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

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.

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.

Michelangelo's Emphasis on Visual Effects

Michelangelo emphasized strong visual effects, and his views are represented throughout his works and architectural designs. Nowhere is this more apparent than in his design of the Capitoline Hill. The Capitoline Hill plays with perspective through its unusual shape — not quite square but more rhomboid in structure, with a statue of Marcus Aurelius at its center. The slight variation in shape plays deliberately with visual perception.

The 2005 Biennale exhibition "Metamorph" offered examples of modern architects' attempts to find new and sometimes unconventional ways of designing compositions (Moore 23). The experimental shapes on display were described by some as a show of "pessimism" or distrust in modern architecture. They were nevertheless loaded with visual trickery, often blending into the background. These visual effects, and the care with which the architectural compositions were created, were intended to mesmerize through extraordinary perspectives. Many of the architects claimed to be inspired by Michelangelo, while others named different figures; however, Michelangelo's influence — his habit of playing upon convention, defying norms, and emphasizing visual effect — was prominent throughout.

Another demonstration of Michelangelo's use of visual effect was his fourteen-foot sculpture of David. At the time, the people of Florence were facing great adversity and the city was surrounded by threatening forces. Michelangelo's creation of the sculpture served as a visual reminder of David's victory over the giant and powerful Goliath, discreetly reminding Florence of the power of courage over superior numbers.

Michelangelo's drawings focus on the male human body — mostly nude — revealing its God-given beauty through its muscular torso, toned physique, and a variety of unique poses that suggest emotional movement and action. His nude and semi-nude subjects pulsate with drama and imply a spiritual state of action. "The idealized nude is inspired by classical sculpture and has an incredibly dramatic pose wherein the figure is seen from behind, his torso twisting violently and his head looking the other way" (Soden & Longair 2006). The emotional effect indicates sharp motion and tells a story.

Michelangelo's drawings are highly detailed, revealing bursting veins, muscular bodies, and powerful musculature. He used different tones of black chalk to provide contrast of light and shade, blending the gradations with his fingertips or a small piece of cloth. His Pietà paintings reveal loneliness and sorrow, created during one of the lowest points of his life following the deaths of younger friends Vittoria Colonna and Luigi del Riccio. His loyal servant Urbino also died in 1556. Though Michelangelo was known for his volatile temperament — described as the "terrible Michelangelo" — and had few close companions, relying primarily on boys as assistants, his desire to glorify and serve God through his works was unwavering.

His solitude reflects an attitude of being wholly absorbed by his craft, sacrificing personal happiness for the divine gift of art. He was quoted as saying: "I am here in great distress and with great physical strain, and have no friends of any kind, nor do I want them; and I do not have enough time to eat as much as I need; my joy and my sorrow / my repose are these discomforts" (Morgan Library 2010).

The success of Michelangelo's visual effects was boundless. His works were recognized as the product of genius and are considered the greatest influence on Western art in the last five centuries. He was unparalleled in his time and flourished in rendering his divine gift of art in the service of the Catholic Church. Works such as The Last Judgment, the statue of David, and the ceiling paintings of the Sistine Chapel employ visual effects that convey powerful messages to viewers. In the case of the statue of David, some believed the subject was depicted preparing for battle, as evidenced by the bulging veins in David's hand and the twisting of his nude body; others think the statue captures the moment after his victory over Goliath, given what appears to be a discreet smile on his face as he holds a rock in his left hand. "It later became the symbol of defending the civic liberties of the Florentine Republic against more powerful states and the Medici family" (Sharp 1991).

Among Michelangelo's visual arts, his penchant for male nude beauty is evident, as most of his subjects in paintings and sculptures are depicted in nudity. Though it was widely known that Michelangelo was emotionally drawn to the male form, reasons beyond his sexuality explain this nudity. He wanted to glorify God by creating a masterpiece from the true image of God's highest creation. Michelangelo was attuned to the symmetry and body language of the human form and used it to convey imaginative messages. In The Last Judgment, the message was clear: the saints will rise to eternal life while sinners and the evil will descend to damnation.