Restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes paintings as if we had been given the chance of being present when they were first shown." Other writers were less flattering. Andrew Wordsworth of "The Independent", London, expressed the major point of concern: This crucial matter was also emphasised by Beck and defined in very clearly expressed terms on the website of the artist, Peter Layne Arguimbau. That part of the restoration in the Sistine Chapel which has caused the most concern is the ceiling, painted by Michelangelo. The emergence of the brightly coloured Ancestors of Christ from the gloom sparked a reaction of fear that the processes being
Restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes have been predicted by previous restorers. One of the major dangers to the frescoes is automotive exhaust, and they are also vulnerable to the effects of the crowds of tourists that pass through the chapel every day, bringing with them heat, humidity, dust and bacteria (the latter of which can biodegrade paints and pigments). The clean plaster surfaces are more in danger from these destructive elements than they were when they were covered with a layer of smoky wax. Previously, the Sistine Chapel's only ventilation was from its windows in the upper level of the walls. To prevent exhaust fumes