Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a Renaissance painter, sculptor, and architect. He is famous for creating the fresco ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, one of the most amazing works in all of Western art, as well as the Last Judgment over the altar, and "The Martyrdom of St. Peter" and "The Conversion of St. Paul" in the Vatican's Cappella Paolina; among his many sculptures are those of the Pieta and David, all inspiring works of art, and designs in architect such as the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475 near Arezzo, in Caprese, Tuscany, and Italy. His father, Lodovico, was the resident magistrate in Caprese; Michelangelo's mother Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena died when he was six. Although born in Caprese, The family moved back to Florence before Michelangelo was one month old. Michelangelo's father was not supportive of his love for art. He saw it as a labor job, which was for the low class of society.(Michelangelo) At the age of twelve he lived with a sculptor and his wife in the town of Settignano. It is said that this sculptor began to be jealous of Michelangelo's talent and refused to have him as his apprentice. Against his father's wishes, Michelangelo chose to be the apprentice of Domenico Ghirlandaio for three years starting in 1488. Impressed, Domenico recommended him to the ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici. From 1490 to 1492, Michelangelo attended Lorenzo's school and was influenced by many well-known people who modified and expanded his ideas on art and even his feelings about sexuality. It was during this period that Michelangelo created two reliefs: Battle of the Centaurs and

Madonna of the Steps.(Farley ,Lafort)

After the death of Lorenzo, Florence ruler in 1492, Piero de' Medici the new head of the Medici family, which was Lorenzo's oldest son, refused to support Michelangelo's artwork. Because of this, Michelangelo decided to leave Florence and stay in Bologna for three years. Soon after, Cardinal San Giorgio purchased Michelangelo's marble Cupid and summons him to Rome in 1496. Influenced by Roman ancient times, he produced the Bacchus and the PietÐ" . Four years later, Michelangelo went back to Florence where he created his most famous work of art, the marble statue David. This statue measures 18 feet tall, and is so enormous that it took 40 men to get it out of his work space. (Liebert, 72) During this time period also he painted the Holy Family of the Tribune.

Michelangelo was summoned back to Rome in 1503 by the newly chosen Pope Julius II and was asked to custom build the Pope's tomb. However, under the support of Julius II, Michelangelo had to constantly stop work on the tomb in order to accomplish numerous other tasks. The most famous of those tasks were the massive paintings on the ceiling of the Vatican's Sistine Chapel which took four years to complete from 1508 Ð'- 1512. (Liebert 146-147) All together he painted three hundred and thirty-six various figures on the Sistine ceiling, out of these works of arts three hundred thirty-five currently; still remain till this day. (Brandes, 162) Due to the many interruptions, Michelangelo worked on the tomb for 40 years and was not able to finish it.

In 1513 Pope Julius II died and his heir Pope Leo X, a Medici, commissioned Michelangelo to rebuild the exterior of the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence and to decorate it with sculptures. Michelangelo agreed unwillingly. Michelangelo spent three years creating drawings and models for the front. He also attempted to open a new marble pit at Pietrasanta specifically for the project. The exterior was project was the most stressful of his works of art. Before any real progress had been made, work had to come to an end because of money problems with the Medici's. Not being the least embarrassed by these financial issues, the Medici later went back to Michelangelo with another big offer, this time for a family funerary chapel at the church of San Lorenzo. Fortunately, this project kept Michelangelo occupied for much of the 1520s and 1530s was more fully realized. Though still incomplete, it is the best example we have of the integration of the artist's sculptural and architectural