Michelangelo

=Michelangelo's work and influence=

The Sistine Chapel 1508-
The Sistine Chapel, by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Paint applied to damp plaster, 1508- 1512 (Ettinger, 2007) Michelangelo Buonarroti is clearly the most influential and important Renaissance artists of his time out of the other three artists. He created one of the most amazing pieces of art work out of any artist ever. Michelangelo was able to create this massive 131 foot long by 43 foot wide fresco painting by standing on top of a man made scaffolding which was placed inside the Sistine Chapel in Rome. The actual ceiling depicts a wide variety of portraits as seen in the picture above from the book of Genesis, Creation, and the fall. Michelangelo was personally asked by Pope Julius II to create this artwork in the best known chapel in Rome at that time. Nowadays the Sistine Chapel is one of the most important places for the Catholic Religion. Only here is a new pope elected to "control" Catholicism throughout Rome. During this time period it was hard for anyone to get control of any sort of pigments and utensils to create artwork but Michelangelo was able to do this and make one of the largest art works to this day on the ceiling of a chapel. This was said by Gabriele Bartz, "In a world where all experience was based in the glorious lost past of Antiquity, he made a new beginning. Michelangelo, more even than Raphael or Leonardo, embodies a standard of artistic genius which reveals a radically changed image of human beings and their potential." Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most influential artists of all time. Citations: "The Sistine Chapel Ceiling | Michelangelo Gallery." //Michelangelo Buonarotti Paintings and Biography | Michelangelo Gallery//. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

Bramante, Donato. "Michelangelo Paints the Sistine Chapel." //EyeWitness to History - History through the Eyes of Those Who Lived It//. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. . Chet Simmons.

**The Pieta (1499) - Michelangelo Buonarroti**


Source: St. Peter's - "Chapel of the Pieta" by Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1499;

Michelangelo Buonarroti, who's name was identified as the "masterpiece" is the most influential Renaissance artist out of the others. By the time Michelangelo was 16 years old he produced two sculptures, the Battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna of the Stairs (both 1489-92, Casa Buonarroti, Florence) which shows that he had achieved a personal style at a precocious age. Michelangelo carved the Pieta when he was 24 years old, and it is the only one he ever signed. The Pieta is considered the most inspiring sculpture ever made, and is the most frequently visited and silent place in the entire basilica. Michelangelo was commissioned on August 27, 1498 by Cardinal Jean Bilheres de Lagraulas, the French king’s envoy to the pope, to do a life size sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding her son in her arms. **- Talib Morgan-Berry**

Citation: "Chapel of the Pieta" Editorial. //St Peter's Basilica.// stpetersbasilica, n.d. Web. 24 Oct. 2011. .

Image source: http://whitemouse.ru/photo/italy/firenze_david.wmb
 * David- 1504**

Michelangelo was by far the most influential artist of his time. Not only did he create beautiful works of art, but he also infused meaning into them. For example, one of his most famous pieces, “David,” was created with political intentions. It was created during a time of much political tension in Rome. Because of this, “David” was depicted as “an athletic, manly character, very concentrated and ready to fight.” To help form this notion, the statue held a stone in his right hand and had a sling over his left shoulder. Many of the mannerisms in “David’s” face were also meant to convey a sense of worry and tension. The statue was placed right in front of the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of Rome’s Republic, as per Michelangelo’s request. ~**Rebecca Schmitt**

Citations:

Bonner, Neil R. "Early Life." Michelangelo Buonarroti. Michelangelo.com, Inc, 14 Dec. 2001. Web. 24 Oct. 2011

McCulloch, J. Huston. "David: A New Perspective." Michelangelo's David Correctly Oriented. Ohio State University, 7 June 2007. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.

Parks, N. Randolph. "The Placement of Michelangelo's David: A Review of the Documents." //Art Bulletin// 57.4 (1975): 560. //Academic Search Premier//. EBSCO. Web. 24 Oct. 2011.



(1536-1541) "The Last Judgement"

It shows Christ in his final moments before he makes last judgements. This was inspired by Dante's Inferno. The fact that this piece was influenced by someone else shows that Michelangelo is not only capable of making his own work, but drawing inspiration from others and making it his own. Christ is the central figure. Next to him is the Virgin. She looks away because she is waiting for the decision to be made. Other notable figures, Paul and Peter, are also depicted. They too are awaiting the final judgement. Pope Paul III hired Michelangelo to work on a piece. Because this is in a holy place, the figures were supposed to be depicted as modest but Michelangelo preferred for them to be nude. He later had one of his pupils go back and cover up the figures. "The Last Judgement" is on the wall behind the alter.

from Vatican Museums ([]) from The Last Judgement: The Art of a Masterpiece ([])