# Michelangelo

> Italian artist and architect (1475-1564)

**Wikidata**: [Q5592](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5592)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelangelo)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/michelangelo

## Summary

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet widely regarded as one of the most influential artists of the Italian Renaissance. Born in Caprese Michelangelo, he became the defining figure of Western art, creating iconic works such as the marble statue of David, the Pietà, the ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel, and serving as the chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica. His unparalleled mastery in sculpture, painting, and architecture established standards of artistic excellence that continue to influence art and culture more than five centuries later.

## Biography

- **Born:** 1475, Caprese Michelangelo (Italian comune)
- **Nationality:** Italian
- **Education:** Trained in the workshops of Florence under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici
- **Known for:** Revolutionizing sculpture, painting, and architecture during the Italian Renaissance; creating some of the most celebrated artworks in Western civilization including the statue of David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and the Pietà
- **Employer(s):** Republic of Florence, Medici family, Pope Julius II, Pope Clement VII, Pope Paul III
- **Field(s):** Sculpture, painting, architecture, poetry, architectural drafting

## Contributions

Michelangelo's artistic output spans virtually every medium available to Renaissance artists:

**Sculpture:**
- **David** (1500) — Marble statue representing the biblical hero David, now housed in Florence
- **Pietà** (1499) — Marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ, located in St. Peter's Basilica
- **Dying Slave** (1514) — Marble sculpture created for the Tomb of Pope Julius II
- **Bacchus** (1497) — Marble statue of the Roman god of wine
- **Battle of the Centaurs** (1492) — Early marble relief work
- **Madonna of the Stair** (1490–1491) — Early sculptural work
- **The Genius of Victory** (1532) — Marble sculpture
- **Rondanini Pietà** (1564) — Final sculpture, completed in the year of his death
- **Moses** (1510) — Part of the Tomb of Pope Julius II
- **Night, Day, Dawn, Dusk** (1524–1526) — Sculptures for the New Sacristy in San Lorenzo

**Painting:**
- **Sistine Chapel ceiling** (1508–1511) — Cycle of frescoes including The Creation of Adam, The Creation of Eve, and depictions of prophets and sibyls
- **The Last Judgment** (1540s) — Fresco on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel
- **Doni Tondo** (1500) — Painting depicting the Holy Family with John the Baptist
- **The Conversion of Saul** (1542) — Fresco in the Cappella Paolina
- **The Crucifixion of Saint Peter** (1540) — Fresco in the Cappella Paolina

**Architecture:**
- **St. Peter's Basilica** (from 1506) — Chief architect, redesigning the dome and overseeing construction
- **Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana** (completed 1571) — Library in Florence
- **New Sacristy** — Building in the church of San Lorenzo, Florence
- **Piazzale Michelangelo** (1869) — Square in Florence named in his honor (posthumous)

**Poetry and Writing:**
- Wrote poetry throughout his life, contributing to the Renaissance literary tradition

## FAQs

**What is Michelangelo most famous for?**
Michelangelo is most famous for his sculpture of David (1500), the ceiling frescoes of the Sistine Chapel (1508–1511), and his architectural work on St. Peter's Basilica. These works are considered masterpieces of Western art and exemplify the peak of Renaissance artistic achievement.

**Where was Michelangelo born and trained?**
Michelangelo was born in 1475 in Caprese Michelangelo, a town in Tuscany, Italy. He received his artistic training in Florence, initially in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio and later under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici, where he studied classical art and anatomy.

**What major religious works did Michelangelo create?**
Michelangelo created numerous religious works including the Pietà (1499), the Sistine Chapel ceiling depicting scenes from Genesis, The Last Judgment fresco on the Sistine Chapel altar, the Doni Tondo, and his final sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà (1564).

**How did Michelangelo influence architecture?**
As an architect, Michelangelo revolutionized building design by developing innovative structural solutions, most notably the double-shell dome of St. Peter's Basilica. He also designed the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana and the New Sacristy in Florence, influencing Baroque architecture through his dynamic use of classical forms.

**What was Michelangelo's relationship with the Medici family?**
Michelangelo was supported early in his career by Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited him to study in his household alongside other promising artists. This patronage allowed Michelangelo to study classical antiquities and develop his craft, establishing a relationship that would influence his career throughout his life.

## Why They Matter

Michelangelo's impact on art and culture cannot be overstated. He fundamentally transformed how artists approached the human form, treating the body as a vehicle for expressing emotional and spiritual states. His sculptural technique—particularly in works like David and the Pietà—established new standards for marble carving that subsequent artistsaspired to but rarely equaled.

In painting, the Sistine Chapel ceiling represents one of the most ambitious artistic undertakings in history. The complex iconographic program, featuring over 300 figures across 5,000 square feet of ceiling space, demonstrated that painting could achieve the same monumental grandeur as sculpture. The Creation of Adam, with its iconic image of God and Adam reaching toward each other, has become perhaps the most reproduced religious image in Western art.

As an architect, Michelangelo bridged the Renaissance and Baroque periods. His engineering solution for St. Peter's Basilica dome—using a double-shell design with internal ribs—remains a marvel of architectural achievement and influenced building design for centuries. The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana showcased his innovative approach to reading room design and architectural detail.

His influence extends far beyond his immediate successors. Artists from the Baroque period through the 20th century have acknowledged Michelangelo's foundational role in their artistic development. Auguste Rodin, the French sculptor often called the father of modern sculpture, explicitly cited Michelangelo as a primary influence. The term "Michelangelesque" entered art historical vocabulary to describe works exhibiting the muscular, dynamic figures characteristic of his style.

Without Michelangelo, the trajectory of Western art would be fundamentally different. His demonstration that a single artist could achieve mastery across multiple disciplines—sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry—established a model of the Renaissance "universal artist" that shaped artistic practice for generations.

## Notable For

- Creating the statue of David (1500), standing 5.17 meters tall and considered the pinnacle of Renaissance sculpture
- Painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508–1511), one of the most ambitious artistic projects in history
- Designing and engineering the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, completed after his death but based on his plans
- Being one of the few artists recognized as a "universal artist" excelling in sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry
- Completing the Tomb of Pope Julius II, which occupied him for decades and produced multiple masterpieces including the Moses and the Dying Slave
- Creating the Pietà (1499), his only signed work, renowned for its technical perfection and emotional depth
- Being the only artist to have two works (David and Pietà) among the top 25 most visited artworks in the world
- Influencing generations of artists including Raphael, Caravaggio, Bernini, and Rodin
- Having an asteroid (3001 Michelangelo) and a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character named in his honor
- Having Casa Buonarroti in Florence dedicated as a museum to his life and work

## Body

### Early Life and Training

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in 1475 in Caprese Michelangelo, a small town in Tuscany. His father, Ludovico di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni, held minor government positions. Young Michelangelo was sent to Florence, the great center of Renaissance art, where he was apprenticed to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. His obvious talent caught the attention of Lorenzo de' Medici, who took him into his household and provided access to the Medici collection of classical antiquities. This early exposure to Roman sculpture profoundly influenced his artistic development, establishing his lifelong fascination with the human body as expressed in classical art.

### Sculpture in Florence

Michelangelo's earliest significant works were sculptures created during his youth in Florence. The Madonna of the Stair (1490–1491) and Battle of the Centaurs (1492) demonstrate his early mastery of marble carving and his ability to render complex compositions and human anatomy. These works already show the dynamic, muscular figures that would become his signature style.

His breakthrough work came with the Pietà (1499), a marble sculpture depicting the Virgin Mary holding the dead body of Christ. Created for the French cardinal Jean de Bilhères and installed in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, the work demonstrates unprecedented technical perfection and emotional restraint. Michelangelo famously carved his name into the sculpture's sash after hearing visitors attribute it to another artist—his only signed work.

The statue of David (1500) cemented Michelangelo's international reputation. Standing over 17 feet tall, the marble statue depicts the biblical hero at the moment before his battle with Goliath. The work was placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence as a symbol of the republic's defiance of its enemies. David's contrapposto stance, intense gaze, and muscular physique represent the culmination of Renaissance ideals of human beauty and heroic virtue.

### Work in Rome and the Papal Commission

Michelangelo spent significant periods in Rome, where he received major commissions from various popes. The most significant was the decoration of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1508. Originally conceived as a simple decoration of the apostles, Michelangelo convinced the pope to allow a more ambitious program depicting scenes from Genesis, including the iconic Creation of Adam, as well as prophets, sibyls, and ancestral figures of Christ. The work took four years to complete and required Michelangelo to develop new techniques for fresco painting on a monumental scale.

He returned to the Sistine Chapel decades later to paint The Last Judgment (1540s) on the altar wall, a massive fresco depicting the Second Coming of Christ and the final judgment of souls. The work's muscular, dynamic nudes generated controversy and required the addition of drapery by Daniele da Volterra after Michelangelo's death.

### The Tomb of Pope Julius II

One of Michelangelo's most complex projects was the Tomb of Pope Julius II, which occupied him on and off for over four decades. Originally conceived as a freestanding monument with over 40 statues, the project was repeatedly delayed due to financial constraints and the pope's other commissions. The final version, installed in San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, features the Moses sculpture (1510) as its central element, flanked by the Dying Slave and Rebellious Slave (1514). These sculptures demonstrate Michelangelo's mastery of conveying complex emotional states through the human form.

### Architecture

Michelangelo's architectural career developed later in life but proved equally revolutionary. His work on St. Peter's Basilica, beginning in 1506, represented the greatest architectural challenge of the Renaissance. He redesigned the plan and developed the engineering solution for the massive dome, using a double-shell design with internal ribs to distribute weight. Though completed after his death, the dome remains his most significant architectural achievement.

The Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana (completed 1571) showcases his innovative approach to interior design, featuring distinctive reading room furniture and architectural details that influenced subsequent library design. The New Sacristy in the church of San Lorenzo in Florence contains his sculptural group representing Dawn, Dusk, Night, and Day.

### Later Life and Final Works

Michelangelo continued working until his death in 1564 at age 88. His final sculpture, the Rondanini Pietà, demonstrates his continued artistic experimentation, with its elongated, almost abstract forms. He also painted The Conversion of Saul and The Crucifixion of Saint Peter in the Cappella Paolina during his final years.

Beyond visual art, Michelangelo wrote poetry throughout his life, producing sonnets and other verse that demonstrated his intellectual depth and emotional sensitivity. His letters reveal a complex personality—prone to depression, fiercely devoted to his art, and capable of great generosity despite a reputation for irascibility.

### Legacy and Influence

Michelangelo's influence on subsequent art was profound and far-reaching. Baroque artists like Bernini explicitly drew on his dynamic, muscular figures and dramatic compositions. The Romantic movement rediscovered him as a model of artistic passion and individual genius. Modernist artists, from Rodin to Picasso, acknowledged his foundational importance.

His works remain among the most visited and celebrated in the world. The David attracts over 1.3 million visitors annually to the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. The Sistine Chapel receives millions of visitors who come to see his ceiling and altar frescoes. St. Peter's Basilica remains the largest church in Christendom, with its dome serving as a symbol of Rome and of Western civilization's architectural ambitions.

The name Michelangelo has entered popular culture, from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles character to asteroid 3001 Michelangelo. Locations like Piazzale Michelangelo in Florence and Casa Buonarroti (the museum dedicated to his life) preserve his memory. His influence extends to fields far beyond art, with his name becoming synonymous with artistic genius and the transformative power of creative vision.

## References

1. Integrated Authority File
2. Archivio Storico Ricordi
3. The Fine Art Archive
4. Artnet
5. Arkitekter verksamma i Sverige. 2014
6. artist list of the National Museum of Sweden. 2016
7. BeWeB
8. Union List of Artist Names
9. Genealogics
10. [Source](http://www.smithsonianmag.com/travel/how-to-tour-michelangelos-rome-12922932/)
11. [Source](http://kmska.be/collection/work/data/qcx0lc)
12. Mathematics Genealogy Project
13. [The Fine Art Archive](https://cs.isabart.org/person/27943)
14. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
15. RKDartists
16. Library of the World's Best Literature
17. International Standard Name Identifier
18. Virtual International Authority File
19. CiNii
20. CiNii Research
21. OPAC SBN
22. MusicBrainz
23. Find a Grave
24. Dizionario Biografico degli Italiani
25. Freebase
26. KB, nationale bibliotheek
27. [Source](http://digitale.beic.it/primo_library/libweb/action/search.do?fn=search&vid=BEIC&vl%283134987UI0%29=creator&vl%28freeText0%29=Buonarroti%20Michelangelo)
28. [Source](https://www.projekt-gutenberg.org/woelffli/klasskun/chap005.html)
29. [Source](https://www.bartleby.com/library/bios/index11.html)
30. general catalog of BnF
31. CONOR.SI
32. [Source](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Michelangelo)
33. BBC Things
34. archINFORM
35. Vies des peintres, sculpteurs et architectes
36. Les Vies des meilleurs peintres, sculpteurs et architectes
37. lives of the most excellent painters,sculptors,and architects
38. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
39. Enciclopedia Treccani
40. [Source](https://www.archinform.net/service/wd_aiarch.php)
41. [LIBRIS. 2012](https://libris.kb.se/katalogisering/khw03x335qvphhh)
42. Smithsonian American Art Museum person/institution ID
43. [Source](https://golden.com/wiki/Michelangelo-GGYV)
44. KBpedia
45. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
46. [Source](https://library.nga.gov/permalink/01NGA_INST/1cl1g8d/alma99804983504896)
47. HMML Authority File
48. Digital Scriptorium Catalog
49. Catalogo of the National Library of India