Michelangelo
di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (commonly known as “Michelangelo”) was born on 6th
March 1475. He was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, poet, and engineer
of the High Renaissance. He was responsible for influencing and development of
the Western art. He was considered for the title of archetypal Renaissance man,
as he showed versatility in arts and other forays.
Childhood
Michelangelo
was born in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany. He was born to father Ludovico di
Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni, who was at a government post in Caprese, and mother
Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena. After Michelangelo's birth, the family
returned to Florence, where Michelangelo was raised. At later times, during his
mother's prolonged illness and after her death in 1481, when he was just six
years old, Michelangelo lived with a stonecutter and his wife and family in the
town of Settignano, where his father owned a marble quarry and a small farm.
Education
Young
Michelangelo started his studies under the Humanist Francesco da Urbino, but
showed no interest. He was more inclined towards copying the paintings from
churches and get along with other painters. In, 1488, at the age of 14,
Michelangelo apprenticed the great artist Ghirlandaio, and worked under his
guidance.
Career
His
first notable work came in 1498-99, when he sculptured Pieta, St Peter’s Basilica.
Later in 1505, he carved out the most famous and renowned sculpture ‘The Statue
of David’. He came in talks when he gave four years of hard work to paint the
ceiling of Sistine Chapel in the most creative manner, from 1508-12.
During
early 1530s, Michelangelo shifted to Rome, there he produced the wall painting
of ‘The Last Judgement Day’ for which he took 7 years to complete starting in
1534.
At
the End
In
his old age, Michelangelo created a number of Pietas depicting mortality. Some
of the known last works of him were Pieta of Vittoria Colonna and Florentine
Pieta. Later, he died a natural death in his old age on 18th February 1564
