Today I will be reviewing one of the great artists that I learned about this week, Michelangelo. We will be talking about his life, his greatest works, and what kind of legacy he left behind.
Michelangelo was born in Florence in the year 1475. He was the son of a banker family and even learned the business himself. Sadly, the business failed and his father had to work as a government official. Six years after Michelangelo was born, his mother fell ill and died in 1481. This was a huge tragedy for Michel and his family, and Michel had to live with his nanny and her husband. The husband was a stonecutter, and this was where Michelangelo fell in love with marble. At a ripe young age of 13, Michelangelo went to the school of Florence to study grammar. When he was in Florence, he admired the art and architecture there. During his time in Florence, Michelangelo saw the building of the Sistine Chapel and was apprenticed to be an artist there. One year later his father requested that his mentor pay him as an artist. His mentor agreed and he was even hired by the king of Rome. Under the king’s supervision he made many great works like his statue of David, John the Baptist, Cupid, Pieta, and, the Manchester Madonna. One of the most famous of his paintings was the painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. It took approximately four years, and tells the story of the Twelve Apostles, Creation, The Fall of Man, and the Genealogy of Christ. This great painting is 500 square meters and is very impressive to look at, even in pictures.
Michelangelo was a very famous painter, architect, and sculptor that still influences art today!
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