On March 6,1475 a son was born to Ludovico Bunonarotti, governer, of a village in Italy. The boy was named Michelangelo. He died on Febuary 18, 1564. His mother died when he was very little, so his father sent him to live in the home of a stone cutter. He was born in Caprese Italy.
The stone cutter and his wife cared for him as if he was their own son. He loved to run through the stone squarries and watch men cutting blocks of marble from the side of the hill. He found charcoal one day and began to draw pictures on pieces of smooth marble. When he was ten, his father, who lived in the city of Florence, sent for him. He had to go to school. He lived with his father and four brother’s.
Michelangelo hated school and told his father he wanted to draw pictures and become a great artist. His father and brothers laughed at him and said gentlemen did not become painters and that he wouldn’t make any money. One day his father heard that a well known painter had praised his son’s paintings. He sent him to school of a famous painter named Ghirlandaio.
At thirteen he went to live at the home of his teacher and was very happy. He often helped Ghirlandaio paint his paintings. The master sometimes wondered if Michelangelo knew more of drawing then he did himself.
Michelangelo studied other artist’s works in churches. Ghirlandaio spoke to Michelangelo’s father and sent him to a school for sculptor. He studied under the ruler of Florence Lorenzo de medci. He loved to work as a sculptor and loved the mallet and chisel in his hand. Lorenzo de medci met with Michelangelo’s father and said he could be a brillant sculptor who could bring fame to Florence. He asked permission for Michelangelo to live in his palace, The Medci Palace, here he was surrounded by priceless art treasures at the age of fifteen. He learned all about greek philosophy, myths and art.
He felt he was ugly and did not take part in the gay life at the palace. He was shy and sad because of this and often angry and rude. His fellow students adored his work, but found it hard to like him. One jealous boy, Torrigiano hit Michelangelo and broke his nose. This made him even uglier. He used to visit the hospital where monks cared for the poor and used to disect and examine corpses of dead bodies. He saw how muscles and joints were connected and would draw what he saw. He was interested in the construction of human forms.
After living in Medici palace for two years with fine clothes money and a room, Lorenzo died and his son Piero became ruler of Florence. Piero allowed France to take over. Michelangelo was terror stricken. He met a rich man named Aldorrandi who admired his work and asked him to visit him. He stayed their for one year. Michelangelo carved two statues for the tomb of St. Domnic in Bologna. He was paid well. The artist’s of Bologna were jealous of him and threatened him. He was scared and sewed his money in his doublet and headed home toward Florence. His family didn’t laugh at him now for now he had money.
He hired a studio, bought marble and started to carve a sleeping cupid, He made it look old and a friend took it to Rome, sold it as an antique to a Cardinal. The Cardinal knew it was not an antique and sent for Michelangelo. Here others asked him to carve statues. He made a statue of Bacchus, the greek god of wine. Others thought he was a master and a famous banker named Gallo felt he was the greatest sculptor in Rome. He was contracted to make a famous statue called the “Pieta” (the virgin mary clothed, with the dead christ in her arms)
Michelangelo did not sleep for he got pains in his head and stomach. He ate only a piece of bread when he was hungry. His father worried about him. He worked a whole year with out stopping until the Pieta was placed in Saint Pete’s church for all to see. People couldn’t beleive how beautiful it was. He was only twenty five at this time and carved his name on it for all to see, Michelangelo Buonarotti. He then went home. He then carved The Maddona and child for two men for their church. The two men then shipped it to Flanders. It had a sad but tender face for may be he thought of his own mother, who had died so young and left her son.
Michelangelo was the most famous scluptor in Italy and best painter was Leonardo da vinci. Da vinci was 20 years older than he was. leonardo decorated a famous chamber council a wall while Michelangelo worked on the Giant. The city council then asked Michelangelo to decorate a wall of chamber. He was jealous of Leonardo is magnificient battle scene and went to work to make his wall better. This was a contest bewteen two famous artists and artists from all over came to watch the two parties. Many preferred Leonardo’s scene of blood and fury and other’s liked Michelangelo’s powerful rude figures in violent action.
Michelangelo was called by the pope so his painting never went on the wall. Pope Juliius the second had great ambition and wantedto be rembered as the glorious ruler of christian dom. He wanted Michelangelo to design a great tomb for him. Julius lost interest after much hard work by Michelangelo and never even paid him. He then returned to Florence again. He painted the ceiling of the Sistine was now known as a great sculptor and the finest painter alive to the world. He worked on the Medici tombs for ten years.
He was appointed governer general by the people of Florence and proved to be a great military engineer as well as sculptor, painter and architect. But on August 8, 1530 the government of florence ended for the Medici army took over. Michelangelo was terror stricken. He then continued his works in the tombs. His brothers and father had died and he went to Rome at age 60.
He now painted the last judgement on the walls os the Sistene chapel for five and a half years and was 65. This painting was a terrifying 300 human figures not clothed. The painted other chapel walls for the pope, one of saint paul and the other saint peter. He was then chasen by the pope to be governer and architect of saint peter’s. He knew at 72 years old, that he was to design the church of the popes of rome. He worked very hard for seventeen years and never lived to see the frame work of the dome at St Peter’s church in rome. He died in Febuary 1564, at age 89. His body was shipped to Florence.
Michelangelo died the man who created nthe mast magnifcient tombs of his age he was a mast famous sculptor, painter and famous all through out the world.
