilling in a Tibetan high altitude monastery someday.

Re: Sistine Chapel

#187

Post by sheltgor » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:21 AM UTC

ArcticCelt wrote: post #3

sheltgor wrote: post #2

Having never had the opportunity to actually see this in person, yet seeing god knows how many prints, its fascinating to see the whole room in perspective and just how monumental of an artistic achievement this was. Lots of components I'd never seen that had me starting for minutes. Only thing I wish was that there was a way to zoom.

>Only thing I wish was that there was a way to zoom Use the scroll wheel on your mouse.

That... actually works.

I was using the touchpad on my laptop and it wasn't responding so I assumed it could zoom. Just tried it with my mouse and it works perfect.

Re: Sistine Chapel

#188

Post by soheil » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:26 AM UTC

that's gay!

Re: Sistine Chapel

#189

Post by huskyr » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:29 AM UTC

marcfawzi wrote: post #150

There's nothing technically novel about this. It's also kind of offensive given the mass genocide committed in the name of religion. Hacker News turning to Christian News.

This must be one of the best examples of a straw man argument i've read :)

Re: Sistine Chapel

#190

Post by kissickas » Sat, May 31, 2014, 7:40 AM UTC

nitrogen wrote: post #7

Meta comment about the panorama interface: The click+drag view control feels inverted to me. I'm curious whether I'm in the minority, though. For FPS games on PC I use normal mouse, but for console FPS games I use inverted joystick.

I assume most people do what I did, and try to look up at the ceiling immediately... showing you the copyright notice on the floor. Maybe that was intentional?

I wasn't fond about the forced orientation. If I tried to look at the paintings "above" The Creation of Man, I had to rotate, meaning four or so panels could only be viewed upside-down.