Life Michelangelo

1 life

1.1 life, 1475–88
1.2 apprenticeships, 1488–92
1.3 bologna, florence , rome, 1492–99
1.4 florence, 1499–1505
1.5 sistine chapel ceiling, 1505–12
1.6 florence under medici popes, 1513 – 1534
1.7 rome, 1534–46
1.8 st peter s basilica, 1546–64

life

early life, 1475–88

the madonna of stairs (1490–92), michelangelo s earliest known work in marble

michelangelo born on 6 march 1475 in caprese near arezzo, tuscany (known today caprese michelangelo). several generations, family had been small-scale bankers in florence, bank failed, , father, ludovico di leonardo buonarroti simoni, briefly took government post in caprese, michelangelo born. @ time of michelangelo s birth, father judicial administrator of small town of caprese , local administrator of chiusi. michelangelo s mother francesca di neri del miniato di siena. buonarrotis claimed descend countess mathilde of canossa; claim remains unproven, michelangelo himself believed it. several months after michelangelo s birth, family returned florence, raised. @ later times, during mother s prolonged illness , after death in 1481, when 6 years old, michelangelo lived nanny , husband, stonecutter, in town of settignano, father owned marble quarry , small farm. there michelangelo gained love marble, giorgio vasari quotes him:

if there in me, because born in subtle atmosphere of country of arezzo. along milk of nurse received knack of handling chisel , hammer, make figures.

apprenticeships, 1488–92

as young boy, michelangelo sent florence study grammar under humanist francesco da urbino. young artist, however, showed no interest in schooling, preferring copy paintings churches , seek company of painters.

the city of florence @ time greatest centre of arts , learning in italy. art sponsored signoria (the town council), merchant guilds , wealthy patrons such medici , banking associates. renaissance, renewal of classical scholarship , arts, had first flowering in florence. in 15th century, architect filippo brunelleschi had studied remains of classical buildings in rome , created 2 churches, san lorenzo s , santo spirito, embodied classical precepts. sculptor lorenzo ghiberti had laboured fifty years create bronze doors of baptistry, michelangelo describe gates of paradise . exterior niches of church of orsanmichele contained gallery of works acclaimed sculptors of florence – donatello, ghiberti, andrea del verrocchio, , nanni di banco. interiors of older churches covered frescos (mostly in late medieval, in renaissance style), begun giotto , continued masaccio in brancacci chapel – both of works michelangelo studied , copied in drawings. during michelangelo s childhood, team of painters had been called florence vatican, in order decorate walls of sistine chapel. among them domenico ghirlandaio, master in fresco painting, perspective, figure drawing, , portraiture had largest workshop in florence @ period.

in 1488, @ age of 13, michelangelo apprenticed ghirlandaio. next year, father persuaded ghirlandaio pay michelangelo artist, rare of fourteen. when in 1489, lorenzo de medici, de facto ruler of florence, asked ghirlandaio 2 best pupils, ghirlandaio sent michelangelo , francesco granacci. 1490 1492, michelangelo attended humanist academy medici had founded along neo-platonic lines. @ academy, both michelangelo s outlook , art subject influence of many of prominent philosophers , writers of day, including marsilio ficino, pico della mirandola , poliziano. @ time, michelangelo sculpted reliefs madonna of steps (1490–1492) , battle of centaurs (1491–1492). latter based on theme suggested poliziano , commissioned lorenzo de medici. michelangelo worked time sculptor bertoldo di giovanni. when seventeen, pupil, pietro torrigiano, struck him on nose, causing disfigurement conspicuous in portraits of michelangelo.

bologna, florence , rome, 1492–99

lorenzo de medici s death on 8 april 1492 brought reversal of michelangelo s circumstances. michelangelo left security of medici court , returned father s house. in following months carved polychrome wooden crucifix (1493), gift prior of florentine church of santo spirito, had allowed him anatomical studies of corpses church s hospital. between 1493 , 1494 bought block of marble, , carved larger life statue of hercules, sent france , subsequently disappeared sometime in 18th century. on 20 january 1494, after heavy snowfalls, lorenzo s heir, piero de medici, commissioned snow statue, , michelangelo again entered court of medici.

in same year, medici expelled florence result of rise of savonarola. michelangelo left city before end of political upheaval, moving venice , bologna. in bologna, commissioned carve several of last small figures completion of shrine of st. dominic, in church dedicated saint. @ time michelangelo studied robust reliefs carved jacopo della quercia around main portal of basilica of st petronius, including panel of creation of eve composition of reappear on sistine chapel ceiling. towards end of 1494, political situation in florence calmer. city, under threat french, no longer in danger charles viii had suffered defeats. michelangelo returned florence received no commissions new city government under savonarola. returned employment of medici. during half year spent in florence, worked on 2 small statues, child st. john baptist , sleeping cupid. according condivi, lorenzo di pierfrancesco de medici, whom michelangelo had sculpted st. john baptist, asked michelangelo fix looked if had been buried send rome ... pass [it off as] ancient work and ... sell better. both lorenzo , michelangelo unwittingly cheated out of real value of piece middleman. cardinal raffaele riario, whom lorenzo had sold it, discovered fraud, impressed quality of sculpture invited artist rome. apparent success in selling sculpture abroad conservative florentine situation may have encouraged michelangelo accept prelate s invitation.

michelangelo s pietà, st peter s basilica (1498–99)

michelangelo arrived in rome 25 june 1496 @ age of 21. on 4 july of same year, began work on commission cardinal raffaele riario, over-life-size statue of roman wine god bacchus. upon completion, work rejected cardinal, , subsequently entered collection of banker jacopo galli, garden.

in november 1497, french ambassador holy see, cardinal jean de bilhères-lagraulas, commissioned him carve pietà, sculpture showing virgin mary grieving on body of jesus. subject, not part of biblical narrative of crucifixion, common in religious sculpture of medieval northern europe , have been familiar cardinal. contract agreed upon in august of following year. michelangelo 24 @ time of completion. regarded 1 of world s great masterpieces of sculpture, revelation of potentialities , force of art of sculpture . contemporary opinion summarised vasari: miracle formless block of stone ever have been reduced perfection nature scarcely able create in flesh. located in st peter s basilica.

florence, 1499–1505


the statue of david, completed michelangelo in 1504, 1 of renowned works of renaissance.

michelangelo returned florence in 1499. republic changing after fall of leader, anti-renaissance priest girolamo savonarola, executed in 1498, , rise of gonfaloniere piero soderini. michelangelo asked consuls of guild of wool complete unfinished project begun 40 years earlier agostino di duccio: colossal statue of carrara marble portraying david symbol of florentine freedom placed on gable of florence cathedral. michelangelo responded completing famous work, statue of david, in 1504. masterwork definitively established prominence sculptor of extraordinary technical skill , strength of symbolic imagination. team of consultants, including botticelli , leonardo da vinci, called decide upon placement, piazza della signoria, in front of palazzo vecchio. stands in academia while replica occupies place in square.

with completion of david came commission. in 1504 leonardo da vinci had been commissioned paint battle of anghiara in council chamber of palazzo vecchio, depicting battle between florence , milan in 1440. michelangelo commissioned paint battle of cascina. 2 paintings different: leonardo depicts soldiers fighting on horseback, while michelangelo has soldiers being ambushed bathe in river. neither work completed , both lost forever when chamber refurbished. both works admired, , copies remain of them, leonardo s work having been copied rubens , michelangelo s bastiano da sangallo.

also during period, michelangelo commissioned angelo doni paint holy family present wife, maddalena strozzi. known doni tondo , hangs in uffizi gallery in original magnificent frame, michelangelo may have designed. may have painted madonna , child john baptist, known manchester madonna , in national gallery, london.

sistine chapel ceiling, 1505–12


michelangelo painted ceiling of sistine chapel; work took approximately 4 years complete (1508–12)

in 1505 michelangelo invited rome newly elected pope julius ii , commissioned build pope s tomb, include forty statues , finished in 5 years. under patronage of pope, michelangelo experienced constant interruptions work on tomb in order accomplish numerous other tasks. although michelangelo worked on tomb 40 years, never finished satisfaction. located in church of san pietro in vincoli in rome , famous central figure of moses, completed in 1516. of other statues intended tomb, two, known rebellious slave , dying slave, in louvre.

during same period, michelangelo painted ceiling of sistine chapel, took approximately 4 years complete (1508–1512). according condivi s account, bramante, working on building of st. peter s basilica, resented michelangelo s commission pope s tomb , convinced pope commission him in medium unfamiliar, in order might fail @ task. michelangelo commissioned paint twelve apostles on triangular pendentives supported ceiling, , cover central part of ceiling ornament. michelangelo persuaded pope julius give him free hand , proposed different , more complex scheme, representing creation, fall of man, promise of salvation through prophets, , genealogy of christ. work part of larger scheme of decoration within chapel represents of doctrine of catholic church.

the composition stretches on 500 square metres of ceiling , contains on 300 figures. @ centre 9 episodes book of genesis, divided 3 groups: god s creation of earth; god s creation of humankind , fall god s grace; , lastly, state of humanity represented noah , family. on pendentives supporting ceiling painted twelve men , women prophesied coming of jesus, 7 prophets of israel, , 5 sibyls, prophetic women of classical world. among famous paintings on ceiling creation of adam, adam , eve in garden of eden, deluge, prophet jeremiah, , cumaean sibyl.

florence under medici popes, 1513 – 1534

moses tomb of pope julius ii

in 1513, pope julius ii died , succeeded pope leo x, second son of lorenzo dei medici. pope leo commissioned michelangelo reconstruct façade of basilica of san lorenzo in florence , adorn sculptures. agreed reluctantly , spent 3 years creating drawings , models façade, attempting open new marble quarry @ pietrasanta project. in 1520 work abruptly cancelled financially strapped patrons before real progress had been made. basilica lacks façade day.

in 1520 medici came michelangelo grand proposal, time family funerary chapel in basilica of san lorenzo. fortunately posterity, project, occupying artist of 1520s , 1530s, more realised. michelangelo used own discretion create composition of medici chapel, houses large tombs of 2 of younger members of medici family, giuliano, duke of nemours, , lorenzo, nephew. serves commemorate more famous predecessors, lorenzo magnificent , brother giuliano, buried nearby. tombs display statues of 2 medici , allegorical figures representing night , day, , dusk , dawn. chapel contains michelangelo s medici madonna. in 1976 concealed corridor discovered drawings on walls related chapel itself.

pope leo x died in 1521 , succeeded briefly austere adrian vi, , cousin giulio medici pope clement vii. in 1524 michelangelo received architectural commission medici pope laurentian library @ san lorenzo s church. designed both interior of library , vestibule, building utilising architectural forms such dynamic effect seen forerunner of baroque architecture. left assistants interpret plans , carry out instruction. library not opened until 1571, , vestibule remained incomplete until 1904.

in 1527, florentine citizens, encouraged sack of rome, threw out medici , restored republic. siege of city ensued, , michelangelo went aid of beloved florence working on city s fortifications 1528 1529. city fell in 1530, , medici restored power. michelangelo fell out of favour young alessandro medici, had been installed first duke of florence. fearing life, fled rome, leaving assistants complete medici chapel , laurentian library. despite michelangelo s support of republic , resistance medici rule, welcomed pope clement, reinstated allowance had granted artist , made new contract him on tomb of pope julius.

rome, 1534–46

the last judgement (1534–41)

in rome, michelangelo lived near church of santa maria di loreto. @ time met poet vittoria colonna, marchioness of pescara, become 1 of closest friends until death in 1547.

shortly before death in 1534 pope clement vii commissioned michelangelo paint fresco of last judgement on altar wall of sistine chapel. successor, paul iii, instrumental in seeing michelangelo began , completed project, laboured on 1534 october 1541. fresco depicts second coming of christ , judgement of souls. michelangelo ignored usual artistic conventions in portraying jesus, showing him massive, muscular figure, youthful, beardless , naked. surrounded saints, among whom saint bartholomew holds drooping flayed skin, bearing likeness of michelangelo. dead rise graves, consigned either heaven or hell.

once completed, depiction of christ , virgin mary naked considered sacrilegious, , cardinal carafa , monsignor sernini (mantua s ambassador) campaigned have fresco removed or censored, pope resisted. @ council of trent, shortly before michelangelo s death in 1564, decided obscure genitals , daniele da volterra, apprentice of michelangelo, commissioned make alterations. uncensored copy of original, marcello venusti, in capodimonte museum of naples.

michelangelo worked on number of architectural projects @ time. included design capitoline hill trapezoid piazza displaying ancient bronze statue of marcus aurelius. designed upper floor of palazzo farnese , interior of church of santa maria degli angeli, in transformed vaulted interior of ancient roman bathhouse. other architectural works include san giovanni dei fiorentini, sforza chapel (capella sforza) in basilica di santa maria maggiore , porta pia.

st peter s basilica, 1546–64


the dome of st peter s basilica

while still working on last judgement, michelangelo received yet commission vatican. painting of 2 large frescos in cappella paolina depicting significant events in lives of 2 important saints of rome, conversion of saint paul , crucifixion of saint peter. last judgement, these 2 works complex compositions containing great number of figures. completed in 1550. in same year, giorgio vasari published vita, including biography of michelangelo.

in 1546, michelangelo appointed architect of st. peter s basilica, rome. process of replacing constantinian basilica of 4th century had been underway fifty years , in 1506 foundations had been laid plans of bramante. successive architects had worked on it, little progress had been made. michelangelo persuaded take on project. returned concepts of bramante, , developed ideas centrally planned church, strengthening structure both physically , visually. dome, not completed until after death, has been called banister fletcher, greatest creation of renaissance .

as construction progressing on st peter s, there concern michelangelo pass away before dome finished. however, once building commenced on lower part of dome, supporting ring, completion of design inevitable.

on 7 december 2007, red chalk sketch dome of st peter s basilica, possibly last made michelangelo before death, discovered in vatican archives. extremely rare, since destroyed designs later in life. sketch partial plan 1 of radial columns of cupola drum of saint peter s.