Artist · 1475 – 1564
Michelangelo
Key Takeaways
- Michelangelo was a supreme master of sculpture, painting and architecture.
- His statue of David and the Pietà are among the greatest sculptures ever made.
- He painted the monumental Sistine Chapel ceiling.
- He helped design the dome of St. Peter's Basilica.
Michelangelo Buonarroti is, with Leonardo da Vinci, one of the two supreme artists of the High Renaissance — a master of sculpture, painting and architecture whose work has defined Western art for five centuries.
Sculptor above all
Michelangelo considered himself first a sculptor. From a single block of flawed marble he carved the towering Florentine David; in Rome, while still in his twenties, he produced the heartbreaking Pietà. He claimed simply to free the figures he saw imprisoned within the stone.
The Sistine Chapel
Though reluctant, Michelangelo accepted the commission to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel — and over four grueling years created one of the greatest works in the history of painting, crowded with hundreds of powerful, anatomically vivid figures.
Rivalry and legacy
His rivalry with the older Leonardo was famous, the two geniuses embodying contrasting visions of art. In his later years Michelangelo turned to architecture, crowning St. Peter’s Basilica with its mighty dome. Called Il Divino — “the divine one” — in his own lifetime, he remains the very emblem of artistic genius.
Influence
Michelangelo defined the ideal of the artist as a creative genius and set standards in sculpture, painting and architecture that shaped Western art for centuries.
Legacy
Called 'Il Divino' in his own lifetime, Michelangelo stands with Leonardo as the supreme embodiment of Renaissance art.
Major Works
- David
- Pietà
- The Sistine Chapel ceiling
- The Last Judgment
Controversies
- His difficult temperament and disputes with patrons, including popes, were legendary.
Notable Quotes
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.”
Connections
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Michelangelo?
Michelangelo (1475–1564) was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter and architect — creator of the David, the Pietà and the Sistine Chapel ceiling — and one of the greatest artists in history.
What is Michelangelo most famous for?
He is most famous for the statue of David, the Pietà, and the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, as well as designing the dome of St. Peter's.
Citations & Sources
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