Michelangelo

2 Pages 545 Words

Michelangelo was born in 1475 in Caprese, Italy. He considered himself a citizen of Florence and requested that his body be buried there upon his death, which it was in 1564. If between these years, Michelangelo made his mark upon are through his painting, sculpture, architecture, and even poetry to become one of the greatest artists on of all time. At age 13 he began studying with the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio, best known for his frescos in the Sistine Chapel depicting the calling of the first apostles, Peter and Andrew. After 2 years with Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo moved on to the Medici gardens where he learned sculpture. The Medici were one of the ruling families of Florence and he became acquainted with two future popes, Leo X and Clement VII.
The early style of Michelangelo is best portrayed by his statue of David, of David and Goliath fame, which he produced from 1501 to 1504 in Florence. The fiery intensity clearly visible on David’s face is a trademark of both Michelangelo’s work as well as his personality and work ethic.
Shortly after completing David, Michelangelo was recalled to Rome for two commissions by Pope Julius II. The first of these was Julius’ actual tomb, which was planned to be the most grandiose tomb of its day. Some of Michelangelo’s finest sculpture work is shown here, including the statue of Moses, the Bound Slave, and the Dying Slave. The second commission for which Michelangelo was recalled was perhaps his most famous painting work ever, the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. Here he lay face up on scaffolding high above the floor of the chapel and painted from 1508 until 1512. Most notable on the ceiling are the 9 scenes from the book of Genesis, the opening chapter of the Bible. These scenes include God creating darkness and light as well as Adam and Eve and the Flood. These scenes are surrounded by numerous other old testament subjects as well as the ancestors of Jesus Chri...