Michelangelo Buonarroti
By Nathan Raike
In the Beginning
- Born on the 6th of March, 1475 in Caprese, Italy a suburb of Florence
- He and his family spent a majority of their lives in Caprese because of his father's government post in the town. His mother died when he was 6.
- After finishing grammar school, Michelangelo was apprenticed by famed artist Domenico Ghirlandaio; his apprenticeship was different in which no reasoning behind Ghirlandaio's choice has been proposed. Michelangelo's time with this artist was short lived and he soon left his master.
- His general lifestyle was artistically based, in his youth, Michelangelo was given the rare opportunity to visit a vast collection of Roman sculptures by the "ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici" (Gilbert 1).
- Michelangelo aspired to become a well known painter and sculpture
- In Florence the Medici family were the known patrons for upcoming artists, this is the same for Michelangelo
- With the Renaissance came the developments of the "universal man", majority of Michelangelo's works followed a very Humanistic approach, this can be seen in the free standing nudes because of there approach to showing the genuine positives of every man
The Works of Michelangelo
David
The "David", was constructed upon Michelangelo's return to Florence in the year 1501. Today this free standing nude statue can be seen in the Academia museum. This statue promotes Michelangelo's humanistic ideals with the depiction of a strong young man( which shows his human advantages). I find this piece interesting because of the fact that it is one of the most viewed pieces of art, behind the Mona Lisa. This statue is significant because it is one of the first free standing nudes to be created during the early Renaissance. This is a work of humanism do to its approach to the ultimate man.
The Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel was painted over a 3 year span of time between 1501- 1504 AD. The plethora panels of art can still be seen today in the Chapel itself in Italy. The artwork of the Chapel describes the importance of God but as well as the changes that were occurring in the art community. The fact of the matter is that Michelangelo incorporated Humanistic ideals that are demonstrated in the plethora of nudes, perceptive and design. I found this piece interesting because it encases the entire ceiling of a church. This particular piece was significant because it offered the desired human traits as well as the importance of God in frames of art that can still be seen today.
The Final Judgment
"The Final Judgement", was painted in the years 1536-1541 AD. This particular piece's significance was that-much like the works in the Sistine Chapel- it covered an entire wall surface. This piece is very important because it brought back the ideals that were represented during the early Middle "Dark" Ages, this being that God is the savior and that if one didn't worship him, that particular person would find themselves in Hell. I found this piece of art interesting because of the incorporation of Medieval ideals in an era of rebirth and enlightenment. "In 1534 Michelangelo left Florence... [and for] The next 10 years were mainly given over to painting for Pope Paul III... known for... organizing the Catholic Reformation...[The painting] revives a medical approach to the same theme in using an entire end wall..."(Gilbert 4-5). The piece of artwork demonstrates humanism because of its portrayal of the well being of the human being and that God can be the savior or the destroyer when it came to the end of time.
Bibliography
N.p., n.d. Web.
500th Anniversery of the Sistine Chapel. N.p., n.d. Web. <Pope Celebrates the 500th Anniversary of the Completion of the Sistine Chapel. N.p., n.d. Web.>.
"The Last Judgement.Images of a Masterpiece." Last Judgement, Michelangelo's Sistine Masterpiece. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Jan. 2013.
"Michelangelo Buonarroti." Encyclopedia of World Biography. Detroit: Gale, 1998.Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 28 Jan. 2013.
Michelangelo Self Portrait. Digital image.Http://www.abcgallery.com/M/michelangelo/venusti.html. N.p., n.d. Web.
The Sistine Chapel. Digital image. Http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20127765. N.p., n.d. Web.