Michelangelo Research Paper

Michelangelo, born in Caprese, Italy on March 6, 1475, was a talented and very well known artist. He is one of the most famous artists during the Renaissance period and was known to be a painter, sculptor, architect, and poet. When Michelangelo was young he became an apprentice to a painter and later studied in the sculpture gardens with the Medici family. Through these experiences he started his career of becoming a successful and world known artist. Two statues that Michelangelo are most famous for are “David” and “Pieta.” He completed numerous ceiling paintings in Rome’s Sistine Chapel, one being the “Last Judgement.” Throughout his life he lived in Rome where he died at age eighty-eight, but he still considered himself a Florentine.

Growing up Michelangelo was one out of five kids born to Leonardo di Buonarrota Simoni and Francesca Neri.

Michelangelo was born in Caprese, Italy but moved to Florence when he was still an infant. He had to be sent to another family’s house when he was born because of his mother’s health. Michael's mother was able to bear three more children before she died. School was not one of his main priorities compared to watching painters at churches. His father soon realized that taking up the family financial business was not what Michael planned to do when he became older. When Michael turned thirteen he accompanied his father to Florentine’s painter workshop where he was taught the technique of fresco. A huge opportunity was presented to Michelangelo to go to the Florentine ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent, where he studied classical sculpture. During his time with the Medici family he was able to study with famous artists, poets, and scholars such as Bertoldo di Giovanni, famous sculptor. From all the experiences Michael received he developed his own sense of style. At the age of 16 he created two sculptures that have survived today called “Battle of the Centaurs” and “Madonna Seated on a

Step.”
While living with the Medici family Lorenzo passed away in 1492, which started Michelangelo's downfall. Piero de’ Medici, was Lorenzo’s successor but was not involved with the arts, which then Michelangelo decided to head back home and live with his father. During this time period Micheal hit a downfall in his career so he devoted himself to studying corpses at Santo Spirito Church. Later on Michael created the “Sleeping Cupid Affair” and he was summoned to Rome because of this magnificent piece. In 1496 he made a sculpture for banker Jacopo Galli, called “Bacchus” and also made “Pieta” that now in Saint Peter’s Church. Throughout Italy Michelangelo started became well known for his artwork. The beginning his long lasting fame started with the “Pieta” because of its beauty and originality. Michelangelo returned back to Florence in 1501 carving the statue of “David.” This statue made him more popular and was placed in front of the Palazzo della Signoria. The “David” statue became a symbol of Republican freedom, courage, and moral virtue.
In 1505, Julius II, pope of Rome, asked Michael to come and create a tomb for him.

Julius asked him to make a monument for himself with 40 different statutes. Michelangelo went to Carrara, Italy to gather marble for this project for eight months. During this time Julius had became impatient and disinterested because of how long it was taking. The pope had then created a plan to rebuild the Saint Peter’s Church in Rome and asked Bramante an architecture to design it for him. When Michelangelo returned back to Rome to fulfill his duty, Julius sent him away. Filled with rage Michael went back to Florence and left the day before the Saint Peter’s Church cornerstone was laid. Julius became very angry when he found out Michelangelo had returned back to Florence and demanded his return. Michelangelo came back to Rome and Julius told him he would pay him to make a massive bronze statue of himself. He accepted the offer but was still insisting he finish the monument for his tomb. At the time Julius was determined to redo the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. After four years of hard work Michelangelo completed the celing and people hundreds of miles away came to see his magnificent work. All the money he received for the artwork he sent back to his family. A year later in 1513, Julius died leaving money for Michelangelo to finish the

tomb.
In the Italian Renaissance Michelangelo was a great leader. One of his greatest accomplishments was a ceiling painting he did in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo was asked to paint twelve pictures of the apostles around the ceiling. Instead, he suggested that he paint the history of the Old Testament that included over 300 people. He started this painting in 1508 and it took him four years to complete, finishing in 1512. Michelangelo created another painting in the Sistine Chapel twenty-three years later called “The Last Judgement.” Another chapel Michelangelo painted in was the Medici Chapel, where Two Medici dukes asked him to paint in two tombs. Both tombs contained a image of the deceased and were each given a designated theme, one being “Day and Night” and the other “Morning and Evening.” Biblioteca Laurenziana is a library in Firenze, Italy where Michelangelo painted the entrance hall and staircase. Michelangelo also took up writing poetry during the 1530s and 1540s. Most of his early poetry was based on Platonic love, which is a belief that souls from a single undivided source can then reunite again. Later his poems had a simple, direct style about being sorrow and regretful.