Michelangelo Buonarroti
(1475-1564)
As an artist Michelangelo was unmatched in his mastery of the human figure in painting as well as scupture. He resisted the paintbrush since he considered the chisel to be his sole tool.
His early works such as Doni Tondo indicate that he was influenced to a certain extent by Leonardo
da Vinci. During his life he was caught between the two rivel forces of the Medici family in Florence, and the Papacy in Rome. His work would receive praise during his lifetime but a quite a cost to his personal life.
Michelangelo only reluctantly agreed to do the painting of the Sistine Chapel. The work would include 12 figures that had originally been intended to represent the 12 apostles of Christ. His also painted nine panels devoted to Biblical history. Other panels portrayed the Creation, Adam and Eve and Noah and the flood. His greatest masterpiece was The Last Judgement which shows the damnation of sinners and blessing of saints by Christ.
The project would drain him physically and emotionally. It took him about four years and would include painting more than 400 life-sized figures.
He was also known for his extensive works in architecture. He believed in a free approach in structural form. Among his work in this area
were the Laurentain Library that included a mix of mannerist architecture. The Capitoline Square in Rome's Capitoline Hill was a rhomboid
design rather than a square. His last work was to redesign St Peter's Church in Rome. He only completed the dome and four of it's columns before his death.
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