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Michelangelo, the Genius Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was possibly the greatest artist that ever lived. Besides his inherent genius, which alone would have paved the road to his greatness, two events helped him rise even higher: to be born during the most fertile period in Western art in the most artistically developed country of the time: Renaissance Italy. Not only was Michelangelo a sculptor — his preferred art — he was also a supreme fresco painter — The Creation and The Last Judgement, both in the Sistine Chapel are his — as well as an architect and poet. He began his career in Florence while the city was at its height, under Lorenzo the Magnificent and moved to and fro Rome, soon to reach its apogee under a series of great popes: Julius II and Leon X, the latter a Medici and a Florentine. Michelangelo was a man of very strong character, who preferred to work alone rather than suffer incompetent assistants. He often lost his temper and would find himself in difficulties because of it. Many a commission he abandoned for this reason, but fortunately for art he met a patron whose character was just as strong as his: Julius II, who bent Michelangelo to his will, forcing him to paint, much to Michelangelo’s chagrin, the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. There is two variant spellings of the artist's name: Michelangelo and, in an archaic spelling, Michelangiolo. In Florence it is possible to find one spelling or the other. In this site I shall speak a little about Michelangelo and his art. You, dear reader, will also find a section with many fine photographs of Michelangelo's works. If you have any suggestions to make or just would like to make a comment, please do not hesitate to contact me. I hope you enjoy my site! |