The Masters III: Michelangelo
The Masters III: Michelangelo | Part one (sculptures)
Intro: Portrait of Michelangelo
* Born in Italian town of Caprese, but grew up in Florence. Spent most of
* Spent the majority of his career in both Rome and Florence doing artwork that was commissioned by both the church and Italy's prominent families like the Medici.
* He apprenticed, learned the trade of painting and sculpture from the artist Ghirlandaio, and studied with one of donatello's student.
* He moved into Medici's house, and he proclimaed he learned how to sculpt there from the classic collection. Only for a short period
Michelangelo's Pieta, in 1500.
* A Pieta is an art piece that depicts Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus. Emphasis is on Mary here.
* Mary is an older woman by this point, and she should be smaller than the 33yr old Jesus. But in this work, she seems to be much larger, like mother in this piece, showing emphasis to his mother.
* All the folds of her fabric, show heavy burden. The pyramidal structure and composition of the structure reflects influences of older Renaissance painters--maybe Leonardo da Vinci.
* Made of stone, was carved. Starts with block of marble, and chips away at it to reveal this sculpture.
* Michelangelo wrote a lot: "It was his job as an artist to free the sculpture that was residing inside, that was bonded within that piece of stone."
* Mary has a solemn, somber, sad, yet almost at peace
* The way Christ's arm is limp, it has weight. As she holds him under his arm, her finger push against his skin, looking incredibly real.
David, 1501-1504 | Originally was to placed high atop a buttress on one of the cathedrals in Florence, but when it was completed the commission bureau of Florence said it cannot be up so high, it needs to be witnessed and appreciated. They chose to highlight at eye level in the Palazzo Vecchio, in the middle of Florence at the seat of Florentine government. May have reflected the republican era as oligarchy had been placed in exile.
* Everything is delineated. The stomach muscles end and legs begin, an s-shaped contrapposto pose forms, coming from Roman and Greek antiquity.
* Pose full of life
* 18ft tall, large piece of marble.
* His feet and hands are large (feet a bit larger), and he is high on a buttress. This buttress makes it hiim take on an optical illusion so they appear in correct proportion.
* Michelangelo might have suggested a transition from boyhood into manhood.
* David is Biblical story from old testament. Story about young man who is confronted by giant Goliath. Michelangelo depicts David as serious, anxious, has a frown. He might be contemplating if it's the right decision to fight Goliath, using a slingshot to try to fight this massive giant and his massive weaponry.
* Donatello's David is triumphant on the beheaded head of goliath, as it is an anxious piece.
* Story of David is good over evil, and some art historians connect it to republic defeat of oligarchy.
Definitions:
Pieta - An art piece that depicts Mary cradling the dead body of Jesus.
David - One of Michelangelo's most famous sculptures.
the Sistine Chapel - The most well-known chapel in Italy, famous for its architecture and artwork.
The Masters III: Michelangelo (Part Two)
The Sistine Chapel
* Ceiling. It is a chapel located in the papal residency in the Vatican, the HQ of the Catholic Church, located in Rome, Italy.
* By Michelangelo. He did not consider himself a painter, he was a sculptor. During the renaissance there was a constant debate of which was higher piece of art, sculpture or painting.
* Pope Julius II believed Michelangelo was #1 candidate for all art in papal residency.
* All of the architectural framework, marble with exception of the arches at bottom and top, none of it exists. It is all paint, fresco--paint applied to wet plaster. It is a technique called trompe l'oeil or trick or the eye.He used this to house all the different images on the ceiling, making individual frames for pieces, and architectural landscapes for people to sit in--similar to architectural niches or cut-outs.
* Michelangelo initially said he would not paint it. but the pope convinced him. He wanted him to paint a coffered ceiling, but Michelangelo said it was too easy, below him. He eventually asked for him to paint the twelve apostles, but he said it wasn't complicated enough. Finally, the pope gave him free reign to make the masterpiece. Michelangelo got the tutoring of professors of theology to fully recreate the scenes. It was a narrative story starting on the left middle, ending at right middle above the entrance of the chapel. Starts with the creation story of the world, then into the creation of man, then of woman, then temptation and expulsion from Paradise, then downfall of man, then great fall of man in Noah's ark.
* he implored the help of some assistants.
* Ceiling was blue ceiling with stars on it at the time.
The creation of Adam
* God is in heavenly orb surrounded by angels.
* The two figures fit into each other like puzzle piece. Michelangelo emphasizes the Christian beliefs that man is made out of or in the image of God. Their two fingers are not touching, leaving anticipation and sense of energy.
* Figures are very bold. Similar to many artists' direction in high renaissance period
Later Sculpture
* The old sacristy was by Brunelleschi. But the Medici family commissioned Michelangelo to paint the new sacristy, in the Sistine chapel.
* References the architecture of classical times: large fluted columns, Corinthian columns, pediments over the windows, rounded arches, use of Pietra Serena--architectural details are done in a dark heavy gray stone, in contrast to white background to make them stand out.
Served as a mausoleum for the Medici family
* Was never fully completed
Final
* Moses sculpture
* He was around for 90 years as an artist and died in 1564.