Michelangelo Buonarroti his works. Michelangelo, biography, frescoes, painting, paintings

Everyone knows who Michelangelo is, one way or another. The Sistine Chapel, David, Pieta - this is what this genius of the Renaissance is strongly associated with. Meanwhile, dig a little deeper, and most are unlikely to be able to clearly answer what else the wayward Italian is remembered by the world. Expanding the boundaries of knowledge.

Michelangelo made money from forgeries

It is known that Michelangelo began with sculptural falsifications, which brought him a lot of money. The artist purchased marble in huge quantities, but no one saw the results of his work (it is logical that the authorship had to be hidden). The most notorious of his forgeries may be the sculpture "Laocoon and His Sons", which is now attributed to three Rhodian sculptors. It was suggested in 2005 that the work may be a fake by Michelangelo, citing that Michelangelo was among the first to arrive at the site and was one of those who identified the sculpture.

Michelangelo studied the dead

Michelangelo is known as an excellent sculptor who was able to recreate the human body in marble in the smallest detail. Such painstaking work required an impeccable knowledge of anatomy, meanwhile, at the beginning of his career, Michelangelo had no idea how the human body works. To fill in the missing knowledge, Michelangelo spent a lot of time in the monastery morgue, where he examined dead people trying to understand all the subtleties human body.

Michelangelo hated painting

They say that Michelangelo sincerely did not like painting, which, in his opinion, was significantly inferior to sculpture. He called painting landscapes and still lifes a waste of time, considering them “useless pictures for ladies.”

Michelangelo's teacher broke his nose out of envy

As a teenager, Michelangelo was sent to study at the school of the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, which existed under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici. The young talent showed great diligence and diligence in his studies and quickly achieved not only success in the school field, but also won the patronage of the Medici. Incredible successes, attention from influential people and, apparently, a sharp tongue led to the fact that Michelangelo made many enemies at school, including among teachers. Thus, according to the work of Giorgio Vasari, the Italian Renaissance sculptor and one of Michelangelo’s teachers, Pietro Torrigiano, out of envy of his student’s talent, broke his nose.

Michelangelo was seriously ill

For the last 15 years of his life, Michelangelo suffered from osteoarthritis, a disease that causes joint deformities and pain in the limbs. His work helped him avoid losing his ability to work completely. It is believed that the first symptoms appeared during work on the Florentine Pieta.

Also, many researchers of the work and life of the great sculptor claim that Michelangelo suffered from depression and dizziness, which could have appeared as a result of working with dyes and solvents, which caused poisoning of the body and all further accompanying symptoms.

Secret self-portraits of Michelangelo

Michelangelo rarely signed his works and never left behind a formal self-portrait. However, he still managed to capture his face in some pictures and sculptures. The most famous of these secret self-portraits is part of the Last Judgment fresco, which you can find in the Sistine Chapel. It shows Saint Bartholomew holding a flayed piece of skin that represents the face of none other than Michelangelo.

Michelangelo was a poet

We know Michelangelo as a sculptor and painter, but he was also an accomplished poet. In his portfolio you can find hundreds of madrigals and sonnets that were not published during his lifetime. However, despite the fact that contemporaries were unable to appreciate Michelangelo’s poetic talent, many years later his work found its audience, so in 16th-century Rome the sculptor’s poetry was extremely popular, especially among singers who transcribed poems about mental wounds and physical disabilities to music.

Michelangelo's major works

There are few works of art in the world that could evoke as much admiration as these works by the great Italian master. We invite you to look at some of Michelangelo's most famous works and feel their greatness.

Michelangelo (1475-1564) was a sculptor, painter and architect. He is considered one of greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance and perhaps of all times. His work demonstrated a never before seen combination of psychological insight, physical realism and intensity. His contemporaries recognized his extraordinary talent, and Michelangelo received commissions from some of the richest and most powerful people of his time, including popes and others associated with the Catholic Church. His paintings, in particular those that adorn the Sistine Chapel, are carefully preserved so that future generations have the opportunity to view them and appreciate Michelangelo's talent.

The Sistine Chapel (former church) was built in the holiest part of Italy, the Vatican, in 1473-1481. by the architect Giorgio de Dolci, commissioned by Pope Sixtus IV, which is where its name comes from. New popes have always been and are being elected within its walls. Today the Chapel is a museum and a famous monument of the Renaissance.

In 1508, Pope Julius II summoned Michelangelo to Rome to work on a rather expensive and ambitious painting project: to depict the 12 apostles on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Instead, over the course of a four-year project, Michelangelo painted 12 figures around the central part of the ceiling: seven prophets and five sibyls, and filled the center with nine scenes from the Book of Genesis.

25 years after the ceiling painting was completed, in 1537 - 1541. Michelangelo continued painting the Sistine Chapel and painted the large-scale fresco “The Last Judgment.” It occupies the entire wall behind the altar. The fresco was commissioned by Pope Clement VII, who died during preparation for painting. He was replaced by Paul III, who wanted the picture to be completed.

The most famous of Michelangelo's paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is The Creation of Adam. On it, God and Adam stretch out their hands to each other. This gesture looks very emotional, and cannot leave literally any connoisseur of painting indifferent.

CREATION:

"Separation of Light from Darkness"

This fresco depicts Hosts. With just one powerful movement of his hands, he disperses the clouds, fighting chaos, striving to separate light and darkness.

"The Creation of the Sun and Planets"

The fresco was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti around 1509–10. Its size is 570 cm x 280 cm. The fresco depicts the events described in the biblical story, Genesis, chapter 1, verses 14 to 19 inclusive.

"Separation of land from waters"

The fresco depicts events described in the Bible, in the Old Testament, the book of Genesis, chapter 1, verses 1 - 5.

ADAM AND EVE:

"The Creation of Adam"

The fresco was painted by Michelangelo around 1511. The fresco depicts the moment when God, with a movement of his hand, seems to give Adam vital energy, revives an already created body. Fresco size: 280 cm x 570 cm.

"The Creation of Eve"

The fresco was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti in 1508 - 1512. From the rib of sleeping Adam, God creates Eve.

"The Fall and Expulsion from Paradise"

The fresco was painted by Michelangelo Buonarroti around 1508 - 1512. The tree of knowledge, located in the center, seems to divide the life of Adam and Eve into before and after eating the forbidden fruit.

NOAH'S STORY:

"Noah's Sacrifice"

This fresco was painted by Michelangelo around 1508 - 1512. It depicts the story of how, after the Great Flood, grateful for his salvation and the salvation of his family, Noah makes a sacrifice to God.

"The Flood"

The fresco was painted by Michelangelo around 1508 - 1509. Its size is 570 cm x 280 cm. It tells us about how people tried to escape from the Flood, how they reacted to what was happening and what methods they used to try to avoid death.

"Noah's Drunkenness"

The fresco is by Michelangelo and was painted by him in 1509. Its size is 260 cm x 170 cm. The fresco depicts events from the Book of Genesis, chapter 9, verses 20 - 23.

SIBYL:

"Libyan Sibyl"

Sibyls in ancient culture were called soothsayers, prophetesses who predicted the future and future troubles. According to Varro (Roman writer and polymath of the 1st century BC), the word Sibyl translates as "God's will."

"Persian Sibyl"

The Persian Sibyl is depicted on the fresco in the form of an elderly woman, apparently with not very good eyesight, since she brought the book too close to her eyes. Her advanced age is also indicated by her very covered clothing. Sibyl seems to be completely focused on reading and does not pay any attention to what is happening around her.

"Cumae Sibyl"

The prophetess is depicted on the fresco in the form of an old but strong woman with well-developed muscles. The Cumaean Sibyl is often mentioned in ancient literature: in Petronius's Satyricon, Tacitus's Annals, Ovid's Metamorphoses and Virgil's Aeneid. Many artists depicted her in their paintings. In addition to Michelangelo, it was also painted by Titian, Raphael, Giovanni Cerrini, Andrea del Castagno, Jan van Eyck and others.

"Eritrean Sibyl"

In this fresco, the Sibyl is depicted as a young, quite attractive and developed woman, reading, apparently, at a late time. The little putti uses a torch to light a lamp for her.

"The Delphic Sibyl"

Delphic Sibyl - a mythical woman who existed before Trojan War(circa 11th century BC). It is mentioned in his manuscript, in stories that he heard from locals, by Pausanias (a Greek geographer and traveler who lived in the 2nd century AD).

PROPHETS:

"Prophet Jeremiah"

Jeremiah is the second of the four prophets of the Old Testament, who lived around 655 BC. uh, author of two books: “The Lamentations of Jeremiah” and “The Book of the Prophet Jeremiah.” In the fresco, the saddened prophet is immersed in difficult thoughts about the fate of the people.

"Prophet Daniel"

Daniel is a biblical prophet who lived in the 7th century BC. He had the gift from God to interpret dreams.

"Prophet Ezekiel"

Ezekiel is a great Old Testament prophet who lived in Jerusalem around 622 BC. e. According to the Bible, the Book of Ezekiel, he made prophecies directed against pagans and Jews, testified to a vision of the glory of the Lord, etc.

"Prophet Isaiah"

For Christians, Isaiah’s prophecies about the future birth and coming of the Messiah (Is. 7:14, Is. 9:6), as well as about ministry (Is. 61:1) are especially valuable. He also prophesied about the fate of Egypt and Israel.

"Prophet Joel"

The fresco depicts one of the 12 minor prophets - the prophet Joel, the son of Bethuel, who, according to legend, lived in the city of Bethar and wrote a book of prophecies.

"Prophet Jonah"

This slightly unusual fresco depicts Jonah, one of the seven Old Testament prophets painted by Michelangelo. Behind him is a big fish. This is a reference to the fact that in the book of Jonah, he is swallowed by a whale.

"Prophet Zechariah"

Zechariah was one of the twelve "minor" prophets. In church tradition he is young, but Michelangelo painted him as a gray-haired, aged man with a long beard.

"The Last Judgment"

The theme of the fresco: the second coming of Jesus Christ and the apocalypse. Its size: 1200 cm x 1370 cm.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564), famous Italian sculptor, painter and architect, one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. He came from an ancient family of counts of Canossa, born in 1475 in Chiusi, near Florence. Michelangelo acquired his first acquaintance with painting from Ghirlandaio. Versatility artistic development and the breadth of his education was facilitated by his stay with Lorenzo de Medici, in the famous gardens of St. Mark, among the outstanding scientists and artists of that time. The faun mask carved by Michelangelo during his stay here and the relief depicting the fight of Hercules with the centaurs drew attention to him. Soon after, he performed the "Crucifixion" for the monastery of Santo Spirito. During the execution of this work, the prior of the monastery provided Michelangelo with a corpse, on which the artist first became acquainted with anatomy. Subsequently, he studied it with passion.

Portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Artist M. Venusti, c. 1535

In 1496, Michelangelo sculpted a sleeping cupid from marble. Having given it, on the advice of friends, the appearance of antiquity, he passed it off as an antique work. The trick was a success, and the subsequent deception resulted in Michelangelo’s invitation to Rome, where he commissioned the marble Bacchus and the Madonna with the Dead Christ (Pietà), which made Michelangelo from a respected sculptor the first sculptor of Italy.

In 1499, Michelangelo again appeared in his native Florence and created for her a colossal statue of David, as well as paintings in the Council Chamber.

Statue of David. Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1504

Then Michelangelo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II and, at his order, created a grandiose project for a monument to the pope with many statues and reliefs. Due to various circumstances, out of this many, Michelangelo executed only one famous statue of Moses.

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Moses statue

Forced to begin painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel due to the machinations of rivals who thought to destroy the artist, knowing his unaccustomed painting technique, Michelangelo at 22 months, working alone, created a huge work that caused everyone's surprise. Here he depicted the creation of the world and man, the Fall with its consequences: expulsion from paradise and the global flood, the miraculous salvation of the chosen people and the approach of the time of salvation in the person of the Sibyls, prophets and ancestors of the Savior. The Flood is the most successful composition in terms of power of expression, drama, courage of thought, mastery of drawing, and a variety of figures in the most difficult and unexpected poses.

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Flood (fragment). Fresco of the Sistine Chapel

Michelangelo Buonarroti's huge painting of the Last Judgment, executed between 1532 and 1545 on the wall of the Sistine Chapel, is also striking in its power of imagination, grandeur and mastery of design, which, however, is somewhat inferior to the first in the nobility of style.

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Last Judgment. Fresco of the Sistine Chapel

Image source - website http://www.wga.hu

Around the same time, Michelangelo created a statue of Giuliano for the Medici monument - the famous “Pensiero” - “thoughtfulness”.

At the end of his life, Michelangelo abandoned sculpture and painting and devoted himself mainly to architecture, taking upon himself “for the glory of God” the gratuitous supervision of the construction of the Church of St. Peter in Rome. It was not he who did not complete it. The grandiose dome was completed according to Michelangelo’s design after his death (1564), which interrupted the turbulent life of the artist, who also took an active part in the struggle of his native city for his freedom.

Dome of St. Peter's Church in Rome. Architect - Michelangelo Buonarroti

The ashes of Michelangelo Buonarroti rest under a magnificent monument in the Church of Santa Croce in Florence. Numerous of his sculptural works and paintings are scattered throughout the churches and galleries of Europe.

Michelangelo Buonarroti's style is distinguished by grandeur and nobility. His desire for the extraordinary, his deep knowledge of anatomy, thanks to which he achieved amazing correctness of drawing, attracted him to colossal creatures. In sublimity, energy, boldness of movement and majesty of forms, Michelangelo Buonarroti has no rivals. He shows particular skill in depicting the naked body. Although Michelangelo, with his passion for plastic art, attached secondary importance to color, his coloring is nevertheless strong and harmonious. Michelangelo placed fresco painting above oil painting and called the latter women's work. Architecture was his weak side, but even in this, being self-taught, he showed his genius.

Secretive and uncommunicative, Michelangelo could do without loyal friends and did not know a woman’s love until he was 80 years old. He called art his beloved, paintings his children. Only at the end of his life Michelangelo met the famous beautiful poetess Vittoria Colonna and fell in love with her dearly. This pure feeling gave rise to Michelangelo's poems, which were later published in 1623 in Florence. Michelangelo lived with patriarchal simplicity, did a lot of good, and was, in general, affectionate and gentle. He punished only arrogance and ignorance inexorably. He was on good terms with Raphael, although he was not indifferent to his fame.

The life of Michelangelo Buonarroti is described by his students Vasari and Candovi.

By the nature of his talent, Michelangelo considered himself primarily a sculptor.

More than 50 sculptural works by Michelangelo are known, but some of them are lost, the authorship of some is in question, and one of them (“Florentine Pieta”) was broken by the author himself, but his student Tiberio Calcagni restored it according to a preliminary model.

Michelangelo "Florentine Pieta" (circa 1555). Marble, 226 cm. Opera del Duomo (Florence)

Michelangelo "Battle of the Centaurs", or "Fight of Hercules with the Centaurs") (circa 1492)

The marble bas-relief with a scene of a centauromachy belongs to the first known independent works of Michelangelo (along with the Madonna of the Stairs), in which he showed himself as a sculptor. Vasari wrote that, looking at this work, it is impossible to believe that this is the work of a young man, and not a respected master.

Michelangelo "Battle of the Centaurs". House of Buonarroti in Florence

Michelangelo borrowed the plot of the battle between Hercules and the centaurs from Ovid's Metamorphoses. And the Italian poet Angelo Poliziano suggested this plot to him. Presumably the scene depicts a fight between centaurs and Lapiths(semi-mythical-semi-historical tribe). It was last Stand, which took place at a wedding, so there are two female figures in the plot (top left and bottom center).
The warriors depicted in the bas-relief are armed with stones, rather than swords or spears. In the crowd of young warriors, the figure of a young man stands out with a stone in his hand, which he is trying to throw. Behind him is a bearded warrior, also with a stone in his hand. The battle is so fierce that the living do not notice either the wounded or the dead. Below is the figure of a mighty centaur, already killed, who is being frantically trampled. Another centaur is knocked to the ground on the lower right, but he is still trying to continue the fight.
The bas-relief “Battle of the Centaurs” testifies to the talent of the young sculptor and his inner maturity - he had not yet participated in hostilities, but managed to show the horror associated with the destruction of people.

Fragment of the bas-relief “Dying Warrior”

This bas-relief is carved on a piece of Carrara marble.

Michelangelo "Pieta" (1499)

Pieta(from Italian pietà - “pity”) - iconography of the scene of the Virgin Mary mourning Christ.
This is Michelangelo Buonarroti's first and most outstanding pietà and the only sculpture he signed. Copies of the Pieta are found in many Catholic churches around the world.

Michelangelo "Pieta". Marble. Height 174 cm. St. Peter's Basilica (Vatican)

Michelangelo's Pieta is a sculpture of a lifeless Christ in the arms of his mother. The Madonna is depicted as very young, grieving over the loss of her Son.
Art critics consider the composition of the Pietà impeccable. The figures are a single whole, but the sculptor subtly contrasts male and female, living and dead, naked and covered, vertical and horizontal. In terms of completeness and elaboration of details, the Pieta surpasses almost all other sculptural works of Michelangelo.

Michelangelo "The Dying Slave" (circa 1513)

Michelangelo completed a series of famous sculptures kept in various museums in Europe. They were intended for the unrealized project of the tomb of Pope Julius II in San Pietro in Vincoli. This project existed in several versions. The second option included statues of slaves, which were supposed to be on the lower tier of the tomb. Michelangelo managed to finish 2 of them and start 4, but work on this option was stopped. The final version of the tomb did not include slave statues.
The cycle created by Michelangelo consists of the following sculptures: “The Rebellious (Chained) Slave”, “The Dying Slave”, “Young Slave”, “Bearded Slave”, “Atlas”, “Awakening Slave”.

Michelangelo "The Dying Slave". Marble. Height 2.28 m. Louvre (Paris)

In “The Rebellious Slave” they saw the personification of architecture, and in “The Dying” - painting, since at the figure’s feet an unfinished image of a monkey from the aphorism Ars simia naturae (the winged Latin expression “art is the monkey of nature”) is visible.

Michelangelo "Moses" (1515)

Marble. Height 235 cm. San Pietro in Vincoli (Rome)

Moses- Old Testament prophet. A sculpture of Moses is central to the sculpted tomb of Pope Julius II in Rome's Basilica of San Pietro in Vincoli.

Tomb of Pope Julius II

On either side of Moses stand figures of Leah and Rachel, made by the master’s students.
“Moses” is a fragment of the grandiose plan for the tomb of Julius II, which was not realized due to the financial difficulties of the heirs of the pontiff.
The Prophet is depicted as a man of hidden power, dynamic strength and with horns - this was the result of an incorrect translation of several lines of the biblical book of Exodus. From Hebrew the word can be translated, among other things, as “horns” and “rays”. Therefore, the entire phrase can be translated as “because the skin of his face emitted [rays].”
The enormous spiritual power of the Old Testament hero is expressed in plastic language, which in its power and richness belongs to the highest achievements of fine art.

Michelangelo. Tondo Taddei (circa 1504)

Marble, 109x109 cm. Royal Academy of Arts (London)

The round marble bas-relief depicts the seated Virgin Mary with little Jesus and John the Baptist. Jesus stretched out on his mother's lap and looks over his right shoulder at John, who hands him the bird. Jesus seems somewhat frightened, and his mother watches the children with a slight smile. The central figure is the child, not Madonna. According to Viktor Lazarev, this tondo shows the influence of Leonardo da Vinci - his sfumato(softening the outlines of figures in painting). In this sculpture, the figure of Jesus is the most detailed, and the figures of Mary and John the Baptist barely appear in the background.

Michelangelo. Cycle of allegory statues (1524-1534)

These statues are included in the composition of the tomb of Lorenzo II de' Medici in the Medici Chapel: "Morning", "Day", "Evening", "Night".

Michelangelo "Morning" (1526-1531). Marble. Height 155 cm. Medici Chapel (Florence)

The sculpture depicts a woman who has not yet awakened. She reclines on the sarcophagus, leaning on her right hand. Her eyes are half-closed, her mouth is slightly open. The head is turned towards the viewer and tilted onto the right shoulder. She has a ribbon tied under her breasts, which is a symbol of slavery.

Michelangelo "Day" (1520-1534). Marble. Height 160 cm. Medici Chapel (Florence)

The sculpture depicts a powerful male figure who has known all the joys and sorrows of life.

Michelangelo "Evening" (1524-1534). Marble. Height 155 cm. Medici Chapel (Florence)

“Evening” is personified by an elderly man of athletic build. His face is barely outlined, just like Den’s. He falls asleep, he left hand already barely supports the body, the head is bowed on the chest, and the right leg, carelessly abandoned, will straighten in a few moments... “The head is not completed, but the oppressive atmosphere of old age and nostalgia is conveyed unmistakably” (Ainem).

full name Michelangelo de Francesco de Neri de Miniato del Sera and Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni; Italian Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni

Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet, thinker; one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance and early Baroque

Michelangelo

Brief biography

Michelangelo- an outstanding Italian sculptor, architect, artist, thinker, poet, one of the brightest figures of the Renaissance, whose multifaceted creativity influenced the art not only of this historical period, but also the development of the entire world culture.

On March 6, 1475, a boy was born into the family of a city councilor, a poor Florentine nobleman living in the small town of Caprese (Tuscany), whose creations would be elevated to the rank of masterpieces, the best achievements of Renaissance art during the lifetime of their author. Lodovico Buonarroti said that higher powers inspired him to name his son Michelangelo. Despite the nobility, which gave grounds to be among the city elite, the family was not wealthy. Therefore, when the mother died, the father of many children had to give 6-year-old Michelangelo to be raised by his nurse in the village. Before he could read and write, the boy learned to work with clay and a chisel.

Seeing his son’s pronounced inclinations, Lodovico in 1488 sent him to study with the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio, in whose workshop Michelangelo spent a year. Then he becomes a student of the famous sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, whose school was patronized by Lorenzo de' Medici, who at that time was the de facto ruler of Florence. After some time, he himself notices the talented teenager and invites him to the palace, introducing him to the palace collections. Michelangelo stayed at the patron's court from 1490 until his death in 1492, after which he left home.

In June 1496, Michelangelo arrived in Rome: having bought a sculpture he liked, Cardinal Raphael Riario summoned him there. From that time on, the biography of the great artist was associated with frequent moves from Florence to Rome and back. Early creations already reveal features that will distinguish Michelangelo's creative style: admiration for the beauty of the human body, plastic power, monumentality, dramatic artistic images.

During the years 1501-1504, returning to Florence in 1501, he worked on the famous statue of David, which the venerable commission decided to install in the main city square. Since 1505, Michelangelo is back in Rome, where Pope Julius II calls him to work on a grandiose project - the creation of his luxurious tomb, which, according to their joint plan, was to be surrounded by many statues. Work on it was carried out intermittently and was completed only in 1545. In 1508, he fulfilled another request of Julius II - he began frescoing the vault in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican and completed this grandiose painting, working intermittently, in 1512.

Period from 1515 to 1520 became one of the most difficult in the biography of Michelangelo, was marked by the collapse of plans, throwing “between two fires” - service to Pope Leo X and the heirs of Julius II. In 1534 his final move to Rome took place. Since the 20s The artist’s worldview becomes more pessimistic and takes on tragic tones. An illustration of the mood was the huge composition “The Last Judgment” - again in the Sistine Chapel, on the altar wall; Michelangelo worked on it in 1536-1541. After the death of the architect Antonio da Sangallo in 1546, he took the position of chief architect of the Cathedral of St. Petra. The largest work of this period, work on which lasted from the late 40s. to 1555, there was a sculptural group “Pieta”. Over the last 30 years of the artist's life, the emphasis in his work gradually shifted to architecture and poetry. Deep, permeated with tragedy, dedicated eternal themes love, loneliness, happiness, madrigals, sonnets and other poetic works were highly appreciated by contemporaries. The first publication of Michelangelo's poetry was posthumous (1623).

On February 18, 1564, the great representative of the Renaissance died. His body was transported from Rome to Florence and buried in the Church of Santa Croce with great honors.

Biography from Wikipedia

Michelangelo Buonarroti, full name Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni(Italian Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni; March 6, 1475, Caprese - February 18, 1564, Rome) - Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet, thinker. One of the greatest masters of the Renaissance and early Baroque. His works were considered the highest achievements of Renaissance art during the lifetime of the master himself. Michelangelo lived for almost 89 years, an entire era, from the period High Renaissance to the origins of the Counter-Reformation. During this period, there were thirteen Popes - he carried out orders for nine of them. Many documents about his life and work have been preserved - testimonies from contemporaries, letters from Michelangelo himself, contracts, his personal and professional records. Michelangelo was also the first representative of Western European art whose biography was published during his lifetime.

Among his most famous sculptural works are "David", "Bacchus", "Pieta", statues of Moses, Leah and Rachel for the tomb of Pope Julius II. Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo's first official biographer, wrote that "David" "robbed the glory of all statues, modern and ancient, Greek and Roman." One of the artist’s most monumental works are the frescoes of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, about which Goethe wrote that: “Without seeing the Sistine Chapel, it is difficult to get a clear idea of ​​what one person can do.” Among his architectural achievements are the design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, the stairs of the Laurentian Library, Campidoglio Square and others. Researchers believe that Michelangelo's art begins and ends with the image of the human body.

Life and creativity

Childhood years

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan town of Caprese, north of Arezzo, in the family of the impoverished Florentine nobleman Lodovico Buonarroti (Italian: Lodovico (Ludovico) di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni) (1444-1534), who at the time was the 169th Podesta. For several generations, representatives of the Buonarroti-Simoni family were petty bankers in Florence, but Lodovico failed to maintain the financial condition of the bank, so he took government positions from time to time. It is known that Lodovico was proud of his aristocratic origins, because the Buonarroti-Simoni family claimed a blood relationship with the Margravess Matilda of Canossa, although there was not enough documentary evidence to confirm this. Ascanio Condivi argued that Michelangelo himself believed in this, recalling the aristocratic origins of the family in his letters to his nephew Leonardo. William Wallace wrote:

“Before Michelangelo, very few artists claimed such origins. The artists did not have not only coats of arms, but also real surnames. They were named after their father, profession or city, and among them were such famous contemporaries of Michelangelo as Leonardo da Vinci and Giorgione."

According to Lodovico's record, which is kept in the Casa Buonarroti Museum (Florence), Michelangelo was born "(...) on Monday morning, at 4 or 5:00 before dawn." This register also states that the christening took place on 8 March in the Church of San Giovanni di Caprese, and lists the godparents:

About his mother, Francesca di Neri del Miniato del Siena (Italian: Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena), who married early and died of exhaustion frequent pregnancies in the year of Michelangelo's sixth birthday, the latter never mentions it 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 any case, Michelangelo himself later said to his friend and biographer Giorgio Vasari:

“If there is anything good in my talent, it is because I was born in the rarefied air of your Aretina land, and I extracted both the chisels and the hammer with which I make my statues from the milk of my nurse.”

"Count of Canossa"
(Drawing by Michelangelo)

Michelangelo was the second son of Lodovico. Fritz Erpeli gives the birth years of his brothers Lionardo (Italian: Lionardo) - 1473, Buonarroto (Italian: Buonarroto) - 1477, Giovansimone (Italian: Giovansimone) - 1479 and Gismondo (Italian: Gismondo) - 1481. In the same year, his mother died, and in 1485, four years after her death, Lodovico married for the second time. Michelangelo's stepmother was Lucrezia Ubaldini. Soon Michelangelo was sent to the school of Francesco Galatea da Urbino (Italian: Francesco Galatea da Urbino) in Florence, where the young man did not show much inclination to study and preferred communicating with artists and redrawing church icons and frescoes.

Youth. First works

In 1488, the father came to terms with his son’s inclinations and placed him as an apprentice in the workshop of the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio. Here Michelangelo had the opportunity to familiarize himself with basic materials and techniques; his pencil copies of works by such Florentine artists as Giotto and Masaccio date back to the same period; already in these copies Michelangelo’s characteristic sculptural vision of forms appeared. His painting “The Torment of St. Anthony” (a copy of an engraving by Martin Schongauer) dates back to the same period.

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. Here he met the philosophers of the Platonic Academy (Marsilio Ficino, Angelo Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola and others). He was also friends with Giovanni (Lorenzo's second son, future Pope Leo X) and Giulio Medici ( illegitimate son Giuliano de' Medici, future Pope Clement VII). Perhaps at this time " Madonna at the Stairs" And " Battle of the Centaurs" It is known that at this time Pietro Torrigiano, who was also Bertoldo’s student, quarreled with Michelangelo and broke the guy’s nose with a blow to the face. 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 sculptures “ Saint 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 creates " Bacchus" And " Roman Pieta».

In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence. Commissioned works: sculptures for " altar of Piccolomini" And " David" In 1503, work was completed on order: “ Twelve Apostles", start of work on " Saint Matthew"for the Florentine Cathedral. Around 1503-1505, the creation of " Madonna Doni», « Madonna Taddei», « Madonna Pitti" And " Brugger Madonna" In 1504, work on " David"; Michelangelo receives an order to create " Battles of Kashin».

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 the years 1505-1545, work was carried out (with interruptions) on the tomb, for which sculptures were created " Moses», « Tied up slave», « Dying Slave», « Leah».

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 of San Lorenzo in Florence, and he signs a 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.

Death and burial

A few days before Michelangelo's death, his nephew, Leonardo, arrived in Rome, to whom on February 15, at Michelangelo's request, Federico Donati wrote a letter.

Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 in Rome, just short of his 89th birthday. Witnesses to his death were Tommaso Cavalieri, Daniele da Volterra, Diomede Leone, doctors Federico Donati and Gherardo Fidelissimi, as well as servant Antonio Franzese. 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.”

Pope Pius IV planned to bury Michelangelo in Rome, building him a tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. On February 20, 1564, Michelangelo's body was temporarily laid to rest in the Basilica of Santi Apostoli.

In early March, the sculptor's body was secretly transported to Florence and solemnly buried on July 14, 1564 in the Franciscan church of Santa Croce, not far from Machiavelli's tomb.

Works

Michelangelo's genius left its mark not only on the art of the Renaissance, but also on all subsequent world culture. His activities are connected mainly with two Italian cities - Florence and Rome. By the nature of his talent, he was primarily a sculptor. This can also be felt in the master’s paintings, which are unusually rich in plasticity of movements, complex poses, and distinct and powerful sculpting of volumes. In Florence, Michelangelo created an immortal example of the High Renaissance - the statue "David" (1501-1504), which became the standard for depicting the human body for many centuries, in Rome - the sculptural composition "Pieta" (1498-1499), one of the first incarnations of the figure of a dead man in plastic. However, the artist was able to realize his most ambitious plans precisely in painting, where he acted as a true innovator of color and form.

Commissioned by Pope Julius II, he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), representing the biblical story from the creation of the world to the flood and including more than 300 figures. In 1534-1541, in the same Sistine Chapel, he painted the grandiose, dramatic fresco “The Last Judgment” for Pope Paul III. The architectural works of Michelangelo - the ensemble of the Capitol Square and the dome of the Vatican Cathedral in Rome - amaze with their beauty and grandeur.

The arts have reached such perfection in him that you will not find either among ancient or modern 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 work he had overcome, and the ways in which he tested his genius in order to show it as nothing less than perfect.

Giorgio Vasari. "Biographies of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects." T. V. M., 1971.

Notable works

• 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.
• Crouching boy. Marble. 1530-1534. Russia, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum.
• Brutus. Marble. After 1539. Florence, National Bargello Museum.
• Last Judgment. 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, it was found in the Vatican archives last work Michelangelo - 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 of the famous artist, completed 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 the storerooms of the National Design Museum 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.

Poetic creativity

Michelangelo's poetry is considered one of the brightest examples of the Renaissance. About 300 poems by Michelangelo have survived to this day. The main themes are the glorification of man, the bitterness of disappointment and the loneliness of the artist. Favorite poetic forms are madrigal and sonnet. According to R. Rolland, Michelangelo began writing poetry as a child, however, there are not many of them left, since in 1518 he burned most of his early poems, and destroyed another part later, before his death.

Some of his poems were published in the works of Benedetto Varchi (Italian: Benedetto Varchi), Donato Giannotto (Italian: Donato Giannotti), Giorgio Vasari and others. Luigi Ricci and Giannotto invited him to select the best poems for publication. In 1545, Giannotto began preparing the first collection of Michelangelo, however, things did not go any further - Luigi died in 1546, and Vittoria died in 1547. Michelangelo decided to abandon this idea, considering it vanity.

Vittoria and Michelangelo at "Moses", 19th century painting

Thus, during his lifetime, a collection of his poems was not published, and the first collection was published only in 1623 by his nephew Michelangelo Buonarroti (the younger) under the title “Poems of Michelangelo, collected by his nephew” in the Florentine publishing house Giuntine. This edition was incomplete and contained certain inaccuracies. In 1863, Cesare Guasti published the first accurate edition of the artist’s poems, which, however, was not chronological. In 1897, the German art critic Karl Frey published “The Poems of Michelangelo, collected and commented by Dr. Karl Frey "(Berlin). The edition by Enzo Noe Girardi (Bari, 1960) Italian. Enzo Noe Girardi) consisted of three parts, and was much more perfect than Frey's edition in the accuracy of the text and was distinguished by a better chronology of the arrangement of poems, although not entirely indisputable.

The study of Michelangelo's poetic creativity involved, in particular, German writer Wilhelm Lang, who defended his dissertation on this topic, published in 1861.

Use in music

Even during his lifetime, some of the poems were set to music. Among the most famous composers-contemporaries of Michelangelo are Jacob Arkadelt (“Deh dimm" Amor se l"alma” and “Io dico che fra voi”), Bartolomeo Tromboncino, Constanza Festa (a lost madrigal on a poem by Michelangelo), Jean de Cons (also - Consilium).

Also, composers such as Richard Strauss (a cycle of five songs - the first with words by Michelangelo, the rest by Adolf von Schack, 1886), Hugo Wolf (vocal cycle “Songs of Michelangelo” 1897) and Benjamin Britten (song cycle “ Seven Sonnets by Michelangelo", 1940).

On July 31, 1974, Dmitri Shostakovich wrote a suite for bass and piano (opus 145). The suite is based on eight sonnets and three poems by the artist (translated by Abram Efros).

In 2006, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies completed Tondo di Michelangelo (for baritone and piano). The work includes eight sonnets by Michelangelo. The premiere took place on October 18, 2007.

In 2010, Austrian composer Matthew Dewey wrote “Il tempo passa: music to Michelangelo” (for baritone, viola and piano). It uses a modern translation of Michelangelo's poems into English language. The world premiere of the work took place on January 16, 2011.

Appearance

There are several portraits of Michelangelo. Among them are Sebastiano del Piombo (c. 1520), Giuliano Bugiardini, Jacopino del Conte (1544-1545, Uffizi Gallery), Marcello Venusti (museum in the Capitol), Francisco d'Holanda (1538-1539), Giulio Bonasone (1546) and others. Also, his image was in the biography of Condivi, which was published in 1553, and in 1561 Leone Leoni minted a coin with his image.

Describing Michelangelo's appearance, Romain Rolland chose portraits of Conte and d'Hollande as a basis:

Bust of Michelangelo
(Daniele da Volterra, 1564)

“Michelangelo was of medium height, broad-shouldered and muscular (...). His head was round, his forehead was square, wrinkled, with strongly pronounced brow ridges. Black, rather sparse hair, slightly curly. Small light brown eyes, the color of which was constantly changing, dotted with yellow and blue specks (...). Wide straight nose with a slight hump (...). Thinly defined lips, the lower lip protrudes slightly. Thin sideburns, and a forked thin beard of a faun (...) a high-cheeked face with sunken cheeks.”