MICHELANGELO

Painter, sculptor, architect and poet Michelangelo, one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance, was born on March 6th, in 1475. He had a difficult childhood, after loosing his mother at a yougn age he was placed with a family of stonecutters, where he later jested, “With my wet-nurse’s milk, I sucked in the hammer and chisels I use for my statues.” With a recommendation, he moved into the palace of Florentine, one of the powerful Medici family, to study classical sculpture in the Medici gardens. This was a fertile time for Michelangelo; his years with the Medici family permitted him access to the social elite of Florence allowing him to study under the respected sculptors exposing him to prominent poets, scholars and learned Humanists. These combined influences laid the groundwork for what would become Michelangelo’s distinctive style: a muscular precision and reality combined with an almost lyrical beauty are testaments to his unique talent at the young age of 16. As the years passed by Michelangelo had become something of an art star. He took over a commission for a statue of “David,” which two prior sculptors had previously attempted and abandoned, and turned the 17-foot piece of marble into a dominating figure. The strength of the statue’s sinews, vulnerability of its nakedness, humanity of expression and overall courage made the “David” a prized work of art still admired today.