Michelangelo and the popes ceiling is a 2002 book written by ross king a canadian novelist and non fiction writerit won nominations in 2003 for the governor generals literary award canada and the national book critics circle award. Michelangelo and the popes ceiling recounts the four extraordinary years michelangelo spent laboring over the vast ceiling while the power politics and personal rivalries that abounded in rome swirled around him battling against ill health financial difficulties domestic problems the popes impatience and a bitter rivalry with the . Michelangelo and the popes ceiling recounts the four extraordinary years michelangelo spent laboring over the vast ceiling while the power politics and personal rivalries that abounded in rome swirled around him battling against ill health financial difficulties domestic problems the popes impatience and a bitter rivalry with the . The story of michelangelos struggle to obey a pope and paint a fresco on a ceiling though he always considered himself a sculptor makes for a dramatic book the author shares the story sequentially as michelangelo slowly makes his way across the ceiling over a four year period and intertwines this story with the story of the pope and his . Ross kings historical work michelangelo and the popes ceiling begins in 1508 around the time that pope julius ii was head of the catholic church michelangelo had been newly commissioned by julius to paint the ceiling of the recently renovated sistine chapel