Sistine Chapel ceiling from the early church, the ceiling also has elements that express the specifically Renaissance thinking that sought to reconcile Christian theology with the philosophy of Renaissance Humanism. During the 15th century in Italy, and in Florence in particular, there was a strong interest in Classical literature and the philosophies of Plato, Socrates and other Classical writers. Michelangelo, as a young man, had spent time at the Humanist academy established by the Medici family in Florence. He was familiar with early Humanist-inspired sculptural works such as Donatello's bronze "David" and had himself responded by carving the enormous nude marble "David", which
Assumption of the Virgin (Cerasi Chapel) a form which owed much of its perfection to the model of Raphael. This idealization provided the necessary reminder of the supernatural nature of the event, despite the obvious visual conviction of natural form and three-dimensional space." Assumption of the Virgin (Cerasi Chapel) The Assumption of the Virgin () by Annibale Carracci is the altarpiece of the famous Cerasi Chapel in the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome. The large panel painting was created in 1600-1601. The artwork is somewhat overshadowed by the two more famous paintings of Caravaggio on the side walls of the chapel: "The Conversion