Michelangelo is often remembered as a divine genius, a sculptor of gods and ceilings, a master who rarely stumbled. But the truth is, like all great artists, Michelangelo failed—and many times! Those failures shaped his greatest works. From abandoned sculptures to rejected designs and public criticism, Michelangelo’s creative journey was riddled with detours. Instead of hiding these missteps, he used them to fuel an obsession with perfection.
Before painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling, Michelangelo had never considered himself a painter. He protested when Pope Julius II commissioned him, even attempting to flee Rome! He saw himself as a sculptor, not a fresco artist; failure wasn’t an obstacle, it was an entrance to innovation. His early ceiling sketches were scrapped. Scaffolding collapsed. Paint peeled off. And yet, what followed became one of the greatest visual achievements in human history. The masterpiece known as The Sistine Chapel.
Even his famed sculptures bore many scars of imperfection. The Pietà was criticized for making Mary appear too young. His Moses was delayed and critiqued as well. Even breathtaking David was was carved from a previously discarded block of marble that had been deemed “unusable”.
That’s a lesson we can all take to heart. And it’s the very reason SEE®—the producers behind Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel: The Exhibition®—also brought The Official Museum of Failure® to Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco.
It’s the perfect pairing.
While one show exalts creative triumph, the other celebrates the glorious missteps that pave the way to innovation. From flopped inventions like Google Glass to the misadventures of Colgate Lasagna, the Museum of Failure is a joyful, cathartic tribute to trying, even when it doesn’t work out.
So if you’re in San Francisco, don’t just walk the ceiling, dare to fall. Come fail with us. Laugh. Learn. Get inspired.
Because sometimes, your greatest masterpiece begins with a glorious mess!
