Michelangelo was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet during the Renaissance. He is considered one of the greatest artists of all time. Some of his most famous works include the David statue and the paintings on the ceiling and altar wall of the Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The David statue depicts the biblical hero David before his battle with Goliath and shows the tension and humanity of the Renaissance style. Michelangelo spent years painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which features biblical scenes and portraits, all while working in difficult conditions. Later in life, he completed the epic Last Judgment on the chapel's altar wall, depicting the apocalypse in a radical circular composition.

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Michelangelo <br />1475 – 1564<br />Born in Tuscany (central Italy)<br />Traveled to Venice, Bologna, Florence, and Rome where he found patrons of the clergy and nobility<br />Renaissance Man<br />Well educated in a wide variety of fields<br />Poet, painter and architect but considered himself above all a sculptor<br />David - 1501-1504<br />A masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture<br />Originally commissioned to be one of the series of prophet statues on Florence Cathedral, but was instead placed in a public square (Piazza della Signoria) (now a public square) in front of a governmental building (Palazzo Vecchio)<br />Biblical hero David - favored subject in Florence<br />Symbolized the defense of the civil liberties of the Florentine Republic<br />Moved to the Accademia Gallery in Florence in 1873<br />Tensions in the face and neck, furrowed brow, eyes focusing in the distance<br />Bulging veins on the hands <br />Slingshot over his left shoulder<br />Does not depict with the head of Goliath slain<br />Intense expression, yet calm pose<br />All represent David has made his decision to fight Goliath but before combat<br />Moment between choice and action<br />Suggests his influence of Classical sculpture<br />Greek heroic male nude in contrapposto<br />Renaissance - tension and energy missing in Greek art<br />Facial expression - young vibrant and angry at the forces of evil (Goliath); whereas Greek statues are have calm and vacant expressions<br />Emphasis on the human figure in both sculpture and paint<br />Human anatomical studies<br />Dissected corpses<br />Called to Rome to create the tomb of Pope Julius II - was to be a large monument with many sculptures<br />A year later he had to abandon the project to paint the Sistine Ceiling on which he painted for the next four years from 1508-1512<br />Sistine Ceiling <br />1508-1512<br />Located in the Sistine Chapel, just north of St. Peter’s Basillica, Vatican, Rome, Italy <br />Named after earlier pope Sixtus (hence ‘Sistine’)<br />Note: had the talent to paint, but he hated it!, and was forced against his will<br />yet he creates two of the most influential works in fresco in Western art (the art of the European countries)<br />70’ high x 128’ long x 44’ wide; 700 square yds.<br />Fresco (pg. 165)<br />Very difficult medium technically<br />Paint must be applied to fresh wet plaster, therefore, only small areas at a time; mistakes difficult to correct<br />Moreover, had to work on 68’ high scaffolding; it had to be readable from 70’ below; cramped positions with paint and plastering dripping on his face<br />Ceiling - segmented square, rectangle and triangle frames<br />Religious scenes -<br />4 biblical stories at the four corner pendentives<br />6 Old Testament prophets (and 6 classical sibyls)<br />8 lunettes under the 8 triangular spandrels - ancestors of Jesus <br />Triangular spandrels general biblical characters<br />Nine Old Testament scenes from the Book of Genesis, such as:<br />Creation of the Universe<br />Creation of Adam and Eve<br />Temptation/Fall /Expulsion <br />The Great Flood<br />Earliest acts of Creation are closest to the high altar and to the Last Judgment <br />Greek and Roman mythological figures<br />6 Classical sibyls (female prophets) (and 6 Old Testament Prophets)<br />nude putti painted as pilasters holding up platforms<br />20 nude male Ignudi - between each scene on cornice projections<br />Painted as if it were Classical sculpture<br />Anatomical fullness and muscular energy<br />Suggests his preferred medium<br />Connects the older Classical art tradition with his contemporary Christian theology<br />Creation of Adam<br />Fourth in the chronological episode but one of the last images to be painted<br />Story from the Biblical book of Genesis<br />Adam, naked, reclines on a rock <br />God<br />Elderly white-bearded man<br />Wrapped in a swirling cloak<br />Dressed in a cloak<br />Eve - under left arm<br />Left hand points to a baby figure - perhaps allusion to Christ child<br />Focal point - God’s right arm and finger is outstretched reaching to Adam’s and the two hands just about to meet each other<br />Adam mimicking God’s gestures suggests a passage from Genesis 1:26 which states that man was created in God’s own image<br />Adam is perhaps already physically created and as soon as they touch, his spirit will enter his body and mankind will begin to exist<br />Three decades later Michelangelo was called back to Rome <br />The Last Judgment<br />1537-1541<br />Covers the entire wall behind the altar of the Sistine Chapel<br />Depicts the Second Coming of Christ and the Apocalypse from the Biblical Book of Revelation; Souls being judged by Christ surrounded by His saints<br />Radically departs from traditional depictions of the Last Judgment<br />Eye follows in circular motions around Christ in the center, as opposed to traditional horizontal layering of the compositions of heaven, earth and hell<br />This circular composition could connect to the Pope’s readings of the heliocentric model of our solar system<br />Christ <br />beardless and in typical Michelangelo musculature<br />the halo behind him is similar to depictions of the Greek sun God, Apollo<br />The Pope’s Master of Ceremonies, Biagio da Casena accused Michelangelo of heresy for painting nudes with blatantly exposed genitalia inside the most holy Christian Papal Chapel <br />Started the “Fig-Leaf Campaign” to have the fresco removed<br />He paints Casena’s face on Minos, judge of the Underworld, on the far bottom right with donkey ears - (reference to Midas? - Apollo turned his ears into a donkey’s for his lack of musical taste)<br />Casena complained to the Pope, but the Pope jokingly noted that his jurisdiction didn’t extend into Hell, so the fresco remained<br />