Michelangelo Buonarroti
Michelangelo Buonarroti saw himself above all as a sculptor – and yet, with the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he created one of the most famous paintings in the world.
Life
Born in Caprese in 1475, he grew up in Florence and trained with Domenico Ghirlandaio; in the Medici garden he studied ancient sculpture. In his early twenties he carved the Pietà in Rome, and in 1504 his “David” was placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. From 1508 to 1512 he painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and decades later the “Last Judgment” on its altar wall. In old age, as architect, he directed the building of St Peter’s. He died in Rome in 1564, almost 89 years old.
Style & technique
In Michelangelo’s work the human body tells everything: muscular, twisting, full of tension. Even his painted figures look as if carved from stone. His drawings show how closely he studied anatomy – with vigorous hatching that builds up volume. His later works become more restless and expressive and point ahead to Mannerism.
Look closely
- The twist: torso and hips often face in different directions.
- The hatching: in his drawings it shapes muscles like a chisel.
- The power: even figures at rest seem tense.
Timeline
- 1475: Born in Caprese.
- 1498–1499: Pietà for St Peter’s.
- 1501–1504: “David” in Florence.
- 1508–1512: Sistine Chapel ceiling.
- 1564: Dies in Rome.