Michelangelo Buonarroti Simoni Research Paper

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Tuscany. This is the village approximately 100 kilometers from the city of Florence, where he spent a large portion of his youth. His first experience with art came from his fascination of masonry, which he credited to his wet-nurse’s breastmilk, since his mother, Francesca Neri, was ill and un-suited to care for him. This resulted in him being placed with a family of stonecutters, from which he claimed to have “…sucked in the hammer and chisels I use for my statues." With little interest in studies, he was known to have preferred doodling and drawing . By the time he reached pubescence, Michelangelo had already shown a natural talent for art. He proceeded to

Furthermore in the study of figure, models are used as references, reinforcing certain expectations for bodies. When Michelangelo moved to Florence, he became an accomplice of the Medici family, one of the most powerful families in Europe . This was an educational period for Michelangelo as his proximity the powerful family gave him the opportunity to interact with the social elite of Florence as well as study Bertoldo di Giovanni’s work. He was also able to spend some time studying cadavers for the purpose of better understanding anatomy. This was accomplished with the permission of the Church, which would become an important patron in the years to come. These several years influenced the development of his art. The study of already proficient artists’ works may have skewed his perception of the ideal body but it can also be assumed that by studying the corpses, he attained a more realistic or perhaps credible technique regarding the human

The young muscular man is an exemplary image of proportion. It is much easier to cover imperfections with layers of cloths as well as the need for modesty may take away from the general idea of the meek facing off against the mighty as nudity is often used as a symbol for openness, fragility and virginity. Furthermore, due to the natural bend of the body, this piece leads to a sort of animated feel.

David is sculpted in the nude, uncommon for the character since he was usually represented wearing warriors garments. This piece was a shock to many as it was a new and slightly radical way of depicting this traditionally Biblical persona. In terms of ideal body image, the portrayal of the shepherd boy is quite romanticized: tall and lean, David has wide masculine shoulders and a masculine waist, as well as a more athletic physique, unlike some other male characters Michelangelo has portrayed, for example Bacchus. Another sculpture created by the artist, Bacchus is unlike the famous David. Bacchus has visually softer features, more curvy and adorned with a crown of grapes, which creates the appearance of a softer man. However, we can still see a similar body structure to David. The two sculptures are quite similar in body position, with one hand bent and holding an object which helps characterize the person, the second beside the thigh. One leg is locked while the other slightly bent,