Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) Michelangelo’s towering genius spanned sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry, embodying the High Renaissance’s heroic ideal. His David—carved from a discarded marble block—became a symbol of Florentine strength and human perfection. The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted solo over four grueling years, redefined biblical narrative with muscular, dynamic figures that seem to breathe divine energy. Later, his design for St. Peter’s Basilica dome shaped Rome’s skyline and Western ecclesiastical architecture. Trained in the Medici gardens, Michelangelo believed sculpture was the highest art, “liberating the figure imprisoned in marble.” His work fused classical form with intense emotional and spiritual tension, foreshadowing Mannerism and Baroque drama. Unlike peers who sought harmony, Michelangelo emphasized struggle—the body straining against fate, faith wrestling with doubt. Revered in his lifetime as “Il Divino” (The Divine One), he set a standard of artistic ambition few have matched. His legacy endures not just in masterpieces, but in the very idea that art can express the sublime through human form.
Add Comment + Vote ( 1 )...
There are currently no comments!