The typical stereotype of artists of the past, is a lonely, tormented outsider, who creates his art through his pain and anguish. Well Michelangelo was just that. In fact the stereotype is modeled after him. He was an unsociable loner who didnt have many friends, lovers, or even assistants to help him. His temper and rudeness drove others away from him and kept him lonely. However, even though he was not the most likeable or social guy, he still produced some of the most amazing artwork ever!
In fact, although he was lonely and tortured, out of all the artists to have ever lived, Michelangelo Buonarrati is one of the most prominent ever, and possibly the best. Although Michelangelo was born March 6 1475 in Caprice, Tuscany, his dad and himself always considered him a son of Florence. He was born of Ludovicio Buonarroti, his father, and Francesca Neri, his mother. However, Michelangelo never mentioned or credited his mother, for she was too sick and frail to nurse him and died when he was only six. As a result he was placed with a wet Nurse in a family of stone cutters. This is where he had his first dreams of being an artist.
Because Michelangelo had a grim and unaffectionate childhood, he tended to keep to himself and created a lack of trust with his peers. Nonetheless, his father recognized his intelligence and sent him to the school of Francesco Galeoto. While there, he studied Latin principles and made friends with Francesco Granacci, who convinced him to follow his own artistic vocation. He then apprenticed under Domencio Ghirlandaio at the age of thirteen after learning the art of fresco. A year later he at the sculpture school in the Medici gardens and soon after was invited to the household of Lorenzo de Medici, the Magnificent.
There he met two younger Medici who would later become Pope Leo X and Pope Clement VII(www. Michelangelo. com). He also produced his first sculpting, The Rape of Dejanira(Benetss) During his years of study at the gardens of San Marco, he studied human movement and anatomy, from corpses. By the age of sixteen he had already produced two relief sculptures, The Battle of the Centaurs and The Madonna of the Stairs. Both of which exhibited his own personal style that he was developing. After the death of Lorenzo, Michelangelo moved to Rome to study ruins and unearthed classical statues.
He did this because Savonarola, the new head of Florence, had created stricter laws on art and burned anything that was considered incompatible with the faith. Then from 1496-1498, while in Rome, he produced Bacchus, his first large scale sculpture and one of his few pagan works. At about the same time, he also produced one of his most famous works of art, the Pieta, which was finished before he was 25. In the Pieta he shows his influences from fifteenth century artists such as Donatello, while also combining them with the new Renaissance style(cgfa). It depicts the Virgin Mary seated majestically holding the dead Christ across her lap.
Furthermore, this is his only signed piece of work ever. And is so because he overheard a pilgrim say that Cristoforo Solari created it. So that night in a fit of rage, Michelangelo inscribed Michel Angelus bonarotus florent facibat, saying Michelangelo Buonarrati, Florentine, made this. Although he later resented this and swore to never sign any of his work again. In 1501 a republic was once again brought to Florence, which received Michelangelos full support. Twelve days after the republic was formed, the Arte della Lana or wool guild commissioned Michelangelo to sculpt a statue of David.
The masterpiece that he produced from 1501-1504 was a very Greek or Romanesque style, except for its large size and angry defiant facial expressions(scholastic art). Michelangelo expressed his patriotic feelings through David and also used him as a model of heroic courage. After he finished it he quoted I insisted that the figure should stand of our republic. I had my way. Although he was delighted with his new piece and was well recieved for it, his personality never lightened up. His temper was still wild, and Pope Julius II said he is terrible, as you see, you can do nothing with him.
In fact it was his rude manners, touchiness and difficult character that kept him from having any pupils or permanent assistants. While still working on the David Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Battle of Cascina. Which was to be placed in the Sala dei Cinquecento of the Palazzo Vecchio opposite of Leonardo Da Vinchis Battle of Anghiari. After completing the David Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to produce his tomb in 1505. He enthusiastically accepted the challenging task, which was to have more than 40 figures.
However the Pope told him to wait on the tomb, so that Michelangelo could paint the Sistine Chapel. He would then finish the tomb in 1515, after completing the Sistine Chapel. Some of his finest sculptings came from the tomb, including the Moses, the Bound Slave and the Dying Slave, even though he redesigned it on a more modest scale. In April of 1508 Michelangelo was summoned back to Rome by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo at first declined the invitation but eventually agreed to do it. So in May of 1508 he started the preparatory designs, but didnt actually start to paint until fall.
However things werent going ad he wanted, so he fired all of his assistants and started his painting over in January of 1509. He finished it in 1512, but was forced to prematurally unveil it in 1511. Initially though, it was only supposed to consist of twelve figures of apostles and some decorations. However it featured nine scenes from the Book of Genesis including God sperating Light from darkness,the Creation of Adam and Eve, the Temptation and fall of Adam and Eve, and the Flood. These were surrounded by alternating images of prophets and sibyls on marble thrones, other Old Testament subjects and ancestors of Christ.
The awesome images that he created on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel demonstrated his understanding of human anatomy and movement and also changed the course of painting in the West, by leaving such great impressions on the artists of the time and of ones to come. Although this was the defining point of Michelangelos career, it was emotionally and physically torturing for him. After mastering the arts of painting and sculpting, Michelangelo decided to try architecture. In 1519 he created the plan for the facade of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. He then designed the Laurentain library in the 1520’s.
As the Medici were driven out of Florence in 1526, Florence was once again proclaimed a republic. Unfortunately for Michelangelo, he was forced to stop all work, and was asked by the new government to help plan their defenses in 1528. On January 10 1529, he became a member of the nine man body in charge of the cities forces. His plans were successful in defending the hill of San Miniato and the companile of the Romanesque church. In spite of this, Michelangelo thought that it was inevitable before the city was taken, so he fled Venice. At first he was considered a traitor and was exiled, but was eventually allowed back in.
And while in Florence he was also commissioned to do the Medici tombs. These tombs were of a completely new design, he wanted to accesory forms and only the statues were to express his souls thoughts. He removed Christian tradition in order to portray humanity to our eyes. The statues were Dawn, Dusk, Day and Night and were to represent the suffering of mankind. In 1534 Mivhelangelo left Florence forever. Shortly before Pope Clement VIIs death, he commissioned Michelangelo to paint the Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel. The painting was finished in 154, but even before it was done, was the target of massive criticism.
As typical of Michelangelos art, all of the figures were nude, but later prudish draperies were added by another artist. However, the fresco was the largest of the Renaissance which portrays Judgement Day. Where Christ, with a clap of thunder puts into seperation, the souls of the saved on the left and the souls of the damned on the right. Before he had started the Last Judgement, he had met Vittoria Calonna, a poetess. Over time a strong friendship developed that eventually led to love. The two wrote poems and sonnets to each other constantly, and also planned the construction of the monastery on the hills of Quirinal.
Unfortunately for him, she died in 1547. Continuing with his architecture, he designed the Campidoglio along with St. Peters Basilica, his best piece of architecture, where he became the chief architect in 1546. Which may have been his greatest responsibility ever, since he believed he was destined by God to do it. Furthermore he would accept no payment for this monumental task. Towards the end of his life Michelangelo was a sad and lonely man, as most of his friends had already died. During this period he drew the Crucifixtion and the Lament over the dead Christ, and sculpted the Florentine Pieta, which was carved fro his own tomb.
Growing dissatisfied with it he attacked it with a hammer and chisel, and broke off a leg and arm of Christ and a hand Mary. Michelangelo then died on February 18 of 1564 after a slow fever. According to Vasseri, he made his will in three sentences in front of his physician and friends. Saying that he left his soul to God, his body to earth and his possesions to his nearest relations. His dead body was put in a sarcophagus in San Apostli Church , but then after a few days his nephew took his corpse to Santa Croce, where he asked to be buried(CGFA). The citizens of Florence turned out in large numbers to pay their respects to his dead body.