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MICHELANGELO |
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MICHELANGELO |
Michelangelo is one of the greatest
artists who ever lived. He was a master of the arts of painting, sculpture,
architecture and poetry.
His full name was Michelangelo
Buonarroti and lived from 1475 till his death in 1564. He became known as
Michelangelo and was born in Caprese, Tuscany. The family moved to Florence
when he was only a few weeks old and there he was send to a wet nurse. It must
have been faith because the family he stayed with were stonemasons. He always
said that his interest in stone came from there.
When he left school, because of his
artistic ambition, he became an apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandaio who was a
successful fresco painter in Florence. Ghirlandaio realized straightaway the
genius in Michelangelo and in 1489 he advised him to study sculpture with the
tutor Bertoldo.
Soon the skill and genius of
Michelangelo became known and it caught the attention of Lorenzo de Medici. He
was the ruler of Florence at that time. Lorenzo invited him to live in his
household and stayed there until Lorenzo died. During his stay Michelangelo studied
every thing he could find on art. After Lorenzo's death he moved back and lived
with his father.
Like Leonardo da Vinci he also
started to study anatomy with great interest. Because of his enthusiasm he was
given the privilege to dissect corpses in the church of Santo Spirito. For this
given privilege Michelangelo had to carve a wooden crucifix for the Prior.
During the following years Florence
politic became unstable. Many prophecies were spreading about the downfall of
Florence. In 1494 Charles II of France invaded the city and Michelangelo fled.
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PIETA |
PIETA
PIETA
IN ROME
In 1496 he was summoned to Rome. He
created many statues there but the most famous one is the 'Pieta. He sculptured
every fold of the drapery so finely and then polished it to a jewel-like
finish. This great work brought him fame and fortune. After that he was
recognized as Italian's greatest sculpture. From there on he received
prestigious but arduous commissions for the rest of his life.
When Michelangelo returned to
Florence, he created a 5m high statue of David from 1502 till 1504.
In 1505 the new Pope, Julius II
summoned Michelangelo and wanted to sculpture a tomb. He was asked to create a
grand monument including 40 statues. Michelangelo needed eight months just to
select the stones. The Pope became impatient because he couldn't understand
that it would take all that time. Soon he became disinterested.
Michelangelo was bitterly
disappointed. He left Rome but soon was summoned back. Julius greeted him with
more kindness and after Julius decided that he wanted the artist to create an
enormous statue of himself in bronze. Michelangelo agreed because he hoped that
afterwards Julius would give him the commission again to produce the tomb.
After he forged the statue Julius change his mind again. Michelangelo was
disappointed again. He commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel.
He pointed out that he is not a
painter but the commission was given. He started very reluctantly and so the
artist began his masterpiece. Soon he saw the challenge and the huge task. The
artist in Michelangelo got enthusiastic about it and he dismissed all his helpers.
He was determined to finish the complete work alone. He finished the work
within four years from 1508 to 1512.
THE SISTINE CHAPEL
This vast work alone would made
history. It is a monument to Michelangelo and never to be achieved again. The
very planning would have taken any artist a lifetime. Yet, Michelangelo,
planned and done the work unaided in four years time.
In the centre of the vault, are nine
large painting which show the creation 'The Creation of Adam, The Fall of Man
and the Deluge. The spaces between the windows are painted with 12 figures of
the Prophets and Sybils, showing the coming of Christ. All in all there are 200
huge figures painted in lively and some in unusual poses.
In 1527 Rome was under the rule of
Charles V. The Medicis lost all power and were expelled. Michelangelo was
employed to oversee the fortifications of buildings. He could feel the danger
and fled to Venice.
When Clement II was on the throne
again, in Rome, he went beck to Florence. While living there, he completed the
work on the Medici chapel. He also completed the tombs of Guiliano and Lorenzo
de Medici. In 1534 Michelangelo left Florence for ever.
On his return to Rome he worked on
the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo created the great
masterpiece of 'The Last Judgement' from 1535 till 1541.
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IGNUDO |
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THE LAST JUDGEMENT |
In the painting 'The last Judgement '
the human bodies show great many emotions. Some figures were writhing and other
were contorted. It was thought, by critics, they might have shown a personal
frustration.
It shows further that the artist
understood every movement of the body and its position. He had such an enormous
knowledge from his study that he knew how every muscle, bone and sinew works.
He had such an unbelievable memory that he never repeated a position twice.
Why Michelangelo's work is so outstanding
and perfect because he had a total understanding of the human form. The
admiration and scale of it shows in his masterpieces. During the Renaissance
the way of thing was that man was the centre of the Universe. Michelangelo
incorporated this idea by using the human form in an idealized way. The
painter, Masaccio, and the sculpture, Donatello, had the greatest influence on
him but he was further influenced by ancient sculptures.
THE ARCHITECT
He always regarded himself a
sculptor. His paintings also were in three dimensions. However, in his last 30
years in his life he started to design buildings.
During his lifetime he received
commissions from seven Popes which he served well. The greatest commission was
the finish of the St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome. It began under Julius II in
1506. As before with the Sistine Chapel Michelangelo was not keen at all to
take on such enormous task. Eventually he became interested and began to work.
Sadly, he died on 18 February 1564
before he could finish his task.
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MICHAELANGELO'S TOMB IN FLORENCE |
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