Megan Garey
Art-105
Dr. Exline
25, November 2014
Michelangelo: His Life and Major Works
Michelangelo Buonarotti, better known by simply his first name, was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the High Renaissance. He was born in Caprese, Italy in 1475, and from a very young age Michelangelo was gifted in the arts. Michelangelo grew up in Florence, Italy, where his father worked for the government. Florence is considered the heart of the Italian Renaissance and it was here that Michelangelo flourished as an artist (Website).
Michelangelo’s mother died when he was only six years old. This tragedy followed suit with the difficult life young Michelangelo led. He did not receive much affection from his family, and as a result was a …show more content…
The ceiling is a complex network of paintings depicting various biblical scenes and figures. It is a fresco, meaning that Michelangelo applied the pigment to wet plaster. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling by Pope Julius II. During the creation of the ceiling’s painting, Michelangelo had his work covered, and refused to show anyone but the pope what it looked like. The pope urged Michelangelo to work quickly and frequently came to check on its progress. This was enough pressure to make Michelangelo uncover the ceiling before it was finished. Michelangelo’s work on the ceiling was so beautiful that it even influenced the style of another very famous artist, Raphael, who was also doing work within the Vatican (WEBSITE). Featured in the center of the work are nine sections depicting stories from Genesis, twelve Prophets and Sibyls on thrones, eight sections which depict the Ancestors of Christ, and four sections showing the salvation of the people of Israel (website 5). The entire work took Michelangelo five years to complete, and he did so reluctantly, as he saw himself as a sculptor rather than a painter. Michelangelo so detested working on the ceiling that he even wrote a poem about how miserable the experience made him. In order to pain the ceiling, Michelangelo had to paint above his head on wooden scaffolds. Remaining in this position for extended periods of time caused him immense physical discomfort and pain. This all led to Michelangelo’s affirmation that he was meant to sculpt, not to paint. However, despite his own personal feelings, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has remained in excellent condition for over five hundred years and is arguably one of the most famous and classic works of the Italian Renaissance (website 6). Like many of Michelangelo’s other works, he drew inspiration for the Sistine Chapel ceiling from ancient classics. Themes
Art-105
Dr. Exline
25, November 2014
Michelangelo: His Life and Major Works
Michelangelo Buonarotti, better known by simply his first name, was a sculptor, painter, architect and poet of the High Renaissance. He was born in Caprese, Italy in 1475, and from a very young age Michelangelo was gifted in the arts. Michelangelo grew up in Florence, Italy, where his father worked for the government. Florence is considered the heart of the Italian Renaissance and it was here that Michelangelo flourished as an artist (Website).
Michelangelo’s mother died when he was only six years old. This tragedy followed suit with the difficult life young Michelangelo led. He did not receive much affection from his family, and as a result was a …show more content…
The ceiling is a complex network of paintings depicting various biblical scenes and figures. It is a fresco, meaning that Michelangelo applied the pigment to wet plaster. Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the ceiling by Pope Julius II. During the creation of the ceiling’s painting, Michelangelo had his work covered, and refused to show anyone but the pope what it looked like. The pope urged Michelangelo to work quickly and frequently came to check on its progress. This was enough pressure to make Michelangelo uncover the ceiling before it was finished. Michelangelo’s work on the ceiling was so beautiful that it even influenced the style of another very famous artist, Raphael, who was also doing work within the Vatican (WEBSITE). Featured in the center of the work are nine sections depicting stories from Genesis, twelve Prophets and Sibyls on thrones, eight sections which depict the Ancestors of Christ, and four sections showing the salvation of the people of Israel (website 5). The entire work took Michelangelo five years to complete, and he did so reluctantly, as he saw himself as a sculptor rather than a painter. Michelangelo so detested working on the ceiling that he even wrote a poem about how miserable the experience made him. In order to pain the ceiling, Michelangelo had to paint above his head on wooden scaffolds. Remaining in this position for extended periods of time caused him immense physical discomfort and pain. This all led to Michelangelo’s affirmation that he was meant to sculpt, not to paint. However, despite his own personal feelings, the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel has remained in excellent condition for over five hundred years and is arguably one of the most famous and classic works of the Italian Renaissance (website 6). Like many of Michelangelo’s other works, he drew inspiration for the Sistine Chapel ceiling from ancient classics. Themes