Michelangelo: creativity and biography

Michelangelo Buonarroti is considered by many to be the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance. Among his most famous works are the statues "David" and "Pieta", frescos of the Sistine Chapel.

Unbeatable master

The work of Michelangelo Buonarroti can be briefly described as the greatest phenomenon in the art of all times - as he was assessed during his lifetime, so continue to be considered to this day. Several of his works in painting, sculpture and architecture are among the most famous in the world. Although the frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican are probably the most famous works of the artist, first of all he considered himself a sculptor. The occupation of several arts in his time was not unusual. All of them were based on the figure. Michelangelo all his life engaged in marble sculpture, and other forms of art only in certain periods. The high score of the Sistine Chapel is in part a reflection of the closer attention that was paid to painting in the 20th century, and partly the result of the fact that many of the master's works remained unfinished.

A side effect of Michelangelo's lifetime fame was a more detailed description of his path than any other artist of that time. He became the first figure in the arts, whose biography was published even before his death, there were even two of them. The first was the last chapter of the book about the life of artists (1550), the painter and architect Giorgio Vasari. It was dedicated to Michelangelo, whose work was presented as the culmination of the perfection of art. Despite such praise, he was not entirely satisfied and instructed his assistant Askanio Condivi to write a separate short book (1553), probably based on the artist's comments. In it, Michelangelo, the work of the master is depicted in the way he wanted to be seen by others. After the death of Buonarroti Vasari in the second edition (1568) published a refutation. Although scholars prefer Condivi's book to the lifetime description of Vasari, the importance of the latter as a whole and its frequent reprints in many languages made the work the main source of information about Michelangelo and other Renaissance artists. The glory of Buonarroti also resulted in the preservation of countless documents, including hundreds of letters, essays and poems. However, despite the huge amount of material that has accumulated, only the point of view of Michelangelo himself is often known in controversial issues.

Short biography and creativity

Painter, sculptor, architect and poet, one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance was born under the name Michelangelo di Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni on March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy. His father, Leonardo Di Buanarotta Simoni, served as a magistrate in a small village for a short time, when the second of five sons appeared with his wife Francesca Neri, but they returned to Florence when Michelangelo was still a baby. Because of his mother's illness, the boy was given up for education in the mason's family, which the great sculptor later joked that with the milk of the wet nurse he had absorbed a hammer and chisel.

Indeed, the study was least interested in Michelangelo. The work of the painters in neighboring churches and the repetition of what he saw there, according to his early biographers, attracted him much more. A school friend of Michelangelo, Francesco Granacchi, who was six years older than he, introduced his friend to the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio. Father realized that his son was not interested in family financial business and agreed to give it at the age of 13 years as an apprentice to a fashionable Florentine painter. There he became acquainted with the technique of the fresco.

The Medici Gardens

Michelangelo spent only a year in the studio, when he had a unique opportunity. On the recommendation of Ghirlandaio, he moved to the palace of Florentine ruler Lorenzo the Magnificent, a powerful representative of the Medici family, to study classical sculpture in his gardens. It was a fertile time for Michelangelo Buonarroti. Biography and creativity of the beginning artist were marked by an acquaintance with the elite of Florence, the talented sculptor Bertholdo di Giovanni, prominent poets, scientists and humanists of the time. Buonarroti also received a special permission from the church to investigate corpses for the study of anatomy, although this had a negative impact on his health.

The combination of these influences formed the basis of the recognizable style of Michelangelo: muscle precision and realism are combined with almost lyrical beauty. Two surviving bas-reliefs, "The Battle of Centaurs" and "Madonna at the Stairs," attest to his unique talent at the age of 16.

Early success and influence

The political struggle after the death of Lorenzo the Magnificent forced Michelangelo to flee to Bologna, where he continued his studies. He returned to Florence in 1495 and began to work as a sculptor, borrowing a style from the masterpieces of classical antiquity.

There are several versions of the intriguing story about the sculpture of Michelangelo "Cupid", which is artificially made to look like a rare antiques. One version claims that the author wanted to achieve this effect patina, and according to another, his art dealer buried the work to give out for antiques.

Cardinal Riacario San Giorgio bought "Cupid", considering the sculpture as such, and demanded to return his money when he discovered that he had been deceived. In the end, the deceived buyer was so impressed with the work of Michelangelo that he allowed the artist to leave money for himself. The Cardinal even invited him to Rome, where Buonarroti lived and worked until the end of his days.

"Pieta" and "David"

Soon after moving to Rome in 1498, his career was promoted by another cardinal, Jean Bilard de Lagrola, the papal messenger of the French King Charles VIII. Michelangelo's sculpture "Pieta", which depicts Mary holding the dead Jesus on her knees, was completed in less than a year and was placed in the temple with the tomb of the cardinal. The width of 1.8 m and almost the same height, the statue moved five times, until it found its current place in St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican.

Carved from a single piece of Carrara marble, sculpture by the fluidity of the fabric, the position of the subjects and the "movement" of the skin of Pieta (which means "pity" or "compassion") plunged the fear of their first viewers. Today this is an incredibly revered work. Michelangelo created it when he was only 25 years old.

Legend has it that the author, having overheard a conversation about the intention to ascribe a work to another sculptor, boldly cut out his signature on the ribbon on Maria's chest. This is the only work with the name on it.

By the time Michelangelo returned to Florence, he had already become a celebrity. The sculptor received an order for a statue of David, which the two previous sculptors tried unsuccessfully to do, and turned a five-meter piece of marble into a dominant figure. The strength of tendons, vulnerable nudity, humanity of expressions and general courage made "David" the symbol of Florence.

Art and Architecture

Other orders followed, including the ambitious project of the tomb of Pope Julius II, but the work was interrupted when Michelangelo was asked to move from sculpture to painting to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

The project ignited the artist's imagination, and the original plan for writing the 12 apostles turned into more than 300 figures. Later this work was completely removed because of the fungus in the plaster, and then restored. Buonarroti dismissed all the assistants he considered unskillful, and completed the painting of the 65-meter ceiling himself, spending endless hours lying on his back and jealously guarding his work until its completion on October 31, 1512.

The artistic work of Michelangelo can be briefly described as follows. This is a transcendent example of high Renaissance art that contains Christian symbols, prophecies and humanistic principles imbibed by the master during his youth. Bright vignettes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel produce a kaleidoscope effect. The most significant image is the composition "The Creation of Adam", depicting God touching a person with his finger. Roman artist Raphael, apparently, changed his style after seeing this work.

Michelangelo, whose biography and work remained forever associated with sculpture and drawing, due to physical exertion during the painting of the chapel, was forced to turn his attention to architecture.

The master continued to work on the tomb of Julius II over the next several decades. He also designed the Medici chapel and the Laurentzin library, located opposite the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence, which was to house the library of the Medici house. These buildings are considered a turning point in the history of architecture. But the crowning glory of Michelangelo in this area was the work of the chief architect of St. Peter's Cathedral in 1546.

Conflict character

Michelangelo presented the soaring "Last Judgment" on the far wall of the Sistine Chapel in 1541. Immediately voices of protest were heard - nude figures were out of place for such a holy place, calls were made to destroy the largest fresco of the Italian Renaissance. The artist responded by introducing new images into the composition: his main critic in the form of the devil and himself as a refreshed Saint Bartholomew.

Despite the connections and patronage of the rich and influential people of Italy, who provided the brilliant mind and all-round talent of Michelangelo, the life and work of the master were full of ill-wishers. He was cocky and quick-tempered, which often led to quarrels, including with his customers. This not only brought him trouble, but also created a feeling of dissatisfaction with him - the artist was constantly striving for perfection and could not compromise.

Sometimes with him, there were episodes of melancholy, which left a mark on many of his literary works. Michelangelo wrote that he is in great tribulation and labor, that he has no friends, and they do not need him, and that he does not have enough time to eat enough, but these inconveniences bring him joy.

In his youth, Michelangelo was teasing a fellow student and got on the nose, which disfigured him for life. Over the years, he experienced growing fatigue from his work, in one of the poems he described the enormous physical effort he had to make to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The political quarrels in his beloved Florence also tormented him, but his most notable foe was the Florentine artist Leonardo da Vinci, who was 20 years his senior.

Literary works and private life

Michelangelo, whose work was expressed in his sculptures, paintings and architecture, in his mature years engaged in poetry.

So never having married, Buonarroti was betrayed to a pious and noble widow named Vittoria Colonna - to the addressee of more than 300 of his poems and sonnets. Their friendship provided tremendous support to Michelangelo until the death of the Colonna in 1547. In 1532 the master approached the young nobleman Tommaso de'Cavalieri. Historians are still arguing about whether their relationship was of a homosexual nature or whether he experienced fatherly feelings.

Death and heritage

After a short illness on February 18, 1564 - just a few weeks before his 89th birthday - Michelangelo died in his home in Rome. The nephew moved the body to Florence, where he was revered as "the father and master of all arts," and buried him in the Basilica di Santa Croce, where the sculptor himself bequeathed.

Unlike many artists, the work of Michelangelo brought him fame and fortune during his lifetime. He was also fortunate enough to see the publication of his two biographies of authorship by Giorgio Vasari and Ascanio Condivi. High appreciation of the skill Buonarroti has a centuries-old history, and its name has become synonymous with the Italian Renaissance.

Michelangelo: features of creativity

In contrast to the great popularity of the artist's works, their visual impact on later art is relatively limited. This can not be explained by the reluctance to copy Michelangelo's works simply because of his fame, since he was more often imitated by his talent for Raphael. It is possible that a certain, almost cosmic scale, type of expression of Buonarroti impose limitations. Examples of almost complete copying are only a few. The most talented was the artist Daniele da Volterra. Still, in certain aspects, creativity in the art of Michelangelo found a continuation. In the XVII century. He was considered the best in the anatomical figure, but he was less praised for the broader elements of his work. The Mannerists used his spatial compression and the wriggling posture of his sculpture "Victory." Master of the XIX century. Auguste Rodin applied the effect of unfinished marble blocks. Some masters of the XVII century. Baroque style copied it, but so that to exclude literal similarity. In addition, Gian Lorenzo Bernini and Peter Paul Rubens are best shown how to use the work of Michelangelo Buonarroti by future generations of sculptors and artists.