As sculptor, painter, architect, poet and engineer, Michelangelo Buonarroti stands as the
archetype of the Renaissance genius, with a talent that transcends time and continues to
influence and inspire contemporary artists.
Michelangelo began his career in Florence in 1488, as an apprentice in the studio of
Domenico Ghirlandaio. He quickly moved to the Medici Court in Florence where he gained an
appreciation for classical sculpture and humanist philosophy that shaped and influenced his
work. After the death of his patron, Lorenzo de Medici, the artist traveled to Bologna and
Rome, continually refining his brilliant technique and establishing his reputation as a
dominant force in the arts.
In May of 1508, Michelangelo accepted a commission from Pope Julius II to paint the
Vatican's Sistine Chapel ceiling. Initially, Michelangelo was reluctant to accept the
commission, regarding himself a sculptor, but his initial trepidations faded and he began the
project in early 1509. Using the centuries-old technique of fresco, Michelangelo worked at a
feverish pace under exceptionally adverse conditions. The ceiling decoration devised by
Michelangelo consisted of a series of illusionistic architectural elements that frame figures and
narrative scenes derived from the Old Testament. Completed four years later in 1512, the
ceiling marked the summit of the artist's career as a painter and sealed his reputation as the
greatest painter of the High Renaissance.
The controversial restoration of the ceiling, begun in 1980, has dramatically
transformed its appearance, revealing a dazzling array of color, renewing interest in
Michelangelo as a colorist. Although the artist devoted the last thirty years of his life almost
exclusively to architecture, his powerful paintings remained enormously influential, and
continue to stand among the supreme masterpieces of art history.
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