Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the little town of
Caprese, not far from Florence. His father, Ludovico
Buonarroti was serving a six-month term as podesta, or
resident magistrate. The mayor of the obscure commune of
Caprese made an entry in his notebook, "This day a male child
was born to me. I give him the name of Michelangelo". This
simple announcement was made at the birth of a genius. When
Michelangelo was only a few weeks old, his fathers term of
office expired and the family returned to Florence. He was
placed in the care of a marble-workers wife at Settignano.
Michelangelos mother, Francesca de Neri died when he was
six. In 1485, his father married again.
Little Michelangelo haunted Florence. He minutely observed
the paintings that filled the ancient pieces of beauty. Many
of the buildings and works of art, which are still attracting
visitors were standing tall in Florence at the time of
Michelangelo. Those places happened to be his school where he
got all his needed education.
When old enough to go to school, Michelangelo was sent to
school but by no means he became a dedicated student. He
never concentrated in studies, instead all he did during
those years was drawing in the workshops of the various
painters .By the time he was 13 the thought of being an
artist had imbibed him thoroughly. Though artists were
honored in Florence, his decision had brought worries to his
father. There were many artists in Florence but they were all
rich in terms of art and not in wealth.
Ludovico made acquaintance with Francesco Granacci, who was
working with the famous Ghirlandaio brothers. Michelangelo
finally got apprenticed to two artists Domenico and David
Ghirlandaio, on April 1, 1488, for three years. Domenico
Ghirlandaio was the head of the studio in which Michelangelo
started his work. He was one of the most famous painters in
Florence.
Earlier, Ludovico, Michelangelos father, had argued with him
about taking up the profession, least aware of what the
future had in store for his son who was to be one of the most
illustrious artists of all time. He tried to dissuade
Michelangelo by saying that they were descendants of the
Counts of Canossa and it would be unbecoming of their
nobility to engage in such a profession. However,later
Michelangelos decision made him the benefactor of the entire
family. He earned better than any other of his four brothers.
It is of interest that Ludovico was not a wealthy man, but
the Buonarotti or Buonarroti-Simoni, as they liked to call
themselves, were proud of their lineage. Luckily for the
world of art, Michelangelo stuck to his decision and his
father had to relent. The Buonarotti pride ran in his blood
and the passionate sculptor in him carved out success and
took his fame to greater heights. He sucked in this passion,
as he used to say, with his foster-mothers milk in the
marble quarries of Settignano.
In 1489, he went to the School of Sculpture in the Medici
Gardens. Here, Lorenzo de Medici, the ruler of Florence,
allowed young sculptors to study his collection of antique
sculptures under the tutorship of Bertoldo Di Giovanni.
Michelangelo studied Greek and Roman marbles, making among
other copies, a marble head of an old Faun (now lost). It was
his first attempt at sculpture, but the copy was extremely
good and it attracted Lorenzos attention.
Lorenzo realized soon that Michelangelo had immense talent
and sent for Michelangelos father. He persuaded Ludovico to
agree to Michelangelos living in the Medici Palace and
continuing his studies under Bertoldos eye. To Ludovico, he
offered any official position. The next three years were
probably in many ways, the happiest in Michelangelos long
life. The members of the Medici circle inspired in
Michelangelo a love of literature. They also taught him the
ideas of neo-Platonism a philosophy that regards the body
as a trap for the soul that longs to return to God. Scholars
interpret many of Michelangelos works in terms of these
ideas. It is seen in his human figures that appear to break
free from the stone that imprisons them. Michelangelo also
listened to the conversations of Marsilio Ficino, Pico della
Mirandola and other humanists. Their influence was profound
and he remained a Christian Platonist to the end of his days.
In the spring of 1492, Lorenzo died. His son, Piero de Medici
inherited the position. Piero invited Michelangelo to remain
as a guest in the palace but gave him no serious commissions.
Michelangelo returned home. War was drawing close and the
French army marched toward Florence. It became evident that
disaster was imminent. In October 1494, Michelangelo fled and
six weeks later the French entered Florence. The Medici were
expelled and for the next four years (1494-98), Savonarola a
preacher and religious reformer, governed the town. Florence
was under the sway of Girolamo Savonarola who had managed to
turn the city into a virtual theocracy. Michelangelo, too,
had heard his sermons and admired them. In a frenzy of
reform, the city gave up its luxurious, self-indulgent
lifestyle, even consigning books and works of art to the
famous bonfire of the vanities. Michelangelo told his
biographer, Ascanio Condivi, years later that he still
retained the memory of the Friars voice. Florence under
Savonarola was not a conducive atmosphere for artists;
especially those closely associated with the exiled Medici.
After a year in Bologna, Michelangelo returned to Florence.
He carved a St. John for Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco de Medici,
a cousin of Lorenzo de Medici. This St. John is lost, and so
are three other early works : a marble Hercules, a wooden
Christ on a cross and a Sleeping Cupid. The Sleeping Cupid
was sold by a dealer to the cardinal Raffaello Riario di San
Giorgio, as a genuine antique. When the fraud was discovered,
the cardinal could not but help admire Michelangelos skill.
In June 1496, Michelangelo went to Rome in the fond hope of
finding a patron in the cardinal of San Giorgio. But Jacopo
Galli, another collector of antique sculpture, commissioned
him to make a life-size marble statue of a standing Cupid
(now lost). Jacopo Gallis next commission was for Bacchus
and later, a Pieta for the French cardinal Jean de Villiers
de La Groslaye. It is the only sculpture that Michelangelo
signed with his name. In spite of his great achievements, he
received no further commissions in Rome, and in the spring of
1501 returned to Florence.
On his return Michelangelo found that many changes had taken
place there was a democratic regime. A few months later,
Pietro Soderini, an admirer of his was elected the head of
the Siginoria. Soon the artist was entrusted with more
commissions than he would deal with. On August 6, 1501, he
made a contract for a gigantic marble David and before he had
finished it, a bronze David was commissioned. Before this
second statue was cast, he had signed another contract for
the 12 marble statues of the apostles for the Cathedral. At
the same time he worked on a commission he had accepted from
Cardinal Francesco Piccolamini for 15 marble statues.
When the great statue of David was completed, the question of
its placement arose. A meeting of the chief artists in
Florence was called to discuss the matter. After much
deliberation, Michelangelo decided that his David should
replace Donatellos Judith, which stood in the Piazza
Signoria. David was placed outside the main entrance to the
Pallazzo Vecchio. The statue was the pride of all Florence.
For years, the events were dated by it and people remembered
events by the date of the erection of the statue.
While working on the David, Michelangelo neglected the
commission for the 15 figures for the Siena Cathedral and at
last, finished only four. Of the 12 apostles for the Florence
Cathedral, Michelangelo began only one, the unfinished St.
Mathew.
Between 1503 and 1505, Michelangelo executed three tondi
(circular representations) of the Madonna. While Michelangelo
was working on the tondi, Leonardo-da-Vinci was designing a
painting for the east wall in the Sala del Gran Consiglio. A
few months later, Pietro Soderini procured for Michelangelo
the commission to execute a companion painting. Michelangelo
designed the cartoon between 1504 and 1506, but neither
artist ever executed the work in Fresco.
In August 1503, Pope Alexander VI died and was succeeded by
Pope Pious III who too, passed away soon. Cardinal Vincula
became Pope Julius II a Pope who was to play a very
important role in the life of Michelangelo. Pope Julius II
took a passionate interest in art and architecture. He was
determined to be served by the finest artists of his day.
Michelangelo, at the age of 30, was the most famous artist in
Italy. He was working on the cartoon for the council chamber
and a number of other contracts. But when the Pope commanded,
everyone else had to give way. In 1850, Michelangelo left the
Pisa cartoon as it was rode away to Rome for the second time.
The latter part of the winter (1532-33), and the following
spring, Michelangelo spent in Rome. He formed a life-long
friendship with Tommaso de Cavalieri, to whom he dedicated
many poems and drawing. Michelangelo decided to settle in
Rome. In June 1533, he returned for four months to Florence
and made arrangements with his assistants to finish the
Medici Chapel and the Laurentian library.
In November 1533, Michelangelo went once more to Rome to work
on the Julius monument, but Pope Clement insisted that he
complete the decoration of the Sistine Chapel. Clement wanted
him to paint the wall above the back of the altar - the
subject chosen was the Last Judgment. The artist moved to
Rome. He was 60 years old and had another 30 years to live,
but he never saw Florence again.
On September 25, 1534, Pope Clement VII died, to be succeeded
by Pope Paul III. The actual work of the painting of the Last
Judgment began in 1536. It was unveiled on November 1, 1543
almost 30 years after the unveiling of the ceiling Frescoes.
The painting had an enormous influence on artists of the
period but also aroused the hostility of theologians and men
of letters. During this time known as Michelangelos
religious period he came into contact with the widow
Vittoria Colonna, Marchesa of Pescara. Michelangelo met her
when he was 63, became her friend, and dedicated to her many
poems and religious drawings.
In 1546, Michelangelo was appointed by Pope Paul III to
complete the Palarro Farnese the building left incomplete
by Antonio da Sangallo. Michelangelo also succeeded Sangallo
as the chief architect of St. Peters.
In Michelangelo there was an eternal dissatisfaction as
there is in every artist and that drained his body into
that of an aged, eccentric man, sleepless, ill; the man whose
restlessness sent him out before his death to wander in the
pouring rain.
On February 12, 1564, Danielle da Volterra watched his master
all day working on a Pieta. Two days later, Michelangelo fell
ill and wandered around in the open air. After two days in
bed, he
died on February 18, 1564, in the presence of a number of
friends and doctors. His body was taken to Florence, to be
buried, by his nephew and heir Leonardo Buonarroti. The
kingdom of arts had suffered the loss of one genius.
Pope Julius II entrusted to Michelangelo the task of
executing his tomb. Michelangelo worked on the design of the
tomb and got the Popes approval. In April, he left for the
quarries of Carrara in order to superintend the breaking and
shipping of the marble blocks. The first of these blocks
arrived in Rome in January 1506. But soon, Michelangelo felt
that the Popes interest in the tomb was waning.
Michelangelo, possessed of an artists temperament, felt that
undue attention was being given to Bramante and his plan for
rebuilding St. Peters in which the tomb was to be placed. As
a result, there occurred one of the most famous quarrels in
history of arts. It is reported that Michelangelo wrote to
the Pope "If you require me in future, you can seek me
elsewhere than in Rome."
On April 17, 1506, the day before the Pope laid the
foundation stone of the new church; Michelangelo fled on
horseback from Rome to Florence. During this time, the Pope
was engaged in a military campaign against Bologna, which
ended in triumph on November 10, 1506. As soon as the
campaign ended, he summoned Michelangelo to join him there.
On reaching Bologna, Michelangelo was taken into the presence
of the Pope. On seeing the Pope, he knelt down. "So instead
of coming to us, you have waited till we came to seek you,"
exclaimed Julius. Michelangelo was granted his pardon. He was
ordered to make a bronze portrait of the Pope and so
Michelangelo had no alternative but to start. The statue was
completed at last early in the new year.
On February 21, 1508, the titanic bronze statue was placed
over the central door of the Cathedral of St. Petronio, and
Michelangelo, finally, was free to return to Florence. Three
years later the
statue that had caused its creator so much labor, anxiety,
disappointment and discomfort was thrown down from its perch
by the victorious Bentivogli family when they regained power
in Bologna. Nothing remains of this great statue.
Early in March 1508, Michelangelo was back in Florence where
he rented a workshop. A few weeks later, he was again ordered
back to Rome by Julius II. The new project that the Pope
envisioned was for Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel the Popes private Chapel. Three hundred
figures were to be painted as against the 12 of the original
project. Michelangelo protested at first that he was not a
painter but a sculptor. The Pope would not accept a refusal.
He had made up his mind and nothing could change it. Despite
certain interruptions, Michelangelo worked at the ceiling,
until it was finished and finally unveiled on October 31,
1512.
In February 1513, Pope Julius II passed away. He had left the
papacy much stronger than it had ever been. A month later,
Giovanni de Medici, Lorenzo the Magnificents second son was
elected Pope and took the name of Leo X. The election of a
Medici to the papacy silenced all opposition to the family in
Florence. For the following two or three years Michelangelo
worked at the tomb of Julius II. It was during this time that
he produced Moses.
Pope Leo X employed Michelangelo as an architect.
Michelangelo designed for him the front of a small Chapel in
Castle Sant Angelo in Rome (1514). In 1516, Michelangelo
returned to Florence and worked on two commissions intended
to bring honor to the Medici. For the faηade of the church of
San Lorenzo, he made several designs and models but these
magnificent plans were never carried out.
In 1523, Cardinal Giulio de Medici became the Pope, taking
the name of Clement VII. 1520 onwards, Michelangelo made
designs for the completion of the Medici Chapel. Pope Clement
VII wanted Michelangelo to add a library to the cloisters of
San Lorenzo. Clement, who admired Michelangelo, arranged for
a pension to be paid to him and also a rent. Besides, free
house near the church of San Lorenzo. This was done to enable
him to be near his work. The ongoing war between the Pope and
the emperor reached a climax while Michelangelo was still
laboring on the Medici tombs and Julius monument.
In 1527, Rome was occupied and sacked by the imperial tombs
and the Pope was besieged in Castle Sant Angelo. The emperor
and Pope soon reconciled and agreed to restore the rule of
the Medici in Rome. In 1529, Michelangelo was employed as a
military engineer to fortify Florence against the expected
attacks. He went on diplomatic missions to Ferrara and Venice
and negotiated pessimistically for a future residence in
France. He was declared a traitor and threatened with
confiscation of his property. On August 12, 1530, Florence
capitulated and the imperial troops entered the city, which
was handed over to the Pope. Michelangelo went into hiding,
but at the intervention of Valori, was promised immunity by
Pope Clement. The Pope agreed to help him only on the
condition that he resumed work on the Medici Chapel.
Michelangelo made the first designs in February 1526 and the
work was completed in the winter of 1532-33.
Michelangelo Buonarroti < 1475 1564 >
"It has been said that Michelangelo Buonarotti nailed some
poor man to a board and pierced his heart with a spear, so as
to paint a crucifixion." Francesco Susinno here repeats an
early urban legend about one of the greatest artists of the
Italian Renaissance.
Michelangelo Ludovico Buonarroti-Simoni sculptor, painter,
architect and poet was considered the greatest living artist
in his lifetime. His practice of several arts, however, was
not unusual in his time. Few artists have been as prolific;
fewer still have succeeded in creating enduring masterpieces
in so many mediums. He would have guaranteed his place in
history if he had produced only the David, or painted the
ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or erected St. Peters. Rather,
he made all three, and each is an ultimate achievement in the
history of human endeavor.
1475
March 6, born in Caprese.
1488
Michelangelo apprenticed in the workshop of Domenico
Ghirlandaio.
1494-95
Michelangelo in Bologna. Carves figures for the tomb of St.
Dominic.
1496-1501
In Rome. Carves the Bacchus and the Rome Pietΰ.
1503
Commission for the 12 apostles, including St. Mathew, for the
Florentine Cathedral (Duomo).
C. 1503-1505
Completes the Doni Tondo, Taddei Tondo, Pitti Tondo and the
Bruges Madonna.
1504
Completes the David Receives commission to paint the Battle
of Cascina.
1505-1545
Michelangelo works on the tomb of Julius II in both Rome and
Florence, carving Moses,
the Rebellious and Dying Slaves, Rachel and Leah.
1507
In Bologna working on the bronze statue of Julius II.
1508-1512
In Rome paints the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (finished
October 1512).
1516
Returns to Florence. Commissioned to erect the facade of the
Medici Church of San Lorenzo in Florence.
Signs third contract for the tomb of Pope Julius II.
1521
Death of Pope Leo X. Begins work on the tombs for the Medici
Chapel.
1527-1530
The Last Republic in Florence Commission to carve a Hercules
(never executed). Michelangelo
designs and builds fortifications.
C. 1530
1516
Returns to Florence. Commissioned to erect the facade of the
Medici Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. Signs third
contract for the tomb of Pope Julius II.
1521
Death of Pope Leo X. Begins work on the tombs for the Medici
Chapel.
1527-1530
The Last Republic in Florence Commission to carve a Hercules
(never executed). Michelangelo designs and builds
fortifications.
C. 1530
Carves Apollo / David.
1534
Death Pope Clement VII. Election of Alessandro Farnese as
Pope Paul III. Michelangelo leaves Florence, never to return.
Medici Madonna and victory left incomplete in Florentine
workshop. Spends the remaining 30 years of his life in Rome.
1536
Begins painting the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel.
Meets Vittoria Colonna.
1541
Last Judgment completed and unveiled.
1545
Tomb of Julius II completed and installed in San Pietro in
Vincoli, Rome.
1547
Death of Vittoria Colonna. Begins work on the Florentine
Pietΰ for his own tomb (abandoned c. 1555)
1559-1560
Designs for San Giovanni dei Fiorentini, Rome.
1561
Commissions for the Porta Pia and Santa Maria degli Angeli in
Rome.
1564
February 18, dies at home in Macel de Corvi, Rome
After being apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio for a year,
Michelangelo was taken under the wing of Lorenzo de Medici,
known as the Magnificent. One of the two marble works that
survive from the artists first years is a variant on the
composition of an ancient Roman sarcophagus. This composition
is the Battle of the Centaurs (C. 1492). The power of the
figures foretell the artists latter interests much more than
does the Madonna of the Stairs (C. 1491), a delicate work
that reflected the fashion of the Florentine sculptors.
Bacchus
Michelangelo produced his first large scale sculpture in
Rome, a larger than life figure of a drunken Bacchus
(1496-98), the Roman God of wine. This sensual, nude youth is
one of his few pagan works rather than Christian subject
matter and was based on ancient Greek and Roman statuary.
Made for a garden, it is also unique among Michelangelos
works in calling for observation from all sides rather than
primarily from the front. The statue, in a sense, was a
condensation of Michelangelos unorthodox education to date -
his immersion in the classics, his imitation and recreation
of antique sculpture, and his first experience of the eternal
city.
Pieta
The Bacchus led at once to the commission for the Pietΰ
(1498). He began in an unusual manner, by purchasing a horse
and going to the marble quarries of Carrara to select the
block. At 23, he completed this magnificent statue that shows
the Virgin Mary grieving over the dead Jesus. The
concentrated group of two is designed to evoke the observers
repentant prayers for sins that required Christs sacrificial
death. The complex problem for the designer was to extract
two figures from one marble block. Michelangelo treated the
group as one dense and compact mass so that it has an
imposing effect; yet he underlined the many contrasts
present; of male and female, vertical and horizontal, clothed
and naked, dead and alive, to clarify the two components. The
Virgin calls our attention to her dead son with her left
hand, while her right arm embraces him gently, lifting his
arm slightly so that it hangs lifelessly before us.
Michelangelo returned to the theme of the Pietΰ late in his
life, in two of his most personal expressions : the
Florentine Pietΰ (C.1547-1555), which he meant to have placed
on his own tomb, and the Rondanini Pietΰ (1555-1564), a work
that remained unfinished when he died.
David
The artists prominence, established by his work, was
reinforced at once by the commission of the David (1501-1504)
for the cathedral of Florence. For this huge statue (standing
at 4.34 m / 14 ft 3 tall), Michelangelo reused a block left
unfinished about 40 years before. The subject of this work is
the Old Testament story of David and Goliath, in which the
young David, flings a stone from his slingshot to kill the
giant Goliath. The statue became a symbol for the new
republic that had replaced Medici rule. Unlike his
predecessors, who depicted David with the grisly head of the
Giant under his foot, Michelangelo poses David at the moment
he faces the Giant, the deed before him. He believed that
this was Davids moment of greatest courage. The entire
sculpture shows tense waiting as David sizes up his enemy and
considers his course of action. The statue was set up in
front of the Palazzo della Signoria and it became a symbol of
the political strength of Florence against the forces of
tyranny. It has continued to serve as the prime statement of
the Renaissance ideal of perfect humanity.
With the twin achievements of the Pieta and the David in
Florence, Michelangelos reputation was firmly established.
Between 1500 and 1508, he sustained an astonishing level of
productivity. During this period, he carved nine marble
sculptures, including the colossal David, the Brubes Madonna,
the St. Matthew, two marble tondi, and four small figures for
the Piccolamini altar. He also completed three works in
bronze (all lost), including a bronze David sent to France,
and a monumental seated figure of Pope Julius for Bologna. He
completed at least one painting the Dani Tondo, and drew
the cartoon for the Battle of Cascind Fresco the most
prolific eight years of the artist.
Middle Years
Shortly after completing the David, Michelangelo received the
additional commission to paint a battle Fresco opposite his
rival Leonardo da Vinci. For differing reasons, both artists
failed to complete their commissions : Leonardo because of
technical frustrations, and Michelangelo because he was
summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II in 1505. The Pope employed
Michelangelo to carve his tomb so began the longest and
most convoluted chapter in Michelangelos life, what his
biographer Ascanio Condivi referred to as the "tragedy of the
tomb" but also one of his greatest endeavors.
The Tomb of Julius II
The Pope sought a tomb for which Michelangelo was to carve 40
large statues. In 1505, he began to work on a tomb for Pope
Julius II that was to have stood in St. Peters Basilica in
Rome. His earliest designs specify a freestanding structure
with three levels : at the bottom, figures representing
victory alternating with slaves, above them, four huge seated
figures including Moses and St. Paul, and finally, angels
supporting either a coffin or an image of the Pope. In the
end only three figures by Michelangelo were placed on the
tomb, which is now in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli,
Rome. Of these, the most powerful figure is Moses (c. 1515),
a dynamic example of his ability to infuse stone with a sense
of movement and life. The muscular torso of Moses twists to
the left, but his scowling face turns sharply to the right as
if he has just seen the people worshipping their false God.
It is regarded as the realization in sculpture of the
approach to great figures used for the prophets on the
Sistine Ceiling. (He was called to work on the Sistine Chapel
and after the ceiling was finished, reverted to work on the
tomb.) The control of cubic density in stone evokes great
reserves of strength. The surface textures also have more
variety than the earlier sculptures. Two of the slave statues
originally planned for the tomb, the Rebellious Slave and the
Dying Slave (both c. 1513-1516) were also completed. They
demonstrate his approach to carving, in which cutting away
excess stone appears to release an entrapped human figure.
Here, as in many of his sculptures, Michelangelo left parts
of the block of stone rough and unfinished, either because he
was satisfied with the statues as they were or because he no
longer planned to use them. Julius IIs death in 1513 cut off
most of the funds for his tomb.
The Sistine Ceiling
The Sistine Chapel had great symbolic meaning for the papacy
as the chief consecrated space in the Vatican. The new
commission, though from Julius himself, was a major project
preventing the completion of the tomb of Julius II.
Michelangelo was asked to add works for the relatively
unimportant ceiling. Between 1508 to 1512, he created some of
the most memorable images of all time on the vaulted ceiling
of the papal chapel in the Vatican. He had always considered
himself a sculptor and resisted painting the Sistine at first
: "I cannot live under pressures from patrons, but alone
paint". Only the power of Pope Julius II forced him into the
reluctant achievement of the worlds greatest single Fresco.
Twelve Apostles were planned as the theme traces of this
project are seen in the 12 large figures that Michelangelo
painted : seven prophets and five sibyls. He placed these
figures around the edge of the ceiling and filled the central
spine of the long curved surface with nine scenes from
genesis, three of them depicting, the creation of the world,
three the stories of Adam and Eve, and three the stories of
Noah. These are followed, below the prophets and sibyls, by
small figures of the 40 generations of Christs ancestors,
starting with Abraham. The vast project was completed in less
than four years. Bright clear colors enliven and unite the
vast surface, and make the details more legible from the
floor of the chapel.
The work began at the end with the Noah scenes placed over
the entrance door, and moved toward the altar in the
direction opposite to that of the sequence of the stories.
The first figures are relatively stable and on a small scale.
As he proceeded, he quickly grew in confidence. Since he
started working in an unfamiliar medium, the same growing
boldness appears in the free, complex movements of the
figures and in their complex expressiveness. Thus, he worked
from the quietly monumental scene (after 1510-11) of the
creation of Adam to the acute, twisted pressures of the
prophet Jonah. The Creation of Adam is perhaps Michelangelos
finest fusion of form and meaning. We see Adam beginning to
come to life, as he reaches listlessly toward the vigorous
energy that the image of God embodies. Following the
completion of the ceiling in 1512, Michelangelo finally was
able to turn again to sculpture and to the Julius tomb. He
later painted The Last Judgment on the altar wall of the
Sistine Chapel.
The Medici Chapel / Church of San Lorenzo
Pope Leo X, son of Lorenzo de Medici and successor of Pope
Julius II had known Michelangelo since childhood. The
immediate occasion for
the Chapel was the deaths of the two young family heirs,
named Giuliano and Lorenzo. Michelangelo envisioned the San
Lorenzo Faηade as a two story marble screen supporting as
many as 40 statues. Michelangelo gave his chief attention
(upto 1527) to the marble interior of this chapel, to both
the wall design and the carved figures on the tombs. A male
and a female figure sit on the curved bases; these are
allegories symbolizing on one tomb, day and night, and dawn
and dusk on the other according to the artists own
statement. The figures of Day and Dusk massive, are
tranquil in their scape. Both female figures have the tall,
slim proportions and small feet considered beautiful at the
time, but otherwise form a contrast. Dawn, a virginal figure,
strains upward as if trying to emerge into life, Night is
asleep, but in a posture suggesting stressful dreams.
Michelangelo conceived of the two tombs as representing
opposite types : Giuliano symbolized the active, extroverted
personality, Lorenzo, the contemplative introspective one.
By 1520, finding for the San Lorenzo facade was discontinued,
but Michelangelo remained occupied with other projects for
this church.
In addition to the Chapel, Pope Clement VII wished
Michelangelo to design a library to house the valuable
collection of Medici books and manuscripts. The elegant
Laurentian Library (1524 34 designed), adjoining the church
of San Lorenzo, confirmed Michelangelos architectural
abilities. In this and subsequent architectural projects, he
combined classical motifs columns, pediments, niches, and
brackets in new ways. In the entrance hall, he invented new
forms for the capitals of columns and tapered the pilasters
(flattened pillars attached so walls) downward instead of
upward. The curving contours of the staircase seem to flow
downward and outward, giving a sense of checked energy.
In 1534, Michelangelo returned after a quarter century to
Fresco painting, executing for the new Pope, Paul II the huge
Last Judgment for the end wall of the Sistine Chapel.
The Last Judgment (1534)
The Last Judgment depicts Christs Second Coming to the
world. The enormous scene is focussed on the impassive figure
of Christ whose right arm is poised to strike down the
damned, while the left arm seems gently to call the blessed
towards him. At his side is Virgin Mary, who looks down
quietly towards those emerging from their graves. The work in
a painting style has a pervasive color harmony of brown
bodies against a blue sky. The scene of hell in the lower
right corner is based on the Inferno, part of The Divine
Comedy by Dante Alighieri. The nudity that is shown in this
Fresco was sharply criticized soon after it was unveiled
which made it one of the most talked about and most
frequently copied works of art in the 16th century.
The Last Decades
In his late years, Michelangelo was less involved with
sculpture, and along with painting and poetry, more with
architecture an area in which he did not have to do
physical labor. He was sought after to design imposing
monuments for the new Rome. Two of these monuments, the
Capitoline Square (Piazza del Campidoglio) and the dome of
St. Peters, are still among the citys most notable visual
images. He did not finish either, but after his death, both
were continued.
Piazza del Campidoglio (Capitoline Square)
Michelangelos designs for the Capitoline Square (begun 1539,
completed later by others) and its surrounding buildings
succeeded in restoring this public space to its former side
as the civic and political heart of Rome. His program for
remodeling the Campidoglio began with a commission to create
a new base for an ancient Roman bronze statue of emperor
Marcus Aurelius on horseback. His plans soon expanded to
include the addition of a double staircase to the building
behind the statue, Palazzo Senatorio (completed 1544-1552);
identical facades for the buildings to the
sculptures right and left, the Palazzo dei Conservatori
(1563-1584) and the Palazzo Nuovo (1603-1650s). Finally a
broad ramp-like stairway defines the uphill approach to the
Piazza. The oval base Michelangelo designed for the statue of
Marcus Aurelius became the basis for his design of the entire
space. Perfect symmetry combines with flowing curves,
traditional Roman forms with inventive new ones, to produce a
unified and dynamic public space.
Saint Peters Basilica
In 1546, Michelangelo was given the task of completing the
design for St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican. Pope Julius
II first gave the commission to Michelangelos rival, Donato
Bramante, in 1506. When Bramante died in 1514, only the
supports were in place, which determined the scale and other
elements of design. Michelangelo returned to Bramantes plan,
but made it more compact, strengthening the supports and
unifying the exterior with gigantic pairs of pilasters with
Corinthian capitals. Around the base of the dome the line of
the pilasters is echoed by fully rounded columns, which are
in turn repeated on a smaller scale in the lantern at the top
of the dome. The effect is one of great mass pushing upward,
the forms varied in complex ways yet unified as a whole. The
dome functions chiefly as a visual focus, representing a
physical goal as well as expressing the dominant meaning of
the city. It has been copied for this dual purpose many times
as, for instance, in the Capitol at Washington D.C.
While remaining head architect of St. Peters until his
death, Michelangelo worked on many smaller building projects.
He completed the main unit of the Palazzo Farnese, the
residence of Pope Paul IIIs family.
His last paintings were the Frescoes of the Conversion of St.
Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter in the Pauline Chapel
in the Vatican.
There are only two late sculptures, which Michelangelo did
for himself. Both present the dead Christ, neither finished.
He completed Rachel and Leah for the tomb of Julius II and
the bust of Brutus. The Florentine Pietΰ was destined for his
own grave, but was given away, and the Rondanini was begun
for no ostensible reason. His poetry gives expression to the
theme that love helps human beings in their difficult effort
to ascend to the divine. Architecture was his final and
perhaps most influential legacy.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him
free.
A beautiful thing never gives so much pain as does failing
to hear and see it.
The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine
perfection.
Trifles make perfection, but perfection is no trifle.
Lord, grant that I may always desire more than I can
accomplish.
I have never felt salvation in nature. I love cities above
all.
If people only knew how hard I work to gain my mastery, it
wouldnt seem so wonderful at all.
Genius is eternal patience.
A man paints with his brains and not with his hands.
The promises of this world are, for the most part, vain
phantoms, and to confide in ones self, and become something
of worth and value is the best and safest course.
Art and death do not go well together.
No one has full mastery before reaching the end of his art
and his life
From his very beginnings, Michelangelo found admiration :
whatever he did amazed everybody. But most admired by his
contemporaries were his Sistine frescoes. In most of his
paintings all human standards seem to have been surpassed in
aim and in form. In sculpture too, Michelangelo showed how
the movements of bone and flesh can express spiritual urges.
In the last 22 years of his life Michelangelo finished none
of his sculptures, in the last 14 no painting; but his fame
continued to grow till the end. He worked in the spirit of
the Renaissance and opened new vistas toward mannerism and
the baroque.
Michelangelos patrons included, Popes, prominent Florentine
families, the Florentine Cathedral, Flemish merchants, a
French Cardinal and a French minister. Michelangelos
simultaneous commitment to an impossible number of
commissions inevitably meant that many were destined to
remain incomplete, and others were never begun.
