Who is Michelangelo?
Born in Caprese Italy, the well known Michelangelo began his love for art at an early age. After his father's business failed, his family moved to Florence where he studied fresco painting under Domenico Ghirlandaio for three years. His passions then grew and he started to study classical sculpture, which influenced his style the most, under Lorenzo de' Medici for two years. After Lorenzo's death, he went to Bologna to continue his studies before returning back to Florence.
He was born March 6, 1475 and died February 18, 1564. You can visit his tomb at the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Michelangelo was the first artist to revolutionalize western art with his skills in architecture, painting, and sculpting. Bringing both emotions and anatomy together with such detail, creating realistic pieces. His work in architecture heavily influenced renaissance and baroque design.
Learn more about the Life and Works of Michelangelo
Estimated Time: 2 Days
Locations:
-
The Pieta
-
Sistine Chapel Ceiling & The Last Judgement
-
St. Peter's Dome
-
Statue of Moses
-
The Campidoglio
-
Resurrected Christ
-
The David
This statue is of Mother Mary holding her deceased son Jesus tenderly. What makes this statue different is the way Michelangelo decided to sculpt Jesus. In this piece of art Jesus is not seen with any signs of suffering, but appears unscathed symbolizing his innocence and purity. His Mother holding him in his arms lets us see her love and compassion for her son. Located in Saint Peter's Basilica.
See Locations & Videos
Sistine Chapel Ceiling (1508-1512)
Michelangelo began his work on the ceiling in 1508 for Pope Julius II. The Pope originally had asked Michelangelo to paint a geometric ornament, and place the twelve apostles in spandrels around the decoration, but the artist had other ideas. He proposed the idea of creating the Old Testament on the ceiling. As you can see, Michelangelo changed the Pope's mind. After working on the ceiling for three years, Michelangelo took a year long break from working on this project due to the emotional and physical exhaustion. When he came back, he painted one of the most famous frescoes, the creation of Adam.
The Last Judgment (1536-1541)
The Last Judgment was painted two decades after Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel Ceiling when he was 67 years old. The painting illustrates the end of the world representing to us both the merciful and judgmental side of God.
See Locations & Videos
Saint Peter's Dome (1590)
Completion of one of the largest domes in the world involved many architects over the years. Michelangelo and the others took inpiration from the Pantheon and Saint Paul's Cathedral in London (latter built after Michelangelo's time). The dome is designed as a double-shell structure, with an inner and outer layer. They made the outer shell with bricks, while the smaller inner shell, is supported by a series of intricate ribs and arches. This innovative use of pendentives (curved triangles) to support the dome, allowed for the creation of a vast open interior space. Sadly, Michelangelo did not live to see the completion of the dome.
See Locations & Videos
The statue of Moses is another great representation of Michelangelo combining both anatomy and human emotion in one. He did every little thing on purpose when it came to his art, from the muscles showing not only his physical strength but also symbolizing internal strength. To the frowns on his face, we see the pressure he must have felt to do God's will. On his side, the ten commandments are being held, and each foot is placed in a way that shows he is about to stand up and bring the commandments to the Israelites. One could also argue that his face expression lets us know that he is angry with the Israelites when he sees them worshipping the golden cow. Located at Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli.
See Location & Videos
The Campidoglio (1536-1546)
In ancient Rome, the Campidoglio was the center of Rome's religious and political life, the temples and the government resided there. Yet during the Middle Ages, the area became less significant as the power of the Roman Empire died down. In 1536, Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to redesign it as a way to reassert papal power. The aim was to create a monumental, well-organized space to match the importance of the location.
See Locations & Videos
Resurrected Christ in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva (1519-1521)
This statue of Jesus shows Him standing up holding the cross, symbolizing victory over death. The sculpture was commissioned by Cardinal Girolamo Riario for his tomb, though it ultimately became part of the chapel of the Resurrection in Santa Maria Sopra Minerva. The statue was one of his last sculptures before his work in the Vatican.
See Locations & Videos
Many of us remember the story of David and Goliath, the battle itself, and of David's victory. However, Michelangelo wanted to showcase David beforehand. He conveyed his individual strength, faith, and confidence prior to facing Goliath. Michelangelo found the importance in strength solely found in faith and gave that representation to us through his David.