Michealangelo Michelangelo Di Lodovico Buonarotti

¶ … Michealangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarotti Simoni was born on March, 6, 1475 in Caprese, Tuscany and is presently recognized as one of the greatest artists of all time. He brought great contributions to the Renaissance period, and, along with Leonardo da Vinci and a series of other important artists that lived during the era, he managed to change society's perceptions in regard to art. Michelangelo's character was especially intriguing because of his ability to generate impressive artwork in all domains that he got involved in. His family was apparently interested in having Michelangelo pursue a career in financial-related domains, most probably with the purpose of continuing the family's tradition and because this was believed to be a profitable enterprise at the time. After his father's attempt to introduce him to Francesco da Urbino's school of grammar failed, he enrolled as a paid apprentice at Domenico Ghirlandaio's workshop. It was through Ghirlandaio that he was introduced to the Medici family, which contracted several of his later works. As the Medici family lost influence in Florence, Michelangelo was commissioned by a series of other patrons who required that he should sculpt or paint some of his most notable works.

Some of Michelangelo's greatest artworks were commissioned by popes, as he served six popes across his lifetime. His religion-directed works include the Sistine Chapel, several tombs meant to hold the bodies of popes, and the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. He outlived most of his acquaintances, as he died in Rome, on the 18 of February 1564, consequent to spending several days suffering as a result of his poor health condition.

Michelangelo's Pieta is certainly one of the most impressive sculptures of all time, as the work's sharp details and its resemblance to real life are breathtaking. While most artists chose to represent Jesus as an infant or as a grown man when held by the Virgin Mary, Michelangelo chose to use an adolescent's body instead. Michelangelo most probably wanted viewers to understand the connection between Jesus and Mary. Also, he did not want his sculpture to look unnatural, especially considering that a woman holding an adult male in her arms appeared to be abnormal. One might also be inclined to consider that the artist wanted people to acknowledge the fact that Jesus' death made it possible for them to see that he was vulnerable. In addition to depicting Jesus as a teenager, Michelangelo made Mary look as if she were still in her early twenties, this being an attempt to highlight the fact that she was pure and incorruptible.