Return to Glory

Darkened by centuries of grime and soot, Michelangelo’s paintings in the Sistine Chapel were cleaned in a painstaking process that began in the 1979 and lasted thirteen years - three times longer than it took Michelangleo to paint the ceiling. This 50-minute video documents the laborious cleaning process that brought Michelangelo’s frescoes back to their original glory.

If you’ve ever been curious about the process of restoration - its complications and complexities - than Return to Glory is for you. It provides a close-up look at the processes that were used by art conservators as they sponge-bathed each and every massive figure on the Sistine Ceiling. And it documents exciting discoveries made in the process. Splendidly colored figures formerly hidden by layers of dirt and grime emerge before your eyes.

Likewise, if it’s Michelangelo’s amazing capacity to render the human body that interests you, than this is a documentary film that you won’t want to miss. You can’t get this close to the Sistine Ceiling in a visit to the Vatican Museums, and you can’t begin to see the details that this video highlights - including a figure that bears Michelangelo’s hand print!

Return to Glory is currently out of print, but you’ll find copies in many public and university libraries. And, with a careful search, you’ll discover that there are some used copies floating around the internet.

Nippon Television Network Corporation, 1996. Distributed by CCC of America, Inc.