Smarthistory – Who was Michelangelo_

Who was Michelangelo?

  • Full Name: Michelangelo Buonarrotti

  • Time Period: Italian Renaissance

  • Roles: Painter, sculptor, architect, poet

  • Nickname: "Il Divino" (The Divine One)

  • Reputation: Considered his artworks to possess terribilità, often interpreted as powerfulness.

  • Cultural Impact: Mythologized, emulated by artists, celebrated by humanists, and patronized by nine popes.

  • Portrayals: Over 100 portraits created during the 16th century.

  • Primary Sources: More letters written by Michelangelo survive than any other historical artist, making him one of the most documented artists of all time.

Early Life

  • Family Connections: Success attributed to ties with the Medici family.

  • Training: Learned carving under Bertoldo di Giovanni in the Medici sculpture garden. Began formal training at 13 in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio.

  • Artistic Passion: Preferred sculpting; signed his correspondence as "Michelangelo Sculptor."

  • Anatomy Studies: Conducted dissections to learn anatomy, pushing boundaries of artistic dedication.

Notable Works

St. Peter’s Pietà

  • Commission: For the tomb of Cardinal Bilhères de Lagraulas.

  • Process: Required selecting the perfect marble, took six months in quarries.

  • Fame: Displayed in Old St. Peter's Basilica; initially signed only work.

David

  • Commission: For the Duomo in Florence, reused previous failed marble piece.

  • Execution: Completed the colossal statue in two years; placed outside the Palazzo Signoria.

Sistine Chapel Ceiling

  • Commission: By Pope Julius II.

  • Narrative: Depicts nine Genesis stories, including the Creation of Adam.

  • Technique: Shifted from traditional cartoon methods to freehand.

Last Judgment

  • Commission: By Pope Paul III, painted from 1535 to 1541.

  • Impact: Influenced future artists’ reliance on his dynamic representations of the human form.

Later Life and Legacy

  • Final Projects: Architectural focus in Rome, including the Capitoline Hill and St. Peter's Basilica renovations.

  • Personal Views: Despite connections with the Medici, held republican ideals; left Florence in 1534.

  • Death: Continued sculpting until his death in 1564.

  • Cultural Recognition: Efforts fundamentally influenced the elevation of the artist's status and creativity in art history.

  • Legacy: Regarded as the father of arts, widely admired from his time to modernity.