On April 8, 1994, the restored ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was unveiled after more than 12 years of meticulous work. Restorers removed centuries of candle smoke, wax, dust and discolored varnish, revealing Michelangelo’s iconic Genesis scenes in an entirely new light. What viewers had known as muted, somber colors and heavy shading gave way to an intensely more colorful and and less “sculpted” fresco. Reactions were understandably mixed between joyous surprise at the bright colors and academic outrage at the loss of dimensionality.
"Daniel," before and after restoration. Public Domain
