Michelangelo

Introduction

Michelangelo was a great artist who lived during the Renaissance. He considered himself first a sculptor but was also an architect, poet and painter. His greatest works include the Pieta, David and the Sistine Chapel Ceiling.Michelangelo was born March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy. He became an apprentice to a painter then later studied in the Medici family sculpture garden. Michelangelo considered himself an Florentine but lived most of his life in Rome. He died there in 1564 at the age of 88.

The Pieta and David

In 1498 Michelangelo received a commission from French cardinal Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas. The cardinal wanted Michelangelo to create a statue that showed a draped Virgin Mary with her dead son resting in her arms. It was to be a Pieta to grace the cardinal's future tomb. The masterpiece was 69 inches tall and had two delicate figures carved from marble. Today it still continues to draw many visitors.

In 1501 Michelangelo and was payed to make a huge male figure from marble to enhance Florence’s Duomo. Two other sculptors had attempted to and abandoned the project of making a statue of David. Michelangelo chose to depict the young David in the Old Testament. The statue was to be 17 feet tall so it was literally larger than life. Scholars consider the statue to be technically perfect.

Portrait