The previous answers to this question are either wrong or sketchy. The movie, Agony and Ecstasy didn't come out of thin air - but out of some good research by Oliver Stone, who knows way more about the subject than anyone who has answered before. Further, there's actual scholarship (most of it used by Stone) to answer the question. So let's see an answer with citations.
This Site Might Help You. RE: How did Michelangelo paint the Sistine Chapel and what did the scaffold look like? The previous answers to this question are either wrong or sketchy. The movie, Agony and Ecstasy didn't come out of thin air - but out of some good research by Oliver Stone, who knows way more about the subject than anyone who has answered before. Further, there's actual scholarship (most...
You could go to your public library and see what books you can find on Michelangelo. I could tell you what I learned in my art history classes about it, but then I wouldn't have the citations for you. So, I'll let you do the research yourself.
When they moved to the ceiling, they likewise employed a system similar to Michelangelo's, which involved cantilevering a shelf outwards from the scaffolding to support a stepped and arched platform. The advantages of modern lightweight materials meant that the platform could be wheeled, facilitating easy movement along the length of the building rather than dismantling and replacement, as Michelangelo had done in 1506.
