The Age of Renaissance 1420-1600

Statue of David c. 1501-1504 / Creation of Adam c. 1510

Accademia, Florence / Sistine Chapel ceiling Rome

Michelangelo was and Italian painter, sculptor and poet, one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance and a forerunner of Mannerism. He was raised in Florence, where he trained briefly under Ghirlandaio. Soon his obvious talent brought him to the notice of important patrons. By 1490, he was producing sculpture for Larenzo di Medici and, a few years later he began his long association with the papacy.

Michelangelo’s fame proved a double-edged sword. He was often inveigled into accepting huge commissions, which either lasted years or went unfinished. The most notorious of these projects was the Tomb of Julius II, which occupied the artist for over 40 years. Michelangelo always considered himself primarily a sculptor and he was extremely reluctant to take on the decoration of the Sistine Chapel. Fortunately he was persuaded, and the resulting frescoes are among the greatest creations in western art. The ceiling alone took four years (1508-1512), while the last Judgment (1536-1541) was added later on the altar wall. In these, Michelangelo displayed the sculptural forms and the awesome power, which made him the most revered artist of his time.

Michelangelo: Born 1475 Italy. Died 1564