Family Tree Surprises

 

Whilst researching my family tree I have discovered another of my famous ancestors. His name was Deacon Quentin Al Fresco and he lived at the same time as Michelangelo when he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Originally, the Pope at the time wanted the ceiling painted light blue. But Quentin Al Fresco, who considered himself an art connoisseur, hired Michelangelo to do the job and commissioned the paintings we know and love today.

At first Michelangelo was reluctant, saying that it would take too long to paint such a high ceiling needing scaffolding and ladders and lying on his back all the time. But Deacon Quentin convinced him otherwise.

He explained that he could draw the painting in pencil first and then by painting with numbers he could easily fill in the various bits with the same numbers and hey presto we would have a wonderful masterpiece hanging over our heads.

Michelangelo was not convinced especially since he suffered from vertigo; a condition he got from eating some dodgy lobsters. But Quentin Al Fresco suggested that there was no need for scaffolding and ladders. All Michelangelo had to do, is dip the paintbrush in the appropriate paint pot according to the colour indicated by the numbers and then jump high on a trampoline and fill in the bits of the drawing on the ceiling. Every time he jumped high in the air he would paint a different bit of the drawing.

Michelangelo tried it and fell off the trampoline breaking his arm.

Undeterred Quentin tried something else. He gave the masterpiece painter a brush thirty feet long and suggested he paints the ceiling by just standing solid on terra firma. The painter had difficulty dipping the brush in the paint pots. Apart from all the mess he made spilling paint everywhere, every time he tried to lower the brush into the pot, the long handle poked someone in the eye.

But Quentin was resolute and taught Michelangelo to ride a unicycle, or mono-cycle. You know ... those contraptions with one wheel, a long metal tube and a seat on top. Only this one had a tube thirty feet long. Eventually, with assistants holding on to the bike, Michelangelo managed to finish painting the Sistine Chapel. But not before he fell several times breaking a collar bone, three ribs, and a jar of vino he had in his pocket.

These days we celebrate Michelangelo for the famous painting of the Sistine Chapel; but the true hero, Quentin Al Fesco has long been forgotten.