Michelangelo

Michelangelo Biography

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6th, 1475. While he was born in Caprese, Italy, his family relocated to Florence when he was a baby. He was not known for being much of a scholar as a child; instead, he was more interested in painting and drawing.

Michelangelo became an apprentice to painter Domenico Ghirlandaio when he was thirteen. Ghirlandaio exposed him to fresco painting, which is essentially a way to paint a mural on wet plaster.

Michelangelo studied sculpture in the Medici family's Garden of Palazzo as a teenager. The Medicis were the ruling family in Florence at the time. Studying in the palace gardens exposed him to many people in the elite social class. He met scholars, poets, and humanists. He was also allowed to examine cadavers to learn about human anatomy. It is thought that experience influenced his artistic style.

While living in the Medici home, he worked with Bertoldo di Giovanni, a reputable sculptor. Political turmoil broke out when Michelangelo's sponsor, Lorenzo de Medici, died. Michelangelo left to study in Bologna before returning to Florence in 1495. This was when he began working as a sculptor. While living in Bologna, he was commissioned to complete the carving of the Tomb of St. Dominic.

Upon returning to Florence, he completed two statues, St. John the Baptist and the Cupid. Following Cupid, Michaelangelo crafted a sculpture of Bacchus.

In 1498 Michelangelo was commissioned to sculpt "The Pieta," which features the body of Jesus down from the cross being held by the Virgin Mary. It was made out of one piece of marble. This sculpture is currently on display in St. Peter's Basilica. In 1501 he was asked to sculpt young David from the Old Testament. This seventeen-foot sculpture is currently on display at the Galleria dell'Accademia.

In 1505, Pope Julius II commissioned a sculpted tomb, complete with 40 life-sized statues. This was a complicated project that Michelangelo worked on for a long time. In 1508, Pope Julius commissioned the painting of the Sistine Chapel.

From 1520 to 1527, Michelangelo worked on the inside of the Medici Chapel in Florence. This was followed up by designing the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, a sculpture of Moses completed in 1515, a painting called The Last Judgement (1534), and sculptures entitled Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk (1533).

Fig. 2: The Creation of David.

Beginning in the late 1530s, Michelangelo started writing poems. He wrote over 300 poems, many of which were sonnets and madrigals. Most of the poems were written for close friends.

In 1534, Michelangelo left Florence to move to Rome permanently. Michelangelo died in 1564 after a bout of illness. He was 88 years old. Now he is buried at the Basilica di Santa Croce.

Michelangelo's Sculptures

Most of his remaining sculptures are made from Carrara marble, the prime material of the Italian Renaissance sculpture. Let's examine his most representative works briefly.

The Pieta

In 1849, Michelangelo was working as a sculptor in Rome. A visiting French cardinal, acting as a representative of King Charles VII to the Pope, commissioned a statue that would later be known as "The Pieta." Cardinal Jean de Bilheres wanted a sculpture for his future tomb. "The Pieta" was supposed to depict the body of Jesus in the lap of the Virgin Mary. It is currently on display in St. Peter's Basilica.

Fig. 3: The Pieta.

David

In 1501 he was commissioned to sculpt a seventeen-foot-tall sculpture of David from the Old Testament of the Bible. Experts consider it to be perfect. Currently, "David" is in Florence at the Galleria dell'Accademia.

David is significant because it demonstrates Michelangelo's detailed knowledge of anatomy.

Fig. 4: David

Michelangelo's Paintings

Michelangelo's influences were not only artists like Ghirlandaio and Sandro Botticelli. Philosophers like Picco della Mirandolla also had a crucial influence on his work, especially in his painting of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel.

The Sistine Chapel

In 1805, Michelangelo was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. At this point, Michelangelo was known for his marble sculptures, not for his painting. However, the Sistine Chapel changed that.

The painting of the Sistine Chapel began in 1508 and concluded in 1512. Michelangelo used the space to depict several scenes from the Old Testament of the Bible. It starts with the Creation of the World and ends with Noah and the Flood.

To paint the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo painted the molding and statues onto the fresco. He used grey coloring to give the idea that they were created of concrete. The painted molding and statues created frames for the Old Testament scenes. The frames were used to depict not only people and prophets from the Old Testament but also portraits of popes. He also depicted pagan sibyls.

Fig. 5: The Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo Summary

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in March of 1475. He was born in Caprese, but his family moved to Florence when he was an infant. It was in Florence that he went to school. However, he wasn't much of a scholar. He was more interested in art. As a young teen, Michelangelo became an apprentice to painter Domenico Ghirlandaio before studying sculpture in the Medici family's Palazzo Gardens.

Michelangelo began sculpting, creating masterpieces from single pieces of marble. He was commissioned to create works of art like The Pieta and David. The Pope appointed him to paint murals also. His most famous plastic work is the fresco on the roof of the Sistine Chapel.

Later on, Michelangelo began architectural projects. He also wrote a large amount of poetry.

Michelangelo died in 1564 after a short illness. He was 88 years old.