Buonarroti Michelangelo
Born – Caprese, Italy 1475
Died – Rome, Italy 1564
Michelangelo was a draughtsman, sculptor, painter, poet and architect whose many talents helped to establish the Renaissance in Florence. He learnt the skill of fresco painting from Ghirlandaio to whom he was apprenticed in 1488. His genius emerged in early works such as the Piet́a of St Peter’s in Rome and a large marble David for the city of Florence. Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican in 1508. It took four years to complete. For much of this time, Michelangelo was forced to lie flat on his back, his face too close to the ceiling to facilitate a proper overview. The fresco of The Last Judgement was commissioned for the alter wall of the Sistine Chapel in 1534. This detail reveals Michelangelo’s extraordinary ability to realize the human form. The prefect muscular bodies have a sculptural weight, which is enhanced by the depth of the surrounding space. The mood and tone of this piece is altogether darker than the ceiling frescoes – it is a nightmarish vision of pandemonium, where the good are rewarded and the bad are damned.
Masterpieces:
- David
- The Creation of Adam
Text: The A-Z of Art, Nicola Hodge and Libby Anson.