Michelangelo Buonarroti And His Influence On Architecture

People always question whether or not architects and artists of previous eras still have any influence on architecture today. Michelangelo Buonarroti has arguably been noted as one of the greatest artists of all time, producing what people consider countless ‘supernatural’ masterpieces. His background heavily influenced his future creations. Much of his life was spent studying the field of anatomy, which aided his ability to sculpt and paint bodies perfectly. Michelangelo is most commonly known for his sculptural works but he was also very diversified in that he was a painter as well as an architect. The scope of this paper will focus primarily on his architectural achievements.

Michelangelo grew up in Florence, which was considered a major artistic center of the early Renaissance. His life as an artist began at the young age of 13 under the apprenticeship of Domenico Ghirlandaio, learning the art of fresco. Shattering expectations and proving his excellence, by the age of 16 he had produced two sculptures - Battle of the Centaurs and Madonna of the Stairs. Although he considered himself a sculptor producing magnificent statues such as David, Moses, and La Pieta, he is celebrated as the artist who painted the ceiling and The Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel. In 1516, nearing the age of 50, Michelangelo moved to Rome and reinvented himself as an architect. But for all the glory and praise that he received for his artistic abilities, Michelangelo spent his life constantly being summoned by people to do work for them and felt that he was unable to call his life his own.

In order to understand the marvels of Michelangelo’s work, it is necessary to analyze what the era of the Renaissance encompassed. The Renaissance, defined as...

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...ed. The final dome was 42.3 meters in diameter, which is almost as large as the Pantheon. This Basilica has been known to be the largest church in the world, although one or two Basilicas have subsequently surpassed it.2

In conclusion, Michelangelo’s versatility as an artist is something that has kept him relevant in the modern world. Michelangelo has been known to revolutionize European architecture, sculpting and painting. Students today who marvel at his construction and visual eye still heavily study his work. Michelangelo’s ability to impeccably show humanity in its natural state is something that many artists attempt to accomplish. Something that many architects and artists struggle with is finding a motivating factor that makes their work unique and timeless- Michelangelo used his devotion to religion and his religious convictions as his motivating factor.