Who is Michelangelo Buonarroti briefly. Sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarroti, their photos and descriptions

Last changes: February 18, 2019

Great master of the era Italian Renaissance Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 – 1564) considered himself primarily a sculptor, and not a painter, architect or poet. This is indicated by many surviving letters and documents, signed mainly as “Michelagniolo, scultore”. Today, about fifty of his works are known, belonging to the chisel of the talented sculptor. Most of them are located in Florence and Bologna, and Michelangelo's sculptures in Rome can be practically counted on the fingers of one hand.

Michelangelo Buonarroti. Daniele da Volterra, 1544

Three sculptures by Michelangelo for the Pope

Your very ambitious project– Michelangelo spent 40 years creating a monumental mausoleum for Pope Julius II, commissioned by the pontiff during his lifetime. The original version, developed in 1505, provided for the installation of forty sculptures.

Michelangelo Project

After the death of Pope Julius II, who reposed on February 21, 1513, at the urgent request of the heirs, the previous project was revised with some changes introduced into it, but its implementation was not carried out. Over the following years, numerous intrigues, lack of funding and accusations against Michelangelo of wasting allocated funds forced the master to radically reconsider his original plan several times. The final, sixth version of the tomb was approved only in August 1542.

Michelangelo. Tombstone of Pope Julius II

Moses. Michelangelo Buonarroti

According to Michelangelo's plan, sculptures of two female figures They represent two ways of being – contemplative and creative. The contemplative life is allegorically represented by the biblical heroine Rachel, the second wife of Joakov, who prays for salvation.

Michelangelo's sculpture "Rachel"

Michelangelo's sculpture "Leah"

Sculpture of Pope Julius II

Christ della Minerva

The marble statue of Jesus Christ, known in Italy as the "Cristo della Minerva", actually has several names - "Carrying the Cross", "Resurrection of Christ", "Christ the Savior". The sculpture by Michelangelo was made in 1519 - 1520 and can currently be seen in the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, to the left of the main altar.

Michelangelo's sculpture "The Resurrection of Christ"

Black veins on the face of Christ in Michelangelo's first sculpture

Draped part of Michelangelo's sculpture in the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva

This is interesting!

The fate of the first version of Michelangelo's sculpture is interesting. After Pietro Urbano damaged the second version of the statue, the master suggested that Metello Vari carve another, third figure from marble, but the customer refused. As financial compensation, in 1522 the artist gave Vari the unfinished first version of the sculpture, which he requested for a small garden in the courtyard of his Palacetto, near the Basilica of Santa Maria sopra Minerva. It remained there, according to the records of the botanist and naturalist Ulisse Aldovrandi, until 1556 and was sold on the antique market to the art connoisseur Marquis Vincenzo Giustiniani in 1607 for his collection of ancient statues.
The lost masterpiece was again recalled in 1973 by the Italian historian Alessandro Parronchi. He claimed that the statue was completed at the beginning of the 17th century by the French sculptor Nicolas Cordier, and suggested that tombstone, which for some time adorned the family burial of the Giustiniani family, is the first version of Michelangelo’s sculpture.

Only in 2000, art critic and historian Irene Baldriga finally recognized the first version of the work in the statue, confirming the authorship of Michelangelo. Currently this sculpture is located in the sacristy of the church of San Vincenzo Mártir in Bassano Romano near Viterbo.

Sculpture by Michelangelo Pietà

One of the most famous and also the best sculptures of Michelangelo is the Pieta, kept in St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The statue, made of Carrara marble, was made by a 24-year-old artist in 1498 – 1499 in just two years, commissioned by the ambassador of the French King Charles VIII, Cardinal Jean de Bilheres. It was intended to be installed as a tombstone after his death.

Michelangelo's signature

“Don’t you know that chastity, holiness and incorruptibility preserve youth much longer. So what can change the body of the Mother of God, who never experienced the slightest lustful desire?.

Pieta took its current location in 1749. Over the centuries, Michelangelo's sculpture has been damaged several times, but the most significant damage occurred on May 21, 1972. On this Sunday, Pentecost, a 34-year-old Australian of Hungarian origin, Laszlo Toth, shouted “I am Jesus Christ, risen from the dead,” and rushed at the statue.

Before he was captured and neutralized, the mentally ill man managed to hit her several times with a geological hammer, causing serious damage. The figure of the Virgin Mary was knocked off at the elbow left hand, the nose and eyelids were practically destroyed, and in total more than fifty fragments were broken off from the sculpture under hammer blows.

Spectators who found themselves unwitting witnesses to the vandalism began to collect chipped pieces of marble, taking them for themselves as souvenirs, and although many of them were subsequently returned, the nose of the statue was irretrievably lost. Restoration began almost immediately after a thorough examination of the damaged sculpture by Michelangelo. Thanks to an existing plaster cast made in 1944 by Francesco Mercadali, restoration work were produced as accurately as possible, without arbitrary changes in dimensions.
Since then, the Pieta has been kept behind protective bulletproof glass. Today it can be seen in the first chapel from the entrance in the right nave of St. Peter's Basilica.

MICHELANGELO Buonarroti
(Michelangelo Buonarroti)
(1475-1564), Italian sculptor, painter, architect and poet. Even during Michelangelo's lifetime, his works were considered the highest achievements of Renaissance art.
Youth. Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on March 6, 1475 into a Florentine family in Caprese. His father was a high-ranking member of the city administration. The family soon moved to Florence; her financial situation was modest. Having learned to read, write and count, Michelangelo in 1488 became a student of the artists Ghirlandaio brothers. Here he became acquainted with basic materials and techniques and created pencil copies of works by the great Florentine artists Giotto and Masaccio; already in these copies the sculptural interpretation of forms characteristic of Michelangelo appeared. Michelangelo soon began working on sculptures for the Medici collection and attracted the attention of Lorenzo the Magnificent. In 1490 he settled in the Palazzo Medici and remained there until Lorenzo's death in 1492. Lorenzo Medici surrounded himself with the most prominent people of his time. There were poets, philologists, philosophers, commentators, such as Marsilio Ficino, Angelo Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola; Lorenzo himself was a wonderful poet. Michelangelo's perception of reality as spirit embodied in matter undoubtedly goes back to the Neoplatonists. For him, sculpture was the art of "isolating" or freeing the figure enclosed in a stone block. It is possible that some of his most striking works, which appear "unfinished", may have been deliberately left that way, because it was at this stage of "liberation" that the form most adequately embodied the artist's intention. Some of the main ideas of Lorenzo de' Medici's circle served as a source of inspiration and torment for Michelangelo in his later life, in particular the contradiction between Christian piety and pagan sensuality. It was believed that pagan philosophy and Christian dogmas could be reconciled (this is reflected in the title of one of Ficino’s books - “Plato’s Theology of the Immortality of the Soul”); that all knowledge, if rightly understood, is the key to divine truth. Physical beauty, embodied in the human body, is an earthly manifestation of spiritual beauty. Bodily beauty may be glorified, but this is not enough, for the body is the prison of the soul, which strives to return to its Creator, but can only achieve this in death. According to Pico della Mirandola, during life a person has free will: he can ascend to the angels or plunge into an unconscious animal state. The young Michelangelo was influenced by the optimistic philosophy of humanism and believed in limitless possibilities person. The marble relief Battle of the Centaurs (Florence, Casa Buonarroti) has the appearance of a Roman sarcophagus and depicts a scene from the Greek myth about the battle of the Lapith people with the half-animal centaurs who attacked them during a wedding feast. The plot was suggested by Angelo Poliziano; its meaning is the victory of civilization over barbarism. According to the myth, the Lapiths were victorious, but in Michelangelo's interpretation the outcome of the battle is unclear. The sculptor created compact and tense masses of naked bodies, demonstrating virtuoso skill in conveying movement through the play of light and shadow. The chisel marks and jagged edges remind us of the stone from which the figures are made. The second work is a wooden Crucifix (Florence, Casa Buonarroti). The head of Christ with his eyes closed is lowered to his chest, the rhythm of his body is determined by his crossed legs. The subtlety of this work distinguishes it from the power of the figures marble relief. Due to the danger of a French invasion in the fall of 1494, Michelangelo left Florence and, on his way to Venice, stopped for a while in Bologna, where he created three small statues for the tomb of St. Dominica, work on which was interrupted due to the death of the sculptor who began it. IN next year he returned briefly to Florence and then went to Rome, where he spent five years and produced two major works in the late 1490s. The first of them is a human-sized statue of Bacchus, intended for all-round viewing. The drunken god of wine is accompanied by a small satyr who feasts on a bunch of grapes. Bacchus seems ready to fall forward, but maintains his balance by leaning back; his gaze is turned to the cup of wine. The muscles of the back look elastic, but relaxed muscles of the abdomen and thighs demonstrate physical, and therefore spiritual, weakness. The sculptor achieved a difficult task: to create the impression of instability without compositional imbalance, which could disrupt the aesthetic effect. A more monumental work is the marble Pieta (Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica). This theme was popular during the Renaissance, but here it is treated rather restrainedly. Death and the sorrow that accompanies it seem to be contained in the marble from which the sculpture is made. The relationship of the figures is such that they form a low triangle, or more precisely, a conical structure. The naked body of Christ contrasts with the lush, rich in chiaroscuro robes of the Mother of God. Michelangelo depicted the Virgin Mary as young, as if she were not Mother and Son, but a sister mourning the untimely death of her brother. Idealization of this kind was used by Leonardo da Vinci and other artists. In addition, Michelangelo was an ardent admirer of Dante. At the beginning of the prayer of St. Bernard in the last canzone Divine Comedy it says: “Vergine Madre, figlia del tuo figlio” - “Our Lady, daughter of her Son.” The sculptor found the ideal way to express this deep theological thought in stone. On the vestments of Our Lady Michelangelo in the first and last time carved out the signature: "Michelangelo, Florentine." By the age of 25, the period of formation of his personality had ended, and he returned to Florence in the prime of all the possibilities that a sculptor can have.
Florence during the Republic.
As a result of the French invasion in 1494, the Medici were expelled, and for four years a de facto theocracy of the preacher Savonarola was established in Florence. In 1498, as a result of the intrigues of Florentine leaders and the papal throne, Savonarola and two of his followers were sentenced to be burned at the stake. These events in Florence did not directly affect Michelangelo, but they are unlikely to have left him indifferent. Savonarola's returning Middle Ages were replaced by a secular republic, for which Michelangelo created his first major work in Florence, the marble statue of David (1501-1504, Florence, Accademia). The colossal figure, 4.9 m high, together with its base, was supposed to stand near the cathedral. The image of David was traditional in Florence. Donatello and Verrocchio created bronze sculptures of a young man miraculously slaying a giant whose head lies at his feet. In contrast, Michelangelo depicted the moment preceding the fight. David stands with a sling thrown over his shoulder, clutching a stone in his left hand. The right side of the figure is tense, while the left is slightly relaxed, like an athlete ready for action. The image of David had special meaning for the Florentines, and Michelangelo's sculpture attracted everyone's attention. David became the symbol of a free and vigilant republic, ready to defeat any enemy. The location near the cathedral turned out to be unsuitable, and a committee of citizens decided that the sculpture should be protected main entrance to the government building, Palazzo Vecchio, in front of which there is now a copy of it. Perhaps, with the participation of Machiavelli, another major state project: Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were commissioned to create two huge frescoes for the hall Great Council in the Palazzo Vecchio on the theme historical victories Florentines under Anghiari and Cascina. Only copies of Michelangelo's cardboard of the Battle of Cascina have survived. It depicted a group of soldiers rushing to arms when suddenly attacked by their enemies while swimming in a river. The scene is reminiscent of the Battle of the Centaurs; it depicts naked figures in all sorts of poses, which were of greater interest to the master than the plot itself. Michelangelo's cardboard probably disappeared ca. 1516; according to the autobiography of the sculptor Benvenuto Cellini, he was a source of inspiration for many artists. The only painting undoubtedly belonging to Michelangelo, the tondo Madonna Doni (Florence, Uffizi), dates back to the same time (c. 1504-1506), which reflected the desire to convey complex poses and to plastically interpret the forms of the human body. The Madonna leaned to the right to take the Child sitting on Joseph's knee. The unity of the figures is emphasized by the rigid modeling of the draperies with smooth surfaces. The landscape with naked figures of pagans behind the wall is poor in detail. In 1506 Michelangelo began work on the statue of Matthew the Evangelist (Florence, Accademia), which was to be the first of a series of 12 apostles for the Cathedral of Florence. This statue remained unfinished, since two years later Michelangelo went to Rome. The figure was carved from a marble block, maintaining its rectangular shape. It is performed in a strong contrapposto (tense dynamic imbalance of the pose): the left leg is raised and rests on the stone, which causes a shift in the axis between the pelvis and shoulders. Physical energy transforms into spiritual energy, the strength of which is transmitted by the extreme tension of the body. The Florentine period of Michelangelo's work was marked by an almost feverish activity of the master: in addition to the works listed above, he created two relief tondos with images of the Madonna (London and Florence), in which varying degrees of completeness are used to create expressiveness of the image; a marble statue of the Madonna and Child (Notre Dame Cathedral in Bruges) and an unpreserved bronze statue of David. In Rome during the times of Pope Julius II and Leo X. In 1503, Julius II took the papal throne. No patron used art for propaganda purposes as extensively as Julius II. He began the construction of a new cathedral of St. Peter's, repairing and enlarging the papal residence on the model of Roman palaces and villas, painting the papal chapel and preparing a magnificent tomb for himself. The details of this project are unclear, but apparently Julius II imagined new temple with his tomb similar to the tomb of the French kings in Saint-Denis. Project for the new Cathedral of St. Petra was entrusted to Bramante, and in 1505 Michelangelo received an order to design the tomb. It should have stood freely and had a size of 6 by 9 m. There should have been an oval room inside, and about 40 statues outside. Its creation was impossible even at that time, but both dad and the artist were unstoppable dreamers. The tomb was never built in the form Michelangelo intended, and this “tragedy” haunted him for almost 40 years. The plan of the tomb and its semantic content can be reconstructed from preliminary drawings and descriptions. Most likely, the tomb was supposed to symbolize a three-stage ascent from earthly life to eternal life. At the base there should have been statues of the Apostle Paul, Moses and the prophets, symbols of the two ways to achieve salvation. At the top there should have been two angels carrying Julius II to heaven. As a result, only three statues were completed; The contract for the tomb was negotiated six times over a period of 37 years, and the monument was eventually installed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. During 1505-1506, Michelangelo constantly visited the marble quarries, choosing material for the tomb, while Julius II increasingly insistently drew his attention to the construction of the Cathedral of St. Petra. The tomb remained unfinished. In extreme irritation, Michelangelo fled Rome on April 17, 1506, the day before the foundation of the cathedral was laid. However, dad remained adamant. Michelangelo was forgiven and received an order to make a statue of the pontiff, which was later destroyed by the rebellious Bolognese. In 1506, another project arose - ceiling frescoes Sistine Chapel. It was built in the 1470s by Julius's uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. In the early 1480s, the altar and side walls were decorated with frescoes with gospel scenes and scenes from the life of Moses, in the creation of which Perugino, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio and Rosselli participated. Above them were portraits of popes, and the vault remained empty. In 1508, Michelangelo reluctantly began painting the vault. The work lasted just over two years between 1508 and 1512, with minimal assistance from assistants. Initially it was intended to depict the figures of the apostles on thrones. Later, in a letter of 1523, Michelangelo proudly wrote that he had convinced the pope of the failure of this plan and received complete freedom. Instead of the original project, the painting we see now was created. If the side walls of the chapel represent the Age of Law (Moses) and the Age of Grace (Christ), then the ceiling painting represents the very beginning of human history, the Book of Genesis. The ceiling painting of the Sistine Chapel is a complex structure consisting of painted elements of architectural decoration, individual figures and scenes. On the sides of the central part of the ceiling, under a painted cornice, there are giant figures of Old Testament prophets and pagan Sibyls seated on thrones. Between the two cornices there are transverse stripes imitating a vault; they demarcate alternating major and minor narrative scenes from the Book of Genesis. The lunettes and spherical triangles at the base of the painting also contain scenes. Numerous figures, including the famous ignudi (nude), frame scenes from the Book of Genesis. It is unclear whether they have any special meaning or are purely decorative. Existing interpretations of the meaning of this painting could form a small library. Since it is located in the papal chapel, its meaning must have been orthodox, but there is no doubt that Renaissance thought was also embodied in this complex. This article can only present a generally accepted interpretation of the main Christian ideas embedded in this painting. The images fall into three main groups: scenes from the Book of Genesis, prophets and sibyls, and scenes in the vaults. Scenes from the Book of Genesis, as well as compositions on the side walls, are located in chronological order, from the altar to the entrance. They fall into three triads. The first is related to the creation of the world. The second - the Creation of Adam, the Creation of Eve, Temptation and Expulsion from Paradise - is dedicated to the creation of humanity and its fall. The latter tells the story of Noah, ending with his drunkenness. It is no coincidence that Adam in the Creation of Adam and Noah in the Intoxication of Noah are in the same position: in the first case, a person does not yet possess a soul, in the second he refuses it. Thus, these scenes show that humanity was deprived of divine favor not once, but twice. The four sails of the vault contain scenes of Judith and Holofernes, David and Goliath, the Brazen Serpent and the Death of Haman. Each of them is an example of God's mysterious participation in the salvation of his chosen people. The prophets who predicted the coming of the Messiah spoke about this divine help. The climax of the painting is the ecstatic figure of Jonah, located above the altar and below the scene of the first day of creation, towards which his gaze is directed. Jonah is the herald of the Resurrection and eternal life, for, like Christ, who spent three days in the tomb before ascending to heaven, he spent three days in the belly of the whale and was then restored to life. Through participation in the Mass at the altar below, the faithful participated in the mystery of the salvation promised by Christ. The narrative is constructed in the spirit of heroic and sublime humanism; both women's and male figures full of courageous strength. The nude figures that frame the scenes indicate Michelangelo's taste and response to classical art: taken together, they constitute an encyclopedia of the positions of the naked human body, as was the case in both the Battle of the Centaurs and the Battle of Cascina. Michelangelo was not inclined towards the quiet idealism of the Parthenon sculpture, but preferred the powerful heroism of Hellenistic and Roman art, expressed in the large, pathos-filled sculptural group Laocoön, found in Rome in 1506. When discussing Michelangelo's frescoes in the Sistine Chapel, their preservation must be taken into account. Cleaning and restoration of the mural began in 1980. As a result, soot deposits were removed and the dull colors gave way to bright pink, lemon yellow and green; the contours and relationship of figures and architecture became clearer. Michelangelo appeared to be a subtle colorist: he managed to enhance the sculptural perception of nature with the help of color and took into account the high ceiling height (18 m), which in the 16th century. could not be illuminated as brightly as is possible now. (Reproductions of the restored frescoes are published in the monumental two-volume The Sistine Chapel by Alfred A. Knopf, 1992. Among the 600 photographs are two panoramic views of the painting before and after restoration.) Pope Julius II died in 1513; He was replaced by Leo X from the Medici family. From 1513 to 1516, Michelangelo worked on statues intended for the tomb of Julius II: figures of two slaves (Louvre) and a statue of Moses (San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome). The slave breaking his bonds is depicted in a sharp turn, like the Evangelist Matthew. The dying slave is weak, as if he is trying to rise, but he freezes in powerlessness, bowing his head under his arm twisted back. Moses looks to the left, like David; Indignation seems to boil within him at the sight of the worship of the golden calf. The right side of his body is tense, tablets are pressed to his side, and flick right leg emphasized by the drapery thrown across it. This giant, one of the prophets embodied in marble, personifies terribilita, "terrifying power."
Return to Florence. The years between 1515 and 1520 were the time of collapse of Michelangelo's plans. He was under pressure from the heirs of Julius, and at the same time he served the new pope from the Medici family. In 1516 he received an order to decorate the facade family church Medici in Florence San Lorenzo. Michelangelo spent a lot of time in the marble quarries, but after a few years the contract was terminated. Perhaps at the same time the sculptor began work on the statues of four slaves (Florence, Accademia), which remained unfinished. In the early 1500s, Michelangelo traveled constantly back and forth between Florence and Rome, but in the 1520s, commissions for the New Sacristy (Medici Chapel) of San Lorenzo and the Laurentian Library kept him in Florence until he left for Rome in 1534. Reading room Laurentian Library is a long room made of gray stone with light walls. The lobby, a high room with numerous double columns recessed into the wall, seems to be struggling to contain the staircase pouring onto the floor. The staircase was completed only towards the end of Michelangelo's life, and the vestibule was completed only in the 20th century.

Collier's Encyclopedia. - Open Society. 2000 .

Michelangelo- an outstanding Italian sculptor, architect, artist, thinker, poet, one of the brightest figures of the Renaissance, whose multifaceted creativity influenced the art of not only this historical period, but also on the development of the entire world culture.

March 6, 1475 in the family of the city councilor, a poor Florentine nobleman who lived in small town Caprese (Tuscany), a boy was born whose creations will be elevated to the rank of masterpieces, the best achievements of Renaissance art during the lifetime of their author. Lodovico Buonarroti said that higher powers inspired him to name his son Michelangelo. Despite the nobility, which gave grounds to be among the city elite, the family was not wealthy. Therefore, when the mother died, the father of many children had to give 6-year-old Michelangelo to be raised by his nurse in the village. Before he could read and write, the boy learned to work with clay and a chisel.

Seeing his son’s pronounced inclinations, Lodovico in 1488 sent him to study with the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio, in whose workshop Michelangelo spent a year. Then he becomes a student of the famous sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, whose school was patronized by Lorenzo de' Medici, who at that time was the de facto ruler of Florence. After some time, he himself notices the talented teenager and invites him to the palace, introducing him to the palace collections. Michelangelo stayed at the patron's court from 1490 until his death in 1492, after which he left home.

In June 1496, Michelangelo arrived in Rome: having bought a sculpture he liked, Cardinal Raphael Riario summoned him there. From that time on, the biography of the great artist was associated with frequent moves from Florence to Rome and back. Early creations already reveal features that will distinguish creative manner Michelangelo: admiration for the beauty of the human body, plastic power, monumentality, drama of artistic images.

During the years 1501-1504, returning to Florence in 1501, he worked on the famous statue of David, which the venerable commission decided to install in the main city square. Since 1505, Michelangelo is again in Rome, where Pope Julius II calls him to work on a grandiose project - the creation of his luxurious tomb, which, according to their joint plan, was to be surrounded by many statues. Work on it was carried out intermittently and was completed only in 1545. In 1508, he fulfilled another request of Julius II - he began painting frescoes on the vault in the Sistine Chapel of the Vatican and completed this grandiose painting, working intermittently, in 1512

Period from 1515 to 1520 became one of the most difficult in the biography of Michelangelo, was marked by the collapse of plans, throwing “between two fires” - service to Pope Leo X and the heirs of Julius II. In 1534 his final move to Rome took place. Since the 20s The artist’s worldview becomes more pessimistic and takes on tragic tones. An illustration of the mood was the huge composition “The Last Judgment” - again in the Sistine Chapel, on the altar wall; Michelangelo worked on it in 1536-1541. After the death of the architect Antonio da Sangallo in 1546, he took the position of chief architect of the Cathedral of St. Petra. The largest work of this period, work on which lasted from the late 40s. to 1555, there was a sculptural group “Pieta”. Over the last 30 years of the artist's life, the emphasis in his work gradually shifted to architecture and poetry. Deep, permeated with tragedy, dedicated to the eternal themes of love, loneliness, happiness, madrigals, sonnets and other poetic works were highly appreciated by his contemporaries. The first publication of Michelangelo's poetry was posthumous (1623).

On February 18, 1564, the great representative of the Renaissance died. His body was transported from Rome to Florence and buried in the Church of Santa Croce with great honors.

Biography from Wikipedia

Michelangelo Buonarroti, full name Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni(Italian: Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni; March 6, 1475, Caprese - February 18, 1564, Rome) - Italian sculptor, artist, architect, poet, thinker. One of the greatest masters of the Renaissance and early Baroque. His works were considered the highest achievements of Renaissance art during the lifetime of the master himself. Michelangelo lived for almost 89 years, an entire era, from the period High Renaissance to the origins of the Counter-Reformation. During this period, there were thirteen Popes - he carried out orders for nine of them. Many documents about his life and work have been preserved - testimonies from contemporaries, letters from Michelangelo himself, contracts, his personal and professional records. Michelangelo was also the first representative Western European art, whose biography was published during his lifetime.

Among his most famous sculptural works are "David", "Bacchus", "Pieta", statues of Moses, Leah and Rachel for the tomb of Pope Julius II. Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo's first official biographer, wrote that "David" "robbed the glory of all statues, modern and ancient, Greek and Roman." One of the artist’s most monumental works are the frescoes of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, about which Goethe wrote that: “Without seeing the Sistine Chapel, it is difficult to get a clear idea of ​​what one person can do.” Among his architectural achievements are the design of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica, the stairs of the Laurentian Library, Campidoglio Square and others. Researchers believe that Michelangelo's art begins and ends with the image of the human body.

Life and art

Childhood

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan town of Caprese, north of Arezzo, in the family of the impoverished Florentine nobleman Lodovico Buonarroti (Italian: Lodovico (Ludovico) di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni) (1444-1534), who at that time was the 169th Podesta. For several generations, representatives of the Buonarroti-Simoni family were petty bankers in Florence, but Lodovico failed to maintain the financial condition of the bank, so he took government positions from time to time. It is known that Lodovico was proud of his aristocratic origins, because the Buonarroti-Simoni family claimed blood relationship with the Margravess Matilda of Canossa, although there was not enough documentary evidence to confirm this. Ascanio Condivi argued that Michelangelo himself believed in this, recalling the aristocratic origins of the family in his letters to his nephew Leonardo. William Wallace wrote:

“Before Michelangelo, very few artists claimed such origins. The artists did not have not only coats of arms, but also real surnames. They were named after their father, profession or city, and among them were: famous contemporaries Michelangelo as Leonardo da Vinci and Giorgione"

According to Lodovico's record, which is kept in the Casa Buonarroti Museum (Florence), Michelangelo was born "(...) on Monday morning, at 4 or 5:00 before dawn." This register also states that the christening took place on 8 March in the Church of San Giovanni di Caprese, and lists the godparents:

About his mother, Francesca di Neri del Miniato del Siena (Italian: Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena), who married early and died from exhaustion due to frequent pregnancies in the year of Michelangelo’s sixth birthday, the latter never mentions in his voluminous correspondence with his father and brothers . Lodovico Buonarroti was not rich, and the income from his small property in the village was barely enough to support many children. In this regard, he was forced to give Michelangelo to a nurse, the wife of a Scarpelino from the same village, called Settignano. There, raised by the Topolino couple, the boy learned to knead clay and use a chisel before reading and writing. In any case, Michelangelo himself later said to his friend and biographer Giorgio Vasari:

“If there is anything good in my talent, it is because I was born in the rarefied air of your Aretina land, and I extracted both the chisels and the hammer with which I make my statues from the milk of my nurse.”

"Count of Canossa"
(Drawing by Michelangelo)

Michelangelo was the second son of Lodovico. Fritz Erpeli gives the birth years of his brothers Lionardo (Italian: Lionardo) - 1473, Buonarroto (Italian: Buonarroto) - 1477, Giovansimone (Italian: Giovansimone) - 1479 and Gismondo (Italian: Gismondo) - 1481. In the same year, his mother died, and in 1485, four years after her death, Lodovico married for the second time. Michelangelo's stepmother was Lucrezia Ubaldini. Soon Michelangelo was sent to the school of Francesco Galatea da Urbino (Italian: Francesco Galatea da Urbino) in Florence, where the young man did not show much inclination to study and preferred communicating with artists and redrawing church icons and frescoes.

Youth. First works

In 1488, the father came to terms with his son’s inclinations and placed him as an apprentice in the workshop of the artist Domenico Ghirlandaio. Here Michelangelo had the opportunity to familiarize himself with basic materials and techniques; his pencil copies of works by such Florentine artists as Giotto and Masaccio date back to the same period; already in these copies Michelangelo’s characteristic sculptural vision of forms appeared. His painting “The Torment of St. Anthony” (a copy of an engraving by Martin Schongauer) dates back to the same period.

He studied there for one year. A year later, Michelangelo moved to the school of the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni, which existed under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici, the de facto master of Florence. The Medici recognized Michelangelo's talent and patronized him. From approximately 1490 to 1492, Michelangelo was at the Medici court. Here he met the philosophers of the Platonic Academy (Marsilio Ficino, Angelo Poliziano, Pico della Mirandola and others). He was also friends with Giovanni (Lorenzo's second son, future Pope Leo X) and Giulio Medici ( illegitimate son Giuliano de' Medici, future Pope Clement VII). Perhaps at this time " Madonna at the Stairs" And " Battle of the Centaurs" It is known that at this time Pietro Torrigiano, who was also Bertoldo’s student, quarreled with Michelangelo and broke the guy’s nose with a blow to the face. After the death of the Medici in 1492, Michelangelo returned home.

In 1494-1495, Michelangelo lived in Bologna, creating sculptures for the Arch of St. Dominic. In 1495, he returned to Florence, where the Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola ruled, and created sculptures “ Saint Johannes" And " Sleeping Cupid" In 1496, Cardinal Raphael Riario bought Michelangelo's marble "Cupid" and invited the artist to work in Rome, where Michelangelo arrived on June 25. In 1496-1501 he creates " Bacchus" And " Roman Pieta».

In 1501 Michelangelo returned to Florence. Commissioned works: sculptures for " altar of Piccolomini" And " David" In 1503, work was completed on order: “ Twelve Apostles", start of work on " Saint Matthew"for the Florentine Cathedral. Around 1503-1505, the creation of " Madonna Doni», « Madonna Taddei», « Madonna Pitti" And " Brugger Madonna" In 1504, work on " David"; Michelangelo receives an order to create " Battles of Kashin».

In 1505, the sculptor was summoned by Pope Julius II to Rome; he ordered a tomb for him. An eight-month stay in Carrara follows, selecting the marble necessary for the work. In the years 1505-1545, work was carried out (with interruptions) on the tomb, for which sculptures were created “ Moses», « Tied up slave», « Dying Slave», « Leah».

In April 1506 he returned to Florence again, followed by reconciliation with Julius II in Bologna in November. Michelangelo receives an order for a bronze statue of Julius II, which he works on in 1507 (later destroyed).

In February 1508, Michelangelo returned to Florence again. In May, at the request of Julius II, he goes to Rome to paint ceiling frescoes in the Sistine Chapel; He works on them until October 1512.

In 1513, Julius II dies. Giovanni Medici becomes Pope Leo X. Michelangelo enters into a new contract to work on the tomb of Julius II. In 1514, the sculptor received an order for “ Christ with the cross"and the chapel of Pope Leo X in Engelsburg.

In July 1514, Michelangelo returned to Florence again. He receives an order to create the facade of the Medici Church of San Lorenzo in Florence, and he signs a third contract for the creation of the tomb of Julius II.

In the years 1516-1519, numerous trips took place to buy marble for the façade of San Lorenzo to Carrara and Pietrasanta.

In 1520-1534, the sculptor worked on the architectural and sculptural complex of the Medici Chapel in Florence, and also designed and built the Laurentian Library.

In 1546, the artist was entrusted with the most significant architectural commissions of his life. For Pope Paul III, he completed the Palazzo Farnese (the third floor of the courtyard façade and the cornice) and designed for him a new decoration of the Capitol, the material embodiment of which, however, lasted for quite a long time. But, of course, the most important order, which prevented him from returning to his native Florence until his death, was for Michelangelo his appointment as the chief architect of St. Peter's Cathedral. Convinced of such trust in him and faith in him on the part of the pope, Michelangelo, in order to show his good will, wished that the decree should declare that he served on the construction for the love of God and without any remuneration.

Death and burial

A few days before Michelangelo's death, his nephew, Leonardo, arrived in Rome, to whom on February 15, at Michelangelo's request, Federico Donati wrote a letter.

Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 in Rome, just short of his 89th birthday. Witnesses to his death were Tommaso Cavalieri, Daniele da Volterra, Diomede Leone, doctors Federico Donati and Gherardo Fidelissimi, as well as servant Antonio Franzese. Before his death, he dictated his will with all his characteristic laconicism: “I give my soul to God, my body to the earth, my property to my relatives.”

Pope Pius IV planned to bury Michelangelo in Rome, building him a tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. On February 20, 1564, Michelangelo's body was temporarily laid to rest in the Basilica of Santi Apostoli.

In early March, the sculptor's body was secretly transported to Florence and solemnly buried on July 14, 1564 in the Franciscan church of Santa Croce, not far from Machiavelli's tomb.

Works

The genius of Michelangelo left its mark not only on the art of the Renaissance, but also on all subsequent world culture. His activities are mainly related to two Italian cities- Florence and Rome. By the nature of his talent, he was primarily a sculptor. This is also felt in paintings masters, unusually rich in plasticity of movements, complex poses, distinct and powerful sculpting of volumes. In Florence, Michelangelo created an immortal example of the High Renaissance - the statue “David” (1501-1504), which became the standard for depicting the human body for many centuries, in Rome - the sculptural composition “Pieta” (1498-1499), one of the first incarnations of the figure of a dead man in plastic. However, the artist was able to realize his most ambitious plans precisely in painting, where he acted as a true innovator of color and form.

Commissioned by Pope Julius II, he painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (1508-1512), representing biblical story from the creation of the world to the flood and including more than 300 figures. In 1534-1541, in the same Sistine Chapel, he painted the grandiose, dramatic fresco “The Last Judgment” for Pope Paul III. The architectural works of Michelangelo - the ensemble of the Capitol Square and the dome of the Vatican Cathedral in Rome - amaze with their beauty and grandeur.

The arts have reached such perfection in him that you will not find either among ancient or modern people over many, many years. He had such and such a perfect imagination, and the things that seemed to him in the idea were such that it was impossible to carry out such great and amazing plans with his hands, and he often abandoned his creations, moreover, he destroyed many; Thus, it is known that shortly before his death he burned a large number of drawings, sketches and cardboards created with his own hands, so that no one could see the work he had overcome, and the ways in which he tested his genius in order to show it as nothing less than perfect.

Giorgio Vasari. "Biographies of the most famous painters, sculptors and architects." T. V. M., 1971.

Notable works

• Madonna at the stairs. Marble. OK. 1491. Florence, Buonarroti Museum.
• Battle of the Centaurs. Marble. OK. 1492. Florence, Buonarroti Museum.
• Pieta. Marble. 1498-1499. Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica.
• Madonna and Child. Marble. OK. 1501. Bruges, Notre Dame Church.
• David. Marble. 1501-1504. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts.
• Madonna Taddei. Marble. OK. 1502-1504. London, Royal Academy of Arts.
• Madonna Doni. 1503-1504. Florence, Uffizi Gallery.
• Madonna Pitti. OK. 1504-1505. Florence, National Bargello Museum.
• Apostle Matthew. Marble. 1506. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts.
• Painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel. 1508-1512. Vatican.
  • Creation of Adam
• Dying slave. Marble. OK. 1513. Paris, Louvre.
• Moses. OK. 1515. Rome, Church of San Pietro in Vincoli.
• Atlant. Marble. Between 1519, ca. 1530-1534. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts.
• Medici Chapel 1520-1534.
• Madonna. Florence, Medici Chapel. Marble. 1521-1534.
• Laurentian Library. 1524-1534, 1549-1559. Florence.
• Tomb of Duke Lorenzo. Medici Chapel. 1524-1531. Florence, Cathedral of San Lorenzo.
• Tomb of Duke Giuliano. Medici Chapel. 1526-1533. Florence, Cathedral of San Lorenzo.
• Crouching boy. Marble. 1530-1534. Russia, St. Petersburg, State Hermitage Museum.
• Brutus. Marble. After 1539. Florence, National Bargello Museum.
• Last Judgment. The Sistine Chapel. 1535-1541. Vatican.
• Tomb of Julius II. 1542-1545. Rome, Church of San Pietro in Vincoli.
• Pieta (Entombment) of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. Marble. OK. 1547-1555. Florence, Opera del Duomo Museum.

In 2007, it was found in the Vatican archives last work Michelangelo - sketch of one of the details of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The red chalk drawing is "a detail of one of the radial columns that make up the drum of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome." It is believed that this is the last work famous artist, executed shortly before his death in 1564.

This is not the first time that Michelangelo's works have been found in archives and museums. So, in 2002, in storage National Museum design in New York, among the works of unknown Renaissance authors, another drawing was found: on a sheet of paper measuring 45x25 cm, the artist depicted a menorah - a candlestick for seven candles. At the beginning of 2015, it became known about the discovery of the first and probably the only bronze sculpture by Michelangelo that has survived to this day - a composition of two panther riders.

Poetic creativity

Michelangelo's poetry is considered one of the brightest examples of the Renaissance. About 300 poems by Michelangelo have survived to this day. The main themes are the glorification of man, the bitterness of disappointment and the loneliness of the artist. Favorite poetic forms are madrigal and sonnet. According to R. Rolland, Michelangelo began writing poetry as a child, however, there are not many of them left, since in 1518 he burned most of his early poems, and destroyed another part later, before his death.

Some of his poems were published in the works of Benedetto Varchi (Italian: Benedetto Varchi), Donato Giannotto (Italian: Donato Giannotti), Giorgio Vasari and others. Luigi Ricci and Giannotto invited him to select the best poems for publication. In 1545, Giannotto began preparing the first collection of Michelangelo, however, things did not go any further - Luigi died in 1546, and Vittoria died in 1547. Michelangelo decided to abandon this idea, considering it vanity.

Vittoria and Michelangelo at "Moses", painting XIX century

Thus, during his lifetime, a collection of his poems was not published, and the first collection was published only in 1623 by his nephew Michelangelo Buonarroti (the younger) under the title “Poems of Michelangelo, collected by his nephew” in the Florentine publishing house Giuntine. This edition was incomplete and contained certain inaccuracies. In 1863, Cesare Guasti published the first accurate edition of the artist’s poems, which, however, was not chronological. In 1897, the German art critic Karl Frey published “The Poems of Michelangelo, collected and commented by Dr. Karl Frey "(Berlin). The edition by Enzo Noe Girard (Bari, 1960) Italian: Enzo Noe Girardi) consisted of three parts, and was much more advanced than Frey's edition in the accuracy of the text and was distinguished by a better chronology of the arrangement of poems, although not entirely indisputable.

The study of Michelangelo's poetic work was carried out, in particular, by the German writer Wilhelm Lang, who defended a dissertation on this topic, published in 1861.

Use in music

Even during his lifetime, some of the poems were set to music. Among the most famous composers-contemporaries of Michelangelo are Jacob Arkadelt (“Deh dimm" Amor se l"alma” and “Io dico che fra voi”), Bartolomeo Tromboncino, Constanza Festa (a lost madrigal on a poem by Michelangelo), Jean de Cons (also - Consilium).

Also, composers such as Richard Strauss (a cycle of five songs - the first with words by Michelangelo, the rest by Adolf von Schack, 1886), Hugo Wolf (vocal cycle “Songs of Michelangelo” 1897) and Benjamin Britten (song cycle “ Seven Sonnets by Michelangelo", 1940).

On July 31, 1974, Dmitri Shostakovich wrote a suite for bass and piano (opus 145). The suite is based on eight sonnets and three poems by the artist (translated by Abram Efros).

In 2006, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies completed Tondo di Michelangelo (for baritone and piano). The work includes eight sonnets by Michelangelo. The premiere took place on October 18, 2007.

In 2010, Austrian composer Matthew Dewey wrote “Il tempo passa: music to Michelangelo” (for baritone, viola and piano). It uses a modern translation of Michelangelo's poems into English. The world premiere of the work took place on January 16, 2011.

Appearance

There are several portraits of Michelangelo. Among them are Sebastiano del Piombo (c. 1520), Giuliano Bugiardini, Jacopino del Conte (1544-1545, Uffizi Gallery), Marcello Venusti (museum in the Capitol), Francisco d'Holanda (1538-1539), Giulio Bonasone (1546) etc. Also, his image was in the biography of Condivi, which was published in 1553, and in 1561 Leone Leoni minted a coin with his image.

Describing Michelangelo's appearance, Romain Rolland chose portraits of Conte and d'Hollande as a basis:

Bust of Michelangelo
(Daniele da Volterra, 1564)

“Michelangelo was of medium height, broad-shouldered and muscular (...). His head was round, his forehead was square, indented with wrinkles, with strongly pronounced brow ridges. Black, rather sparse hair, slightly curly. Small light brown eyes, the color of which was constantly changing, dotted with yellow and blue specks (...). Wide straight nose with a small hump (...). Thinly defined lips, the lower lip protrudes slightly. Thin sideburns, and a forked thin beard of a faun (...) a high-cheeked face with sunken cheeks.”

However, the cinema preferred to portray him as more attractive than he really was.

Michelangelo did not leave behind a single documented self-portrait, however, a number of his works are considered by researchers to be possible images of the artist. Among them are “Saint Proclus of Bologna”, the head of Holofernes in the fresco “Judith and Holofernes” on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the loser in the sculptural group “Spirit of Victory”, the face on the skinned Saint Bartholomew (the fresco “The Last Judgment”), Saint Nicodemus in “ Drink II."

It is also believed that he is depicted in Raphael's fresco "The School of Athens", although this statement is not unequivocal. After Michelangelo's death, Daniele da Volterra made the sculptor's death mask and bust.

Spiritual quest and personal life

In 1536, Vittoria Colonna, Marchioness of Pescara, came to Rome, where this 47-year-old widowed poetess earned the deep friendship of 61-year-old Michelangelo. Vittoria became the only woman whose name is firmly associated with Michelangelo. Researcher Norton argued that “his poems to her... are sometimes difficult to distinguish from the sonnets to the young man Tommaso Cavalieri, and it is also known that Michelangelo himself sometimes replaced the address “signor” with “signora” before releasing his poems to the people.” In the future, his poems were censored by his great-nephew before publication.

Her departure to Orvieto and Viterbo in 1541 due to the rebellion of her brother Ascanio Colonna against Paul III did not cause a change in her relationship with the artist, and they continued to visit each other and correspond as before. She returned to Rome in 1544.

Sonnet No. 60

And the highest genius will not add
One thought to the fact that marble itself
It conceals in abundance - and that’s all we need
A hand obedient to reason will reveal.

Am I waiting for joy, is anxiety pressing on my heart,
The wisest, good donna, - to you
I am obliged to everything, and the shame is heavy for me,
That my gift does not glorify you as it should.

Not the power of Love, not your beauty,
Or coldness, or anger, or the oppression of contempt
They bear the blame for my misfortune, -
Because death is merged with mercy
In your heart - but my pathetic genius
By loving, he is capable of extracting one death.

Michelangelo

Biographers of the famous artist noted that “the correspondence of these two remarkable people is not only of high biographical interest, but is also an excellent monument historical era and a rare example of a live exchange of thoughts, full of minds, subtle observation and irony."

Researchers wrote about the sonnets dedicated to Michelangelo Vittoria: “The deliberate, forced platonism of their relationship aggravated and brought to crystallization the love-philosophical structure of Michelangelo’s poetry, which largely reflected the views and poetry of the Marchioness herself, who during the 1530s played the role of Michelangelo’s spiritual guide . Their poetic “correspondence” attracted the attention of their contemporaries; Perhaps the most famous was sonnet 60, which became the subject of special interpretation.”

Records of conversations between Vittoria and Michelangelo, heavily processed, were preserved in the posthumously published notes of the Portuguese artist Francesco d'Holland.

Grade

Michelangelo was considered the greatest master during his lifetime. Now he is considered one of the greatest masters in the history of mankind. A significant number of his sculptures, paintings and works of architecture are the most famous in the world. His most famous work is the statue of David.

To the cinema

• “Agony and Ecstasy” / The Agony and the Ecstasy - dir. Carol Reed, (USA-UK, 1965)
• Performance by G. Mackevicius "Overcoming"
• Documentary film "Michelangelo Superstar"

Creativity and ideas Michelangelo inspire and fascinate many people.

Michelangelo's creativity briefly

Michelangelo in his art he reflected all the ideals of the era: from heroic pathos to the crisis state of the humanistic worldview. Also in early works the main features and ideas of his work were determined - plastic power, dramatic images, internal tension, monumentality and admiration for human beauty.

The work of Michelangelo Buonarroti can be divided into 2 periods - Roman and Florentine:

• Roman period

In Rome, Michelangelo created the statue of Bacchus, paying tribute to antiquity. At that time, the Gothic scheme dominated the sculptural field. But the artist managed to introduce new ideas into it - persuasiveness and brightness life images, humanistic deep content. Pope Julius II entrusted him with the design of his own tomb in 1505. He created many sketches, and it was completed already in 1545. Buonarotti created a large number of sculptures especially for her.

The statue “Moses” deserves special attention, expressing titanic strength, powerful will and temperament. In the cycle of painting of the Roman period, the painting of the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo from 1508 to 1512 deserves special attention. This grandiose creation includes scenes bible book Genesis, compositions of figures of sibyls and prophets, images of Christ and his ancestors. His frescoes are full of clear and plastic lines, intense expressiveness, colorful range, and exquisite colors. He spent the last 30 years of his life in Rome.

In 1536 - 1541, Buonarotti created the fresco “The Last Judgment,” depicting the tragic power of images. The ideas of the futility of human efforts, painful hopelessness in the search for truth are reflected in the frescoes of the Paolina Chapel. The artist's latest creations are full of plasticity, internal dynamism, and tension of the masses. Until the end of his life he was engaged in designing the ensemble of the Capitol.

• Florentine period

In Florence, Buonarotti completed a grandiose work - the statue of “David” (1501-1504). It embodied the ideas of heroic impulse and civic valor. He also painted the Palazzo Vecchio (1504 - 1506), in which he expressed the desire and readiness of the citizens of Florence to defend the republic. In the period 1516 - 1534, the artist worked on the design of the facade of the Church of San Lorenzo, the architectural and sculptural ensemble of the Medici tomb. All works by Michelangelo Buonarroti Florentine period full of deep pessimism, heavy thinking, aimless movement. His statues are devoid of portrait features and depict the fluidity of time.

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in the Tuscan town of Caprese north of Arezzo, the son of an impoverished Florentine nobleman, Lodovico Buonarroti, a city councilor. The father was not rich, and the income from his small property in the village was barely enough to support many children. In this regard, he was forced to give Michelangelo to a nurse, the wife of a Scarpelino from the same village, called Settignano. There, raised by the Topolino couple, the boy learned to knead clay and use a chisel before reading and writing. In 1488, Michelangelo's father came to terms with his son's inclinations and placed him as an apprentice in the workshop. Thus began the flowering of genius.

Today we present to you a selection of the most interesting facts about Italian sculptor, one of the greatest masters of the Renaissance - Michelangelo Buonarroti.

1) As the American publication writes The New York Times, Although Michelangelo often complained about losses and was often described as a poor man, in 1564, when he died, his fortune was worth tens of millions of dollars in modern dollars.

2) A distinctive feature of Michelangelo’s works is the nude human figure, executed in the smallest detail and striking in its naturalism. However, at the beginning of his career, the sculptor did not know the features of the human body so well. And he had to learn them. He did this in the monastery morgue, where he examined dead people and their insides.

3) Many of his caustic judgments about the works of other artists have reached us. Here, for example, is how he responded to someone’s painting depicting grief over Christ: “ It's truly sad to look at her" Another creator, who painted a picture where the bull turned out best, received the following comment from Michelangelo about his work: “ Every artist paints himself well».

4) One of the greatest works is the vault of the Sistine Chapel, on which he worked for 4 years. The work consists of individual frescoes, which together represent a huge composition on the ceiling of the building. Michelangelo kept the whole picture as a whole and its individual parts in his head. There were no preliminary sketches, etc. During his work, he did not let anyone into the room, not even the Pope.

"Lamentation of Christ", Michelangelo Buonarotti. St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican.

5) When Michelangelo completed his first “Pieta” and it was exhibited in St. Peter’s Basilica (at that time Michelangelo was only 24 years old), the author heard rumors that people attributed this work to another sculptor - Cristoforo Solari. Then Michelangelo carved on the belt of the Virgin Mary: “This was done by the Florentine Michelangelo Buonarotti.” He later regretted this outburst of pride and never signed his sculptures again - this is the only one.

6) Michelangelo did not communicate with women until he was 60 years old. That's why he female sculptures remind male bodies. Only in his seventies did he meet his first love and muse. She herself was then over forty, she was a widow and found solace in poetry.

7) The sculptor did not consider anyone his equal. Sometimes he yielded to those in power, on whom he depended, but in relations with them he showed his indomitable temper. According to a contemporary, he inspired fear even in the popes. Leo X said about Michelangelo: “ He's scary. You can't deal with him».

8) Michelangelo wrote poetry:

And even Phoebus can’t hug at once
With its ray the cold globe of the earth.
And we are even more afraid of the hour of the night,
Like a sacrament before which the mind fades.
The night flees from the light, as from leprosy,
And is protected by pitch darkness.
The crunch of a branch or the dry click of a trigger
It’s not to her liking - she’s so afraid of the evil eye.
Fools are free to prostrate themselves before her.
Envious like a widow queen
She doesn't mind destroying fireflies either.
Although prejudices are strong,
From sunlight a shadow will be born
And at sunset it turns into night.

Tomb of Michelangelo Buonarroti in Santa Croce

9) Before his death, he burned many sketches, realizing that there were no technical means to implement them.

10) The famous statue of David was made by Michelangelo from a piece of white marble left over from another sculptor who unsuccessfully tried to work with this piece and then abandoned it.

David

11) In the winter of 1494, there was a very heavy snowfall in Florence. The ruler of the Florentine Republic, Piero di Medici, ordered Michelangelo to sculpt a snow statue. The artist completed the order, but, unfortunately, no information about what the snowman sculpted by Michelangelo looked like has been preserved.

12) Having ascended the papal throne, Julius II decided to build himself a magnificent tomb. The Pontiff gave Michelangelo unlimited freedom in creativity and cash. He was carried away by the idea and personally went to the place where marble for the statues was mined - to Cararra. Returning to Rome almost a year later, having spent a lot of money on the delivery of marble, Michelangelo discovered that Julius II had already lost interest in the tomb project. And he is not going to pay the expenses! The angry sculptor immediately abandoned everything - the workshop, the blocks of marble, the orders - and left Rome without the pope's permission.

13) In the history of art there is the following incident. Michelangelo placed high demands on his works and judged them strictly. When asked what an ideal statue is, he replied: “Every statue should be designed in such a way that it could be rolled down a mountain without a single piece breaking off.”