Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 –1564) had the deconditioning syndrome while painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling

The brilliant painter, sculptor, architect and poem writer of the Italian Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarroti (Fig. 1) documented his own life, habits and diseases [1]. Between 1508 and 1512, he painted the vault of the Sistine Chapel and described his demanding work in a poem addressed to Giovanni da Pistoia. Lying supine all day on a high scaffold, his head was bent forwards using muscle contractions and support for hours with paint dripping on his face [1]. After two years (1510), he had trouble with his eyes.

Source: Medical Hypotheses - February 7, 2018 Category: Biomedical Science Authors: R. Bianucci, D. Lippi, A. Perciaccante, P. Charlier, O. Appenzeller Source Type: research