Michelangelo's Zeal for Defying the Norm in Art and Architecture

Introduction: Michelangelo's Devotion and Defiance

Michelangelo's devotion to the overall design of a creation is evident throughout his work. He frequently translated concepts from one field to another, and the most renowned example was his interest in the male figure — a fascination he expressed not only in his paintings but also in his sculptures. Michelangelo is well known for his interest in the human body (Hall 82), and he felt that the needs of the whole would always be more important than the needs of its parts. Just as in the human body, it is the articulation of the whole — composed of limbs and other elements — that must always take precedence over the articulation of any single element.

The beauty of the male figure, Michelangelo's primary focus, can be seen in many of his works. Perhaps the most famous reflection of this focus is his celebrated nude statue of David. David appears as the perfect man: muscular, handsome, and strong. His positioning is bold; the sense of thought present in his eyes is powerful, and his presence is overwhelming. His very maleness is obvious and striking, reflecting the concept of what a man was expected to be.

The Sistine Chapel, with its muscular biblical characters, offers yet another reflection of this preoccupation. The depiction of God and Adam in the chapel presents Adam as a strong, bold, muscular figure. Much like David, Adam is beautiful and perfectly proportioned; his maleness is striking and his appearance incredibly bold.

Michelangelo translated this concept into architecture as well, and his bold designs — which tore away from classical conventions — give witness to his views. His defiance of classical theory is evident in his design of the Laurentian Library. Designed for Pope Leo X, the Library stands out for its Mannerist architecture and its unusual structural forms for the time.

Perhaps because Michelangelo had few qualms about nude art and the depiction of the male body as beautiful, much of his work was rejected or looked down upon during his lifetime (Condivi 83). Accusations of homosexual eroticism have certainly been made based on Michelangelo's obsession with the male figure. Regardless, Michelangelo continued this focus and did not allow rejection to deter him. This attitude continues to inspire modern architects, often to the distaste of their critics. His interest in the human body and his rejection of the norm have served to define his art and have influenced future generations.

Michelangelo's need to divert from the norm is felt by many architects today. As Robert Venturi put it, "This is an architecture that inspired me the most, and that is because of the idea of the Mannerists of accepting and acknowledging convention and then diverting from it — making exceptions and creating appropriate ambiguities" (Belogolovsky 82).

Michelangelo's Enduring Influence and Creativity

Enduring Influence

Michelangelo was one of the great Renaissance figures who shaped the Mannerist style. Mannerist paintings show distorted or twisted poses and foreshortening — a technique for creating the impression of forms projecting into space. Figures appear elongated, especially in the body, neck, arms, and legs. "Mannerism is a style displaying the skill of the artist and demanding the knowledge of the viewer" (Mannerism 2000). Michelangelo's Last Judgment is a prime example of the Mannerist style. In this painting, foreshortening with lesser control was used to display his visually powerful artistic skill.

Foreshortening is a drawing technique in which the subject is rendered shorter than its actual size to create a three-dimensional effect. It was a common practice in painting during the 15th and 16th centuries. Michelangelo also used it in the ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel to convey the supremacy and movement of his principal figures.

One of Michelangelo's followers was Daniele da Volterra, whose Kneeling Figure reflected Michelangelo's defined drawing style. A drawing by Giulio Clovio was described as "a repetition of Michelangelo's The Dream of Human Life (Il Sogno) of the early 1530s, reflecting the fame and influence of his extremely refined and original presentation drawings" (Mannerism 2000). Seated Barbarian Prisoners by Pellegrino Tibaldi is also an example of the lasting persuasion of Michelangelo's figure draftsmanship and style. Bronzino, too, produced a painting showing a saint almost nude — a reflection of Michelangelo's Last Judgment, in which both saints and sinners were depicted in nudity. Michelangelo believed that the nude human body was God's greatest creation and consistently emphasized this in his works.

Creativity

Michelangelo's creativity was demonstrated in creations such as his carving of David from a useless and damaged solid block of marble. His work transformed something of no apparent value into a masterpiece of genius. "He can see through each block of stone a figure hidden inside, waiting to be released through sculpting" (Schuman & Paxton). His creativity was driven by his desire to glorify God. His belief that man was created in God's image inspired him to make male nude figures, which he described as true reflections of how God created His highest creation.

Drawing was Michelangelo's primary avenue for releasing the ideas formed in his imagination. His creativity was stirred while drawing, accelerating as he committed ideas to paper. "Although Michelangelo's art is rooted in naturalistic observation, he often manipulates human anatomy for expressive effect, creating poses that look natural but are in fact impossible" (Soden & Longair 2006). His knowledge of human anatomy — acquired from both cadavers and live models — combined with his extensive drawing experience enabled him to create poses that highlight the figure's musculature. "Michelangelo must have had a clear idea of the design before embarking on detailed life studies, so his figures are seen from behind while the torsos are twisted violently and the heads look the other way" (Soden & Longair 2006). He usually outlined only the left portion of a design because he knew that figures would overlap in the finished work. Michelangelo's creativity extended across sketches, drawings, poetry, paintings, frescoes, sculptures, architecture, and military engineering.