Michelangelo Research Paper

Michelangelo Michelangelo is a well-known sculptor, architect, and painter from the Renaissance period.

Michelangelo was able to combine his many skills and create amazing pieces of art. Michelangelo’s beginnings, his famous works, and the uniqueness of his work make up the remarkable artist many know of today. Michelangelo di Lodovico di Lionardo Buonarroti Simoni’s life began on March 6, 1475. He was born in Caprese, Italy which is now named Caprese Michelangelo. Michelangelo’s dad had a job with the Florentine Government, so they moved to Florence, Italy shortly after his birth. At the time, Florence was a flourishing place of art and had already produced greats such as Leonardo da Vinci and Botticelli. Michelangelo was raised by stonecutters

Michelangelo decided to create a nude sculpture, for that is the way the ancient Romans and Greeks had. This painting then was sold to a wealthy Florentine family. To obtain a better understanding of his subject, he went to the Santo Spirito hospital to get permission to study the bodies in the morgue. Michelangelo would study dead bodies, learning the organs and their placement. In 1498, he was commissioned by a French cardinal, Jean Bilhères de Lagraulas, to create a sculpture. The marble masterpiece was made to portray the Virgin Mary holding dead Christ in her arms and is named Pietà. Since Michelangelo had immense knowledge of the human body, he created life-like details in the bodies of Christ and Mary. In the end, the 69-inch was an astonishing masterpiece, so remarkable that “Not since the time of the ancient Greeks had there been a sculptor with such amazing skill.” Next, in 1501, a half-done sculpture was in dire need of someone to finish it. The sculpture was a seventeens foot tall sculptor of David. Again, Michelangelo’s knowledge of the human anatomy allowed for an incredible life-like depiction. (Stanley) David is now a symbol of the Florence artistic roots. (History) Michelangelo’s other major works include the Magnifici Tomb located in the Medici Chapel. The tomb was made to house the first two dukes of the family, Duke of Urbino and Duke of Nemours, and Lorenzo the Magnificent and Giuliano the Magnificent. (Morrogh, 567) After lots of difficult planning, he finally came up with his final design. He decided to created sculptures of each of the men to pose on the facade of the tomb. (Morrogh, 580) During the creation of the tomb, he faced many challenges such as having to place four men in only three spots. (Morrogh, 571) Another popular piece is his sculpture named Cupid. Michelangelo had created an aged look to the piece. While people aren’t sure how he did this,