The most famous works of Michelangelo. Creative suffering and platonic love of Michelangelo Buonarroti: A few fascinating pages from the life of a genius Michelangelo lived
Michelangelo Buonarroti is a recognized genius of the Renaissance, who made an invaluable contribution to the treasury of world culture.
On March 6, 1475, a second child was born into the Buonarroti Simoni family, who was named Michelangelo. The boy's father was the mayor of the Italian town of Carpese and was the scion of a noble family. Michelangelo's grandfather and great-grandfather were considered successful bankers, but his parents lived poorly. The status of mayor did not bring father big money, but he considered other work (physical) humiliating. A month after the birth of his son, Lodovico di Lionardo's tenure as mayor came to an end. And the family moved to the family estate located in Florence.
Francesca, the baby's mother, was constantly ill, and while pregnant, she fell from a horse, so she could not feed the baby on her own. Because of this, tiny Mika was assigned to a wet nurse, and the first years of his life were spent in the family of a stonemason. baby with early childhood played with pebbles and a chisel, becoming addicted to cultivating blocks. When the boy grew up, he often said that he owed his talent to his adoptive mother’s milk.
The boy's birth mother died when Mika was 6 years old. This has such a strong impact on the child’s psyche that he becomes withdrawn, irritable and unsociable. The father, worried about his son’s state of mind, sends him to the Francesco Galeota school. The student does not show any zeal for grammar, but he makes friends who instill in him a love of painting.
At the age of 13, Michelangelo announced to his father that he did not intend to continue the family financial business, but would study artistic skills. Thus, in 1488, the teenager became a student of the Ghirlandaio brothers, who introduced him to the art of creating frescoes and instilled in him the basics of painting.
Relief sculpture by Michelangelo "Madonna of the Stairs" He spent a year in the Ghirlandaio workshop, after which he went to study sculptures in the Medici gardens, where the ruler of Italy, Lorenzo the Magnificent, became interested in the young man’s talent. Now Michelangelo's biography has been enriched by acquaintance with the young Medici, who later became popes. While working in the Gardens of San Marco, the young sculptor received permission from Nico Bicellini (the rector of the church) to study human corpses. In gratitude, he gave the clergyman a crucifix with a face. By studying the skeletons and muscles of dead bodies, Michelangelo became thoroughly acquainted with the structure of the human body, but undermined his own health.
Relief sculpture by Michelangelo "Battle of the Centaurs" At the age of 16, the young man created his first two relief sculptures - “Madonna of the Stairs” and “Battle of the Centaurs”. These first bas-reliefs that came out of his hands prove that the young master is endowed with an extraordinary gift, and a brilliant future awaits him.
Creation
After the death of Lorenzo Medici, his son Piero ascended the throne, who, through political shortsightedness, destroyed the republican system of Florence. At the same time, Italy is attacked by the French army led by Charles VIII. A revolution breaks out in the country. Florence, torn apart by internecine factional wars, cannot withstand the military onslaught and surrenders. The political and internal situation in Italy is heating up to the limit, which is not at all conducive to Michelangelo’s work. The man goes to Venice and Rome, where he continues his studies and studies statues and sculptures of antiquity.
In 1498, the sculptor created the statue of Bacchus and the composition Pietà, which bring him world fame. The sculpture of young Mary holding the dead Jesus in her arms was placed in St. Peter's Church. A few days later, Michelangelo heard a conversation from one of the pilgrims, who stated that the Pietà composition was created by Christoforo Solari. That same night, the young master, overcome with anger, made his way into the church and carved an inscription on Mary’s breast ribbon. The engraving read: "MICHEL ANGELUS BONAROTUS FLORENT FACIBAT - made by Michelangelo Buonaroti, Florence."
A little later, he repented of his attack of pride and decided not to sign his works anymore.
At the age of 26, Mieke took on the incredibly difficult task of carving a statue from a 5-meter block of damaged marble. One of his contemporaries, without creating anything interesting, simply threw a stone. None of the masters were ready to refine the crippled marble. Only Michelangelo was not afraid of difficulties and three years later showed the world the majestic statue of David. This masterpiece has an incredible harmony of forms, filled with energy and inner strength. The sculptor managed to breathe life into a cold piece of marble.
When the master finished work on the sculpture, a commission was created that determined the location of the masterpiece. This is where Michelangelo's first meeting took place. This meeting could not be called friendly, because 50-year-old Leonardo was losing heavily to the young sculptor and even elevated Michelangelo to the ranks of rivals. Seeing this, the young Piero Soderini organizes a competition between the artists, entrusting them with painting the walls of the Great Council in the Palazzo Vecchio.
Da Vinci began work on a fresco based on the “Battle of Anghiari” plot, and Michelangelo took the “Battle of Cascina” as a basis. When 2 sketches were put on public display, none of the critics could give preference to any of them. Both cardboards turned out to be made so skillfully that the scale of justice equalized the talent of the masters of brushes and paints.
Since Michelangelo was also known as a brilliant artist, he was asked to paint the ceiling of one of the Roman churches in the Vatican. The painter was hired for this work twice. From 1508 to 1512 he painted the ceiling of the church, the area of which was 600 square meters. meters, scenes from the Old Testament from the moment of the Creation of the world to the Flood. The first man, Adam, appears most clearly here. Initially, Mieke planned to draw only 12 Apostles, but the project inspired the master so much that he devoted 4 years of his life to it.
At first, the artist painted the ceiling together with Francesco Granaxi, Giuliano Bugardini and a hundred laborers, but then, in a fit of anger, he fired his assistants. He hid the moments of creating the masterpiece even from the Pope, who repeatedly rushed to look at the painting. At the end of 1511, Michelangelo was so exhausted by the requests of those eager to see his creation that he lifted the veil of secrecy. What they saw shocked the imagination of many people. Even being impressed by this painting, he partially changed his own writing style.
The work in the Sistine Chapel tired the great sculptor so much that he wrote the following in his diary:
“After four tortured years of making over 400 life-size figures, I felt so old and tired. I was only 37, and all my friends no longer recognized the old man I had become.”
He also writes that from hard work his eyes almost stopped seeing, and life became gloomy and gray.
In 1535, Michelangelo again took up painting the walls in the Sistine Chapel. This time he creates the fresco “The Last Judgment,” which caused a storm of indignation among the parishioners. In the center of the composition is Jesus Christ, surrounded by naked people. These human figures symbolize sinners and righteous people. The souls of the faithful rise to heaven to the angels, and the souls of sinners are collected by Charon on his boat and drive them to Hell.
Fresco " Last Judgment"Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel The protest of believers was caused not by the picture itself, but by the naked bodies, which should not be in a holy place. There have been repeated calls for the destruction of the largest fresco of the Italian Renaissance. While working on the painting, the artist fell from the scaffolding, severely injuring his leg. The emotional man saw this as a divine sign and decided to give up the job. I could only convince him best friend, and part-time doctor who helped the patient heal.
Personal life
There have always been many rumors surrounding the personal life of the famous sculptor. He is prescribed various close relationships with his sitters. The version of Michelangelo's homosexuality is supported by the fact that he was never married. He himself explained it as follows:
“Art is jealous and demands the whole person. I have a wife to whom everything belongs, and my children are my creations.”
Historians accurately confirm his romantic relationship with Marchioness Vittoria Colonna. This woman, distinguished by her extraordinary intelligence, earned the love and deep affection of Michelangelo. Moreover, the Marchioness of Pescara is considered the only woman whose name is associated with the great artist.
It is known that they met in 1536, when the marquise arrived in Rome. A few years later, the woman was forced to leave the city and go to Viterbo. The reason was her brother's rebellion against Paul III. From this moment the correspondence between Michelangelo and Vittoria begins, which became a real monument of the historical era. It is believed that the relationship between Michelangelo and Vittoria was only platonic love. Remaining devoted to her husband who died in battle, the marquise felt only friendly feelings for the artist.
Death
Michelangelo completed his earthly journey in Rome on February 18, 1564. A few days before his death, the artist destroyed sketches, drawings and unfinished poems. He then went to the tiny church of Santa Maria del Angeli, where he wanted to perfect the sculpture of the Madonna. The sculptor believed that all his works were unworthy of the Lord God. And he himself is not worthy of meeting Paradise, since he did not leave behind any descendants, with the exception of soulless stone statues. In his last days, Mieke wanted to breathe life into the statue of the Madonna in order to thus complete earthly affairs.
But in church he lost consciousness from overexertion, and woke up the next morning. Having reached home, the man falls into bed, dictates his will and gives up the ghost.
The great Italian sculptor and painter left behind many works that still delight the minds of mankind. Even on the threshold of life and death, the master did not let go of the instruments, striving to leave only the best for his descendants. But there are moments in the Italian’s biography that not many people know.
- Michelangelo studied the corpses. The sculptor sought to recreate the human body in marble, observing the smallest details. And for this he needed to know anatomy well, so the master spent dozens of nights in the monastery morgue.
- The artist did not like painting. Surprisingly, Buonarroti considered creating landscapes and still lifes a waste of time and called these paintings “empty pictures for ladies.”
- The teacher broke Michelangelo's nose. This became known from the diaries of Giorgio Vasari, who described in detail a situation where a teacher, out of envy, beat a student, breaking his nose.
- The sculptor's serious illness. It is known that for the last 15 years of his life Micke suffered from severe joint pain. At that time, many paints were poisonous, and the artist was forced to constantly breathe in fumes.
- A good poet. Talented man talented in many ways. These words can be safely attributed to the great Italian. His portfolio contains hundreds of sonnets that were not published during his lifetime.
The work of the famous Italian brought him fame and wealth during his lifetime. And he was able to fully taste the veneration of fans and enjoy popularity, which was inaccessible to many of his colleagues.
Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet.
Born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan village of Caprese, where Michelangelo's father was the headman. Despite his father's strong protests, he became an apprentice to the fresco painter Ghirlandaio and soon began studying at the Florentine art school of Lorenzo Medici.
Michelangelo's work belongs to the High Renaissance. Already in his youthful works, such as the reliefs “Madonna of the Stairs”, “Battle of the Centaurs” (both around 1490-1492), Michelangelo’s main features emerge: monumentality, plastic power and dramatic images, reverence for man. Fleeing the civil unrest resulting from Savonarola's reign, Michelangelo moved from Florence to Venice, then to Rome.
During his five years in Rome, he created the first of his famous works, including the sculptures Bacchus (1496-1497) and Pietà (1498-1501) in St. Peter's Basilica. In 1500, at the invitation of the citizens of Florence, Michelangelo returned to this city in triumph.
Soon he had at his disposal a four-meter-high marble block, which two sculptors had already rejected. For the next three years, he worked selflessly, almost without leaving his workshop. In 1504, a monumental statue of a naked David was presented to the public.
In 1505, the power-hungry Pope Julius II ordered Michelangelo to return to Rome, ordering a tomb for himself. The sculptor worked for a whole year on the giant bronze statue that was to crown the monument, so that almost immediately after completion he could witness how his creation was melted down into cannons.
After Julius II in 1513, his heirs insisted on completing another project for a tomb sculpture. This, including numerous alterations caused by the whims of customers, took 40 years of Michelangelo’s life. As a result, he was forced to abandon the implementation of his plan, which included the erection of a tomb as part of the internal architecture of St. Peter's Cathedral.
The colossal marble Moses and the statues known as "Slaves" remained forever impressive parts of an unfinished whole.
According to contemporaries, Michelangelo was a closed and self-absorbed person, subject to sudden outbursts of violence. In his private life he was almost an ascetic, going to bed late and rising early. They said that he often slept without even taking off his shoes. When he was almost sixty, Pope Paul III commissioned Michelangelo to create wall frescoes in the Sistine Chapel depicting scenes of the Last Judgment (1536-1541).
In 1547, he was given the post of chief architect for the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica and designed the enormous dome, which remains one of the greatest masterpieces of architecture to this day.
I wish you would read these words of Michelangelo at the very beginning. There is so much philosophical wisdom in them. He wrote this when he was already an old man.
"Alas! Alas! I am betrayed by the unnoticed passing of the days. I waited too long... time has flown by, and now I am an old man. It’s too late to repent, too late to think - death is at the threshold... In vain I shed tears: what misfortune can compare with what was lost time...
Alas! Alas! I look back and cannot find a day that belongs to me! Deceptive hopes and vain desires prevented me from seeing the truth, now I understand this... How many tears, torment, how many sighs of love, for not a single human passion remained alien to me.
Alas! Alas! I'm wandering, not knowing where, and I'm scared. And if I am not mistaken - oh, God forbid that I am mistaken - I see, I clearly see, Creator, that eternal punishment is in store for me, awaiting those who have committed evil, knowing what is good. And now I don’t know what to hope for...”
Michelangelo was born in 1475 in the small town of Caprese. His mother died early and his father gave him up to be raised by a nurse's family. At the age of 12, he was sent first to learn to read and write, and then to paint in the studio of the artist Ghirlandaio. The master instructed him to copy paintings of great masters. But he did it it is so skillful that it was difficult to distinguish it from the original.
Thanks to this, he became famous and was accepted into the school that the Medici organized for the most talented children of Florence. In this school, he took a special position, thanks to his talent, and was invited to live in the Medici palace. Here he became acquainted with philosophy and literature.
He was the greatest sculptor and an artist, architect and poet.
He had a proud and irreconcilable character, gloomy and stern, he embodied all the torments of man - struggle, suffering, dissatisfaction, discord between ideal and reality.
He was never married. He said:
Art is jealous and demands the whole person. I have a wife to whom I belong entirely, and my children are my works."
His only love was Victoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara. She came to Rome in 1536. She was 47 years old and a widow. The Marquise was a very educated woman for her time. She was a poetess, deeply interested in science and philosophy. In her salon, lively conversations about modern events, science and art. Michelangelo was received here as a royal guest. At that time he was already 60 years old.
Most likely it was platonic love Victoria remained devoted to her husband, who died in battle, and had only great friendship for Michelangelo.
The artist’s biographer writes: “The love he had for the Marquise of Pescara was especially great. He still keeps many of her letters, filled with the purest, sweetest feelings... He himself wrote many sonnets for her, talented and filled with sweet melancholy.
For his part, he loved her so much that, as he said, one thing saddens him: when he came to look at her, no longer alive, he kissed only her hand, and not her forehead or face. Because of this death, he remained confused for a long time and as if distraught.” The closest person to him for many years was his servant Urbino. When the servant fell ill, he looked after him for a long time.
The last statue he worked on was Mary and Jesus, which he did for his tomb, but he never finished it.
He died at the age of 89 in 1564 in Rome. But he was transported to Florence and buried in the Church of Santa Croce.
Tombstone on the grave of Michelangelo. Florence. Church of Santa Croce.
On the tomb designed by Vasari - sculptures of the three muses - sculpture, painting and architecture
His will was very short - “I give my soul to God, my body to the earth, and my property to my relatives.”
Researchers write about the sonnets dedicated to Michelangelo Vittoria: “The deliberate, forced platonism of their relationship aggravated and brought to crystallization the love-philosophical structure of Michelangelo’s poetry, which largely reflected the views and poetry of the Marchioness herself, who during the 1530s played the role of Michelangelo’s spiritual guide . Their poetic “correspondence” attracted the attention of their contemporaries; Perhaps the most famous was sonnet 60, which became the subject of special interpretation.
And the highest genius will not add
One thought to the fact that marble itself
It conceals in abundance - and that’s all we need
A hand obedient to reason will reveal.
Am I waiting for joy, is anxiety pressing on my heart,
The wisest, good donna, - to you
I am obliged to everything, and the shame is heavy for me,
That my gift does not glorify you as it should.
Not the power of Love, not your beauty,
Or coldness, or anger, or the oppression of contempt
They bear the blame for my misfortune, -
Because death is merged with mercy
In your heart - but my pathetic genius
By loving, he is capable of extracting one death.
Michelangelo
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT WORKS OF THE GREAT GENIUS.
David. 1501-1504 Florence.
Pieta. Marble.!488-1489.Vatican.St. Peter's Basilica.
The Last Judgment. Sistine Chapel. Vatican. 1535-1541
Fragment.
Ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
Fragment of the ceiling.
Madonna Doni , 1507
“The arts have reached such perfection in him that you will not find either among the ancients or among the new people over many, many years.
He had such and such a perfect imagination, and the things that seemed to him in the idea were such that it was impossible to carry out such great and amazing plans with his hands, and he often abandoned his creations, moreover, he destroyed many; Thus, it is known that shortly before his death he burned a large number of drawings, sketches and cardboards created with his own hands, so that no one could see the labors he had overcome, and the ways in which he tested his genius in order to show it as nothing less than perfect.” .
— Giorgio Vasari, biographer.
Be sure to watch this video.
Romain Rolland ended his biography of Michelangelo with these words:
“Great souls are like mountain peaks. Whirlwinds fall on them, clouds envelop them, but one can breathe easier and more freely there. Fresh and transparent air cleanses the heart of all filth, and when the clouds clear, boundless distances open up from above and you see all of humanity.
Such is also the gigantic mountain that rose above the Italy of the Renaissance and with its broken peak went under the clouds.".
This material was prepared with great love for the great master, sculptor, painter, poet and architect Michelangelo Buonarotti. I don’t know if I managed to convey this - you can judge.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, full name Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni (Italian: Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni). Born March 6, 1475, Caprese - died February 18, 1564, Rome. Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet, thinker. One of the greatest masters of the Renaissance.
Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan town of Caprese north of Arezzo, the son of an impoverished Florentine nobleman, Lodovico Buonarroti (1444-1534), a city councilor.
In some biographical books it is said that Michelangelo's ancestor was a certain Messer Simone, who came from the family of Counts di Canossa. In the 13th century, he allegedly arrived in Florence and even ruled the city as podestà. Documents, however, do not confirm this origin. They do not even confirm the existence of a podesta with that name, but Michelangelo’s father apparently believed it, and even later, when Michelangelo had already become famous, the count’s family willingly acknowledged kinship with him.
Alessandro di Canossa in 1520, in a letter, called him a respected relative, invited him to visit him and asked him to consider his house his own. Charles Clement, author of several books on Michelangelo, is confident that the origin of Buonarroti from the Counts of Canossa, generally accepted in Michelangelo's time, seems more than doubtful today. In his opinion, the Buonarroti settled in Florence a very long time ago and at different times were in the service of the government of the republic in quite important positions.
The latter never mentions his mother, Francesca di Neri di Miniato del Sera, who married early and died from exhaustion due to frequent pregnancy in the year of Michelangelo’s sixth birthday in his voluminous correspondence with his father and brothers.
Lodovico Buonarroti was not rich, and the income from his small property in the village was barely enough to support many children. In this regard, he was forced to give Michelangelo to a nurse, the wife of a Scarpelino from the same village, called Settignano. There, raised by the Topolino couple, the boy learned to knead clay and use a chisel before reading and writing.
In 1488, Michelangelo's father came to terms with his son's inclinations and placed him as an apprentice in the studio of the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio. He studied there for one year. A year later, Michelangelo moved to the school of the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, which existed under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici, the de facto master of Florence.
The Medici recognized Michelangelo's talent and patronized him. From approximately 1490 to 1492, Michelangelo was at the Medici court. It is possible that the Madonna near the Staircase and the Battle of the Centaurs were created at this time. After the death of the Medici in 1492, Michelangelo returned home.
In 1494-1495, Michelangelo lived in Bologna, creating sculptures for the Arch of St. Dominic.
In 1495, he returned to Florence, where the Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola ruled, and created the sculptures “St. Johannes” and “Sleeping Cupid”. In 1496, Cardinal Raphael Riario bought Michelangelo's marble "Cupid" and invited the artist to work in Rome, where Michelangelo arrived on June 25. In 1496-1501 he created Bacchus and the Roman Pieta.
In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence. Commissioned works: sculptures for the “Altar of Piccolomini” and “David”. In 1503, commissioned work was completed: “The Twelve Apostles”, work began on “St. Matthew” for the Florentine Cathedral.
Around 1503-1505, the creation of the “Madonna Doni”, “Madonna Taddei”, “Madonna Pitti” and the “Brugger Madonna” took place. In 1504, work on “David” was completed; Michelangelo receives an order to create the Battle of Cascina.
In 1505, the sculptor was summoned by Pope Julius II to Rome; he ordered a tomb for him. An eight-month stay in Carrara follows, selecting the marble necessary for the work.
In 1505-1545, work was carried out (with interruptions) on the tomb, for which the sculptures “Moses”, “Bound Slave”, “Dying Slave”, “Leah” were created.
In April 1506 he returned to Florence again, followed by reconciliation with Julius II in Bologna in November. Michelangelo receives an order for a bronze statue of Julius II, which he works on in 1507 (later destroyed).
In February 1508, Michelangelo returned to Florence again. In May, at the request of Julius II, he goes to Rome to paint ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel; He works on them until October 1512.
In 1513, Julius II dies. Giovanni Medici becomes Pope Leo X. Michelangelo enters into a new contract to work on the tomb of Julius II. In 1514, the sculptor received an order for “Christ with the Cross” and the chapel of Pope Leo X in Engelsburg.
In July 1514, Michelangelo returned to Florence again. He receives an order to create the facade of the Medici Church San Lorenzo in Florence, and he signs the third contract for the creation of the tomb of Julius II.
In the years 1516-1519, numerous trips took place to buy marble for the façade of San Lorenzo to Carrara and Pietrasanta.
In 1520-1534, the sculptor worked on the architectural and sculptural complex of the Medici Chapel in Florence, and also designed and built the Laurentian Library.
In 1546, the artist was entrusted with the most significant architectural commissions of his life. For Pope Paul III, he completed the Palazzo Farnese (the third floor of the courtyard façade and the cornice) and designed for him a new decoration of the Capitol, the material embodiment of which, however, lasted for quite a long time. But, of course, the most important order, which prevented him from returning to his native Florence until his death, was for Michelangelo his appointment as the chief architect of St. Peter's Cathedral. Convinced of such trust in him and faith in him on the part of the pope, Michelangelo, in order to show his good will, wished that the decree should declare that he served on the construction for the love of God and without any remuneration.
Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 in Rome. He was buried in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. Before his death, he dictated his will with all his characteristic laconicism: “I give my soul to God, my body to the earth, my property to my relatives.” According to Bernini, the great Michelangelo said before his death that he regretted that he was dying just when he had just learned to read syllables in his profession.
Famous works of Michelangelo:
Madonna at the Stairs. Marble. OK. 1491. Florence, Buonarroti Museum
Battle of the Centaurs. Marble. OK. 1492. Florence, Buonarroti Museum
Pieta. Marble. 1498-1499. Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica
Madonna and Child. Marble. OK. 1501. Bruges, Notre Dame Church
David. Marble. 1501-1504. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Madonna Taddei. Marble. OK. 1502-1504. London, Royal Academy of Arts
Madonna Doni. 1503-1504. Florence, Uffizi Gallery
Madonna Pitti. OK. 1504-1505. Florence, National Bargello Museum
Apostle Matthew. Marble. 1506. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel. 1508-1512. Vatican. Creation of Adam
Dying Slave. Marble. OK. 1513. Paris, Louvre
Moses. OK. 1515. Rome, Church of San Pietro in Vincoli
Atlant. Marble. Between 1519, ca. 1530-1534. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts
Medici Chapel 1520-1534
Madonna. Florence, Medici Chapel. Marble. 1521-1534
Laurentian Library. 1524-1534, 1549-1559. Florence
Tomb of Duke Lorenzo. Medici Chapel. 1524-1531. Florence, Cathedral of San Lorenzo
Tomb of Duke Giuliano. Medici Chapel. 1526-1533. Florence, Cathedral of San Lorenzo
Crouched boy. Marble. 1530-1534. Russia, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum
Brutus. Marble. After 1539. Florence, National Bargello Museum
Last Judgment. The Sistine Chapel. 1535-1541. Vatican
Tomb of Julius II. 1542-1545. Rome, Church of San Pietro in Vincoli
Pieta (Entombment) of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Marble. OK. 1547-1555. Florence, Opera del Duomo Museum.
In 2007, Michelangelo's last work was found in the Vatican archives - a sketch of one of the details of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The red chalk drawing is "a detail of one of the radial columns that make up the drum of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome." It is believed that this is the last work famous artist, executed shortly before his death in 1564.
This is not the first time that Michelangelo's works have been found in archives and museums. So, in 2002, in storage National Museum design in New York, among the works of unknown Renaissance authors, another drawing was found: on a sheet of paper measuring 45x25 cm, the artist depicted a menorah - a candlestick for seven candles. At the beginning of 2015, it became known about the discovery of the first and probably the only bronze sculpture by Michelangelo that has survived to this day - a composition of two panther riders.
The Renaissance gave the world many talented artists and sculptors. But among them there are titans of the spirit who have reached unprecedented heights in various fields of activity. Such a genius was Michelangelo Buonarroti. Whatever he did: sculpture, painting, architecture or poetry, in everything he showed himself as a highest degree gifted person. Michelangelo's works amaze with their perfection. He followed the humanism of the Renaissance, endowing people with divine traits.
Childhood and youth
The future genius of the Renaissance was born on March 6, 1475 in the town of Caprese in the Casentino district. He was the second son of podesta Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni and Francesca di Neri. The father gave the child to the nurse, the wife of a stonecutter from Settignano. In total, 5 sons were born into the Buonarroti family. Unfortunately, Francesca died when Michelangelo was 6 years old. After 4 years, Lodovico married again to Lucrezia Ubaldini. His meager income was barely enough to support his large family.
At the age of 10, Michelangelo was sent to the Francesco da Urbino school in Florence. The father wanted his son to become a lawyer. However, young Buonarroti, instead of studying, ran to church to copy the works of old masters. Lodovico often beat the careless boy - in those days painting was considered an unworthy occupation for nobles, to whom Buonarroti counted themselves.
Michelangelo became friends with Francesco Granacci, who studied in the studio of the famous painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Granacci secretly carried the teacher's drawings, and Michelangelo could practice painting.
In the end, Lodovico Buonarroti came to terms with his son’s calling and at the age of 14 sent him to study in Ghirlandaio’s workshop. According to the contract, the boy was supposed to study for 3 years, but after a year he left his teacher.
Domenico Ghirlandaio Self-Portrait The ruler of Florence, Lorenzo de' Medici, planned to establish a art school and asked Ghirlandaio to send him several gifted students. Among them was Michelangelo.
At the court of Lorenzo the Magnificent
Lorenzo Medici was a great connoisseur and admirer of art. He patronized many artists and sculptors and was able to collect an excellent collection of their works. Lorenzo was a humanist, philosopher, poet. Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci worked at his court.
The mentor of the young Michelangelo was the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, a student of Donatello. Michelangelo began to study sculpture with enthusiasm and proved himself to be a talented student. The young man's father was against such activities: he considered being a stonecutter unworthy for his son. Only Lorenzo the Magnificent himself was able to convince the old man by talking to him personally and promising him a position of money.
At the Medici court, Michelangelo studied not only sculpture. He could communicate with prominent thinkers of his time: Marcelio Ficino, Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola. The Platonic worldview that reigned at court and humanism would have a great influence on the work of the future titan of the Renaissance.
Early works
Michelangelo studied sculpture using ancient examples, and painting by copying the frescoes of famous masters in the churches of Florence. The young man's talent was already evident in his early works. The most famous of them are the reliefs of the Battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna of the Stairs.
The battle of the centaurs amazes with its dynamism and energy of battle. This is a crowd of naked bodies, heated by the fight and the proximity of death. In this work, Michelangelo takes ancient bas-reliefs as a model, but his centaurs are something more. This is rage, pain and a frantic desire to win.
The Madonna at the Staircase differs in execution and mood. It resembles a drawing in stone. Smooth lines, many folds and the look of the Mother of God, directed into the distance, and full of pain. She holds the sleeping baby close to her and thinks about what awaits him in the future.
Michelangelo's genius is already visible in these early works. He does not blindly copy old masters, but tries to find his own, special way.
Troubled times
After the death of Lorenzo de' Medici in 1492, Michelangelo returned to his home. The eldest son of Lorenzo Piero became the ruler of Florence, who will be given the “talking” nicknames Stupid and Unlucky.
Michelangelo understood that he needed deep knowledge of the anatomy of the human body. They could only be obtained by opening corpses. At that time, such activities were comparable to witchcraft and could be punishable by execution. Fortunately, the abbot of the monastery of San Spirito agreed to secretly let the artist into the dead room. In gratitude, Michelangelo made a wooden statue of the crucified Christ for the monastery.
Piero de' Medici again invited Michelangelo to court. One of the orders of the new ruler was to make a giant out of snow. This was undoubtedly humiliating for the great sculptor
Meanwhile, the situation in the city was heating up. The monk Savonarola, who arrived in Florence, in his sermons castigated luxury, art, and the carefree life of aristocrats as grave sins. He gained more and more followers, and soon sophisticated Florence turned into a stronghold of fanaticism with bonfires where luxury goods burned. Piero de' Medici fled to Bologna; the French king Charles VIII was preparing to attack the city.
During these turbulent times, Michelangelo and his friends left Florence. He went to Venice and then to Bologna.
To Bologna
In Bologna, Michelangelo had a new patron who appreciated his talent. It was Gianfrancesco Aldovrandi, one of the rulers of the city.
Here Michelangelo became acquainted with the works of the famous sculptor Jacopo della Quercia. He spent a lot of time reading Dante and Petrarch.
On Aldovrandi's recommendation, the City Council commissioned the young sculptor to create three statues for the tomb of St. Domenic: St. Petronius, a kneeling angel with a candlestick, and St. Proclus. The statues fit perfectly into the composition of the tomb. They were executed with great skill. The angel with the candelabra has the divinely beautiful face of an antique statue. Short curly hair curls on the head. He has a strong warrior's body, hidden in the folds of his clothes.
Saint Petronius, the patron saint of the city, holds its model in his hands. He is wearing a bishop's robe. Saint Proclus, frowning, looks forward, his figure is full of movement and protest. It is believed that this is a self-portrait of the young Michelangelo.
This order was coveted by many Bologna craftsmen, and Michelangelo soon learned that an attack was being prepared against him. This forced him to leave Bologna, where he stayed for a year.
Florence and Rome
Returning to Florence, Michelangelo received an order from Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco Medici for a statue of John the Baptist, which was later lost.
In addition, Buonarroti sculpted the figure of a sleeping Cupid in the antique style. Having aged it, Michelangelo sent the statue with an intermediary to Rome. There it was acquired by Cardinal Rafael Riario as an ancient Roman sculpture. The cardinal considered himself an expert in ancient art. He was even more outraged when the deception was revealed. Having learned who the author of Cupid was and admiring his talent, the cardinal invited the young sculptor to Rome. Michelangelo, after thinking, agreed. Riario got back his money spent on the statue. But the cunning intermediary refused to sell it back to Michelangelo, realizing that he could sell it again at a higher price. Later, traces of Sleeping Cupid were lost in the centuries.
Bacchus
Riario invited Michelangelo to stay with him and promised to provide him with work. In Rome, Michelangelo studied antique sculpture and architecture. He received his first serious order from the cardinal in 1497. It was a statue of Bacchus. Michelangelo finished it in 1499. The image of the ancient god was not entirely canonical. Michelangelo realistically depicted the intoxicated Bacchus, who, swaying, stands with a cup of wine in his hand. Riario refused the sculpture, and it was bought by the Roman banker Jacopo Gallo. The statue was later acquired by the Medici and taken to Florence.
Pieta
Under the patronage of Jacopo Gallo, Michelangelo received an order from the French ambassador to the Vatican, Abbot Jean Bilaire. The Frenchman commissioned a sculpture for his tomb called the Pietà, depicting Our Lady mourning the death of Jesus. In two years, Michelangelo created a masterpiece. He set himself a difficult task, which he accomplished perfectly: to place the body of a dead man on the lap of a fragile woman. Mary is filled with sorrow and divine love. Her youthful face is beautiful, although she must have been about 50 years old at the time of her son's death. The artist explained this by the virginity of Mary and the touch of the Holy Spirit. The naked body of Jesus contrasts with the draped Virgin Mary. His face is calm, despite the suffering he has endured. Pieta is the only work where Michelangelo left his autograph. Hearing a group of people arguing about the authorship of the statue, at night he engraved his name on the baldric of the Virgin Mary. The Pietà is now in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, where it was moved in the 18th century.
David
Having become a famous sculptor at the age of 26, Michelangelo returned to hometown. In Florence, a piece of marble had been waiting for him for 40 years, damaged by the sculptor Agostino di Ducci, who abandoned work on it. Many craftsmen wanted to work with this block, but the crack that formed in the layers of marble scared everyone away. Only Michelangelo decided to accept the challenge. He signed a contract for a statue of the Old Testament King David in 1501 and worked on it for 5 years behind a high fence, hiding everything from prying eyes. As a result, Michelangelo created David as a strong young man before his fight with the giant Goliath. His face is concentrated, his eyebrows are knitted. The body is tense in anticipation of the fight. The statue was so perfectly made that the customers abandoned the original intention of placing it near the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. She became a symbol of the love of freedom of Florence, which expelled the Medici clan and entered into a fight with Rome. As a result, it was placed near the walls of the Palazzo Vecchio, where it stood until the 19th century. Now there is a copy of David there, and the original has been moved to the Academy of Fine Arts.
Confrontation between two titans
It is known that Michelangelo had a complex character. He could be rude and hot-tempered, unfair to his fellow artists. His confrontation with Leonardo da Vinci is famous. Michelangelo perfectly understood the level of his talent and treated him jealously. The graceful, sophisticated Leonardo was his complete opposite, and greatly irritated the rough, uncouth sculptor. Michelangelo himself led an ascetic life as a hermit; he was always content with little. Leonardo was constantly surrounded by fans and students and loved luxury. One thing united the artists: their great genius and dedication to art.
One day life brought two titans of the Renaissance together in a confrontation. Gonfolanier Soderini invited Leonardo da Vinci to paint the wall of the new Palace of the Signoria. And later he turned to Michelangelo with the same proposal. Two great artists were to create true masterpieces on the walls of the Signoria. Leonardo chose the Battle of Anghiari for the plot. Michelangelo was supposed to depict the Battle of Cascina. These were victories won by the Florentines. Both artists created preparatory boards for the murals. Unfortunately, Soderini's grandiose plan was not realized. Both works were never created. Cardboard works were put on public display and became a place of pilgrimage for artists. Thanks to copies, we now know what the plans of Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo looked like. The cardboards themselves were not preserved; they were cut and pulled into pieces by artists and onlookers.
Tomb of Julius II
In the midst of work on the Battle of Cascina, Michelangelo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II. The Pope commissioned him to work on his tombstone. Initially, a luxurious tomb was planned, surrounded by 40 statues, the like of which had no equal. However, this grandiose plan was never destined to come true, although the artist spent 40 years of his life on the tomb of Pope Julius II. After dad's death, his relatives greatly simplified the original project. Michelangelo sculpted the figures of Moses, Rachel and Leah for the tombstone. He also created figures of slaves, but they were not included in the final project and were donated by the author Roberto Strozzi. This order hung like a heavy stone on the sculptor for half his life in the form of an unfulfilled obligation. What infuriated him most was the departure from the original project. This meant that a lot of the artist’s efforts were wasted.
The Sistine Chapel
In 1508, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Buonarroti reluctantly accepted this order. He was primarily a sculptor; he had never painted frescoes before. The painting of the ceiling represented a grandiose front of work that lasted until 1512.
Michelangelo had to construct a new type of scaffolding to work under the ceiling and invent a new composition of plaster that was not susceptible to mold. The artist painted standing with his head thrown back for many hours. The paint dripped onto his face, and he developed osteoarthritis and impaired vision due to such conditions. The artist depicted in 9 frescoes the history of the Old Testament from the creation of the world to the Great Flood. On the side walls he painted the prophets and ancestors of Jesus Christ. Often Michelangelo had to improvise, as Julius II was in a hurry to finish the work. The Pope was pleased with the result, although he believed that the fresco was not luxurious enough and looked poor due to the small amount of gilding. Michelangelo objected to this by saying that he depicted saints, and they were not rich.
Last Judgment
After 25 years, Michelangelo returned to Sistine Chapel for painting the Last Judgment fresco on the altar wall. The artist depicted the second coming of Christ and the Apocalypse. This work is considered to mark the end of the Renaissance.
The fresco created a sensation in Roman society. There were both fans and critics of the great artist’s creation. The abundance of naked bodies in the fresco caused fierce controversy during Michelangelo's lifetime. Church leaders were outraged that the saints were shown in an “obscene form.” Subsequently, several edits were made: clothes and fabric covering the figures were drawn intimate parts. The image of Christ, rather similar to the pagan Apollo, also raised many questions. Some critics even suggested destroying the fresco as contrary to Christian canons. Thank God, it didn’t come to this, and we can see this grandiose creation of Michelangelo, albeit in a distorted form.
Architecture and poetry
Michelangelo was not only a brilliant sculptor and artist. He was also a poet and architect. Of his architectural projects, the most famous are: St. Peter's Cathedral in Rome, Palazzo Farnese, the facade of the Medici Church of San Lorenzo, and the Laurenzina Library. There are a total of 15 buildings or structures where Michelangelo worked as an architect.
Michelangelo wrote poetry all his life. His youthful works have not reached us because the author burned them in a fit of anger. About 300 of his sonnets and madrigals have survived. They are considered examples of Renaissance poetry, although they can hardly be called ideal. Michelangelo glorifies the perfection of man in them and laments his loneliness and disappointment in modern society. His poems were first published after the author's death in 1623.
Personal life
Michelangelo devoted his entire life to art. He never married and had no children. He lived ascetically. Carried away by work, he could eat nothing except a crust of bread and sleep in clothes, so as not to waste energy on changing clothes. The artist’s relationships with women did not work out. Some researchers suggest that Michelangelo had intimate relationships with his students and sitters, but there is no reliable information about this.
Tommaso Cavalieri
It is known about his close friendship with the Roman nobleman Tommaso Cavalieri. Tommaso was old enough to be the artist’s son and was very handsome. Michelangelo dedicated many sonnets and letters to him, openly speaking about his ardent feelings and admiring the merits of the young man. However, it is impossible to judge the artist by today's standards. Michelangelo was a fan of Plato and his theory of love, which taught to see beauty not so much in the body as in the soul of a person. Plato considered the highest stage of love to be the contemplation of beauty in everything around us. According to Plato, love for another soul brings us closer to Divine love. Tommaso Cavalieri maintained friendly relations with the artist until his death and became his executor. At the age of 38 he married, his son became a famous composer.
Vittoria Colonna
Another example of platonic love is Michelangelo’s relationship with the Roman aristocrat Vittoria Colonna. The meeting with this outstanding woman took place in 1536. She was 47 years old, he was over 60. Vittoria belonged to a noble family, bore the title of Princess of Urbino. Her husband was the Marquis de Pescara, a famous military leader. After his death in 1525, Vittoria Colonna no longer sought to get married and lived in solitude, devoting herself to poetry and religion. She had a platonic relationship with Michelangelo. It was a great friendship between two already middle-aged people who had seen a lot in life. They wrote letters and poems to each other, and spent time in long conversations. The death of Vittoria in 1547 deeply shocked Michelangelo. He plunged into depression, Rome disgusted him.
Frescoes in the Paolina Chapel
One of Michelangelo's last works were the frescoes in the Paolina Chapel, the Conversion of St. Paul and the Crucifixion of St. Peter, which he painted with great difficulty due to his advanced age. The frescoes amaze with their emotional power and harmonious composition.
In his depiction of the apostles, Michelangelo broke the generally accepted tradition. Peter expresses protest and struggle, being nailed to the cross. And Michelangelo portrayed Paul as an old man, although the conversion of the future apostle took place in at a young age. Thus, the artist compared him with Pope Paul III, the customer of the frescoes.
Death of a Genius
Before his death, Michelangelo burned many of his drawings and poems. The Grand Master died on February 18, 1564 at the age of 88 from illness. A doctor, a notary and friends, including Tommaso Cavalieri, were present at his death. The heir to the property, namely 9,000 ducats, drawings and unfinished statues, was Michelangelo's nephew Leonardo.
Where is Michelangelo Buonarroti buried?
Michelangelo wanted to be buried in Florence. But in Rome everything was already prepared for a luxurious funeral rite. Leonardo Buonarroti had to steal his uncle's body and secretly take it to his hometown. There Michelangelo was solemnly buried in the Church of Santa Croce next to other great Florentines. The tomb was designed by Giorgio Vasari.
Michelangelo was a rebellious spirit who celebrated the divine in man. The significance of his legacy is difficult to overestimate. He was not just a representative of the Italian Renaissance, he became a huge part of world art. Michelangelo Buonarroti now remains one of greatest geniuses humanity and will always be so.
