Michelangelo(1475 — 1564)
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
République florentine
8 min read
Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor, poet, and architect (1475–1564). Michelangelo is considered one of the greatest artists of all time, author of world-famous masterpieces such as the David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling fresco.
Frequently asked questions
Famous Quotes
« I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free »
« The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection »
Key Facts
- 1504: Completion of the statue of David, a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture
- 1508–1512: Painting of the monumental fresco on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican
- 1536–1541: Execution of the Last Judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel
- 1547: Appointment as chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
- 1564: Death in Rome at the age of 88, recognized as the undisputed master of his era
Works & Achievements
A marble sculptural group depicting the Virgin Mary holding the dead Christ, housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Created at age 24, it is the only work Michelangelo ever signed.
A colossal marble statue depicting the biblical hero before his battle against Goliath. A symbol of the Florentine Republic, it is considered the masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture.
A monumental fresco covering 500 m², depicting scenes from Genesis including the famous Creation of Adam. Commissioned by Pope Julius II, it remains one of the greatest artistic achievements in history.
A marble sculpture intended for the tomb of Pope Julius II, housed in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. The power of the figure with horns — a traditional interpretation of rays of light — is striking.
A monumental fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel, painted by Michelangelo at over 60 years of age. Its dramatic vision and nudity sparked controversy from the moment it was completed.
Designed by Michelangelo as chief architect of St. Peter's, this monumental dome with a diameter of 42 metres influenced the architecture of modern Europe.
The last sculpture left unfinished by Michelangelo, worked on until his final days. Housed in Milan, it bears witness to the artist's spiritual and formal quest in the last years of his life.
Anecdotes
When Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in 1508, the artist initially refused, considering himself primarily a sculptor. He eventually accepted and worked for four years, often lying on a scaffold with his head tilted back, to the point of suffering severe pain in his neck and eyes.
At the age of 21, Michelangelo sculpted the Pietà housed in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Upon hearing visitors attribute the work to another sculptor, he entered the basilica at night and carved his name on the Virgin's sash: 'MICHAEL·ANGELUS·BONAROTUS·FLORENT·FACIEBAT'. It was the only work he ever signed.
Michelangelo was renowned for his solitary nature and ascetic lifestyle. He slept little, ate frugally — often bread and wine — and neglected his hygiene to the point that friends testified he rarely removed his boots. According to his biographer Vasari, when he did take them off, the skin came with them.
When asked how he had managed to sculpt the famous David, Michelangelo reportedly replied: 'I simply removed everything that was not David.' This phrase illustrates his conviction that the perfect form already existed within the marble, and that one simply had to set it free.
At nearly 90 years old, Michelangelo was still working on St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, of which he had taken charge of construction at the age of 72. He died in 1564, leaving behind sketches and unfinished sculptures, such as the Rondanini Pietà, which he was still reworking just days before his death.
Primary Sources
Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence… has surpassed not only all those who have almost conquered nature, but even those celebrated and glorious ancients who have been, without any doubt, beyond all praise.
Michelangelo said: 'Painting is only worthwhile to me when it approaches relief, and relief is only good when it approaches painting.'
So that love can do nothing, nor beauty, nor nobility, nor virtue, upon a soul hardened and closed to all feeling. Only the grace of heaven can overcome nature.
I live here in great misery and in extreme toil, without money, and I suffer from a thousand ills… I lack nothing but time.
Key Places
Site of the ceiling fresco (1508-1512) and the Last Judgment (1536-1541), the absolute masterpiece of Michelangelo and of all Western painting.
Museum housing the David (1501-1504), a marble colossus standing 5.17 metres tall, symbol of Florence and the humanist Renaissance.
Michelangelo became its chief architect at the age of 72 and designed the famous dome, which still dominates the skyline of Rome today.
The Medici residence where the young Michelangelo lived and was educated within the humanist circles of Lorenzo the Magnificent from 1490 onwards.
Town and white marble quarries where Michelangelo personally sourced his materials, sometimes staying for several months to select and oversee the extraction of his blocks.
Liens externes & ressources
Références
Œuvres
La Pietà
1498-1499
Dôme de la basilique Saint-Pierre
1546-1564 (achevé posthumément en 1590)
