Divine Michelangelo. Sistine Chapel fresco “The Last Judgment”

Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni - the most famous painter from Italy, genius of architectural and sculptural works, thinker High Renaissance And early period baroque. 9 of the 13 popes who were on the throne during the time of Michelangelo invited a master to carry out work in and.

Little Michelangelo was born in the early morning of March 6, 1475, Monday, into the family of the bankrupt banker and nobleman Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni in the Tuscan town of Caprese, near the province of Arezzo, where his father held the position of podestà ), head of the Italian medieval administration.

Family and childhood

Two days after his birth, on March 8, 1475, the boy was baptized in the Church of San Giovanni di Caprese. Michelangelo was the 2nd child in a large family. Mother, Francesca Neri del Miniato Siena, gave birth to her first son Lionardo in 1473, Buonarroto was born in 1477, and fourth son Giovansimone was born in 1479. in 1481 the younger Gismondo was born. Exhausted by frequent pregnancies, the woman dies in 1481, when Michelangelo was barely 6 years old.

In 1485, the father of a large family married for the second time to Lucrezia Ubaldini di Galliano, who was unable to give birth to her own children and raised adopted boys as her own. Unable to cope with the large family, his father gave Michelangelo to the Topolino foster family in the city of Settignano. The father of the new family worked as a stonemason, and his wife knew the child from childhood, as she was Michelangelo’s wet nurse. It was there that the boy began working with clay and picked up a chisel for the first time.

To give his heir an education, Michelangelo's father enrolled him in the educational institution of Francesco Galatea da Urbino, located in Firenze. But he turned out to be an unimportant student; the boy liked to draw more, copying icons and frescoes.

First works

In 1488, the young painter achieved his goal and went to study in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, where whole year learns the basics of drawing techniques. During his year of study, Michelangelo created several pencil copies of famous paintings and a copy of an engraving by the German painter Martin Schongauer entitled “Tormento di Sant’Antonio”.

In 1489 the young man was enrolled in art school Bertoldo di Giovanni, organized under the patronage of (Lorenzo Medici), ruler of Florence. Noticing the genius of Michelangelo, the Medici took him under his protection, helping him develop his abilities and fulfill expensive orders.

In 1490, Michelangelo continued his studies at the Academy of Humanism at the Medici court, where he met the philosophers Marsilio Ficino and Angelo Ambrogini, the future Popes: Leo PP. X and Clement VII (Clemens PP. VII). During 2 years of study at the Academy, Michelangelo creates:

• Marble relief of the “Madonna of the Staircase” (“Madonna della scala”), 1492, is exhibited in the Casa Buonarroti Museum in Florence;
• Marble relief "Battle of the Centaurs" ("Battaglia dei centauri"), 1492, exhibited in Casa Buonarroti;
• Sculpture by Bertoldo di Giovanni.

On April 8, 1492, the influential patron of talent, Lorenzo de' Medici, dies, and Michelangelo decides to return to his father's house.

In 1493, with the permission of the rector of the church of Santa Maria del Santo Spirito, he studied anatomy on corpses at the church hospital. In gratitude for this, the master makes for the priest a wooden “Crucifix” (“Crocifisso di Santo Spirito”), 142 cm in height, which is now displayed in the church in the side chapel.

In Bologna

In 1494, Michelangelo left Florence not wanting to participate in the Savonarola uprising (Savonarola) and went to (Bologna), where he immediately took on the task of completing an order of 3 small figurines for the tomb of St. Dominic (San Domenico) in the church of the same name “St. Dominic” (“Chiesa di San Domenico”):

• “Angel with a candelabra” (“Angelo reggicandelabro”), 1495;
• “Saint Petronio” (“San Petronio”), patron saint of Bologna, 1495;
• "Saint Proclus" ("San Procolo"), Italian warrior-saint, 1495

In Bologna, the sculptor learns to create difficult reliefs by observing the actions of Jacopo della Quercia in the Basilica of San Petronio. Elements of this work would be reproduced by Michelangelo later on the ceiling ("Cappella Sistina").

Florence and Rome

In 1495, the 20-year-old master again came to Florence, where power was in the hands of Girolamo Savonarola, but did not receive any orders from the new rulers. He returns to the Medici Palace and begins working for Lorenzo’s heir, Pierfrancesco di Lorenzo de’ Medici, creating for him the now lost statues:

• “John the Baptist” (“San Giovannino”), 1496;
• “Sleeping Cupid” (“Cupido dormiente”), 1496

Lorenzo asked the last statue to be aged; he wanted to sell the work of art at a higher price, passing it off as an antique find. But Cardinal Raffaele Riario, who purchased the fake, discovered the deception, however, impressed by the work of the author, he did not make claims against him, inviting him to work in Rome.

June 25, 1496 Michelangelo arrives in Rome, where in 3 years he creates greatest masterpieces: marble sculptures of the god of wine Bacchus (Bacco) and (Pietà).

Heritage

Throughout his subsequent life, Michelangelo repeatedly worked in Rome and Florence, fulfilling the most labor-intensive orders of the Popes.

Creation genius master manifested itself not only in sculptures, but also in painting and architecture, leaving many unsurpassed masterpieces. Unfortunately, some works have not reached our time: some were lost, others were deliberately destroyed. In 1518, the sculptor first destroyed all the sketches for painting the Sistine Chapel (Cappella Sistina), and 2 days before his death, he again ordered his unfinished drawings to be burned so that his descendants would not see his creative torment.

Personal life

It is not known for certain whether Michelangelo had a close relationship with his passions or not, but the homosexual nature of his attraction is evident in many of the maestro’s poetic works.

At the age of 57, he dedicated many of his sonnets and madrigals to the 23-year-old Tommaso dei Cavalieri(Tommaso Dei Cavalieri). Many of their joint poetic works speak of mutual and touching love for each other.

In 1542, Michelangelo met Cecchino de Bracci, who died in 1543. The Maestro was so saddened by the loss of his friend that he wrote a cycle of 48 sonnets, praising grief and sadness over an irreparable loss.

One of the young men posing for Michelangelo, Febo di Poggio, constantly asked the master for money, gifts and jewelry in exchange for reciprocated love, receiving the nickname “little blackmailer” for this.

The second young man, Gherardo Perini, also posing for the sculptor, did not hesitate to take advantage of Michelangelo’s favor and simply robbed his admirer.

In his twilight years, the sculptor felt a wonderful sense of affection for a female representative, the widow and poetess Vittoria Colonna, whom he had known for more than 40 years. Their correspondence constitutes a significant monument of Michelangelo's era.

Death

Michelangelo's life was interrupted on February 18, 1564 in Rome. He died in the presence of a servant, doctors and friends, having managed to dictate his will, promising the Lord his soul, the earth his body, and his relatives his property. A tomb was built for the sculptor, but two days after his death the body was temporarily transported to the Basilica of Santi Apostoli, and in July he was buried in the Basilica of Santa Croce in the center of Florence.

Painting

Despite the fact that the main manifestation of Michelangelo's genius was the creation of sculptures, he has many masterpieces of painting. According to the author, high-quality paintings should resemble sculptures and reflect the volume and relief of the presented images.

“The Battle of Cascina” (“Battaglia di Cascina”) was created by Michelangelo in 1506 for painting one of the walls of the Great Council Hall in the Apostolic Palace (Palazzo Apostolico) commissioned by the gonfaloniere Pier Soderini. But the work remained unfinished, since the author was summoned to Rome.

On a huge cardboard in the premises of the Sant’Onofrio hospital, the artist masterfully depicted soldiers in a hurry to stop swimming in the Arno River. The bugle from the camp called them to battle and the men in a hurry grab their weapons, armor, pull clothes over their wet bodies, while helping their comrades. The cardboard, placed in the Papal Hall, became a school for such artists as: Antonio da Sangallo (Antonio da Sangallo), ( Raffaello Santi), Ridolfo del Ghirlandaio, Francesco Granacci, and later Andrea del Sarto, Jacopo Sansovino, Ambrogio Lorenzetti, Perino del Vaga and others. They came to work and copied from a unique canvas, trying to get closer to the talent of the great master. The cardboard has not survived to this day.

“Madonna Doni” or “Holy Family” (Tondo Doni) - a round painting with a diameter of 120 cm is exhibited in (Galleria degli Uffizi) in Florence. Made in 1507 in the “Cangiante” style, when the skin of the depicted characters resembles marble. Most The painting is occupied by the figure of the Mother of God, with John the Baptist behind her. They are holding the Christ child in their arms. The work is filled with complex symbolism, subject to various interpretations.

Manchester Madonna

The unfinished “Manchester Madonna” (Madonna di Manchester) was executed in 1497 on a wooden board and is kept in the National Gallery in London. The first title of the painting was “Madonna and Child, John the Baptist and Angels,” but in 1857 it was first presented to the public at an exhibition in Manchester, receiving its second title, by which it is known today.

Entombment (Deposizione di Cristo nel sepolcro) was executed in 1501 in oil on wood. Another unfinished work by Michelangelo, owned by the London National Gallery. The main figure of the work was the body of Jesus taken from the cross. His followers carry their teacher to the grave. Presumably, John the Evangelist is depicted to the left of Christ in red clothes. Other characters could be: Nikodim and Joseph of Arimathea. On the left, Mary Magdalene is kneeling in front of the teacher, and on the bottom right, the image of the Mother of God is outlined, but not drawn.

Madonna and Child

The sketch “Madonna and Child” (Madonna col Bambino) was made between 1520 and 1525 and can easily turn into a full-fledged painting in the hands of any artist. Kept in the Casa Buonarroti Museum in Florence. First, on the first piece of paper, he drew the skeletons of future images, then on the second, he “increased” muscles on the skeleton. Nowadays, working with great success has been exhibited in museums across America for the past three decades.

Leda and the swan

The lost painting “Leda and the Swan” (“Leda e il cigno”), created in 1530 for the Duke of Ferrara Alfonso I d’Este (Italian: Alfonso I d’Este) is known today only through copies. But the Duke did not get the painting; the nobleman sent to Michelangelo for the work commented on the master’s work: “Oh, this is nothing!” The artist kicked out the envoy and gave the masterpiece to his student Antonio Mini, whose two sisters were soon getting married. Antonio took the work to France, where it was bought by the monarch Francis I (François Ier). The painting belonged to the Château de Fontainebleau until it was destroyed in 1643 by François Sublet de Noyers, who considered the image too voluptuous.

Cleopatra

The painting “Cleopatra” from 1534 is an ideal female beauty. The work is interesting because on the other side of the sheet there is another sketch in black chalk, but it is so ugly that art historians have made the assumption that the author of the sketch belongs to one of the master’s students. Portrait Egyptian queen Michelangelo gave it to Tommaso dei Cavalieri. Perhaps Tommaso tried to paint one of the ancient statues, but the work was not crowned with success, then Michelangelo turned the page and turned the squalor into a masterpiece.

Venus and Cupid

The cardboard "Venere and Cupid", created in 1534, was used by the painter Jacopo Carucci to create the painting "Venus and Cupid". The oil painting on wood panel measures 1 m 28 cm by 1 m 97 cm and is in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence. ABOUT The original of Michelangelo's work has not survived to this day.

Pieta

The drawing “Pietà per Vittoria Colonna” was written in 1546 for Michelangelo’s friend, the poetess Vittoria Colonna. The chaste woman not only dedicated her work to God and the church, but also forced the artist to penetrate deeper into the spirit of religion. It was to her that the master dedicated a series of religious drawings, among which was “Pieta”.

Michelangelo repeatedly wondered if he was competing with God himself in an attempt to achieve perfection in art. The work is kept in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

Epiphany

The sketch “Epiphany” (“Epifania”) is a grandiose work by the artist, completed in 1553. It was made on 26 sheets of paper with a height of 2 m 32 cm 7 mm after much thought (multiple traces of changes in the sketch are noticeable on the paper). In the center of the composition is the Virgin Mary, who with her left hand pushes Saint Joseph away from her. At the feet of the Mother of God is the baby Jesus, in front of Joseph is the baby St. John. On Mary’s right hand there is a figure of a man, unidentified by art historians. The work is exhibited in British Museum(British Museum) in London.

Sculptures

Today, 57 works belonging to Michelangelo are known, about 10 sculptures have been lost. The master did not sign his work and cultural workers continue to “find” more and more new works by the sculptor.

Bacchus

The sculpture of the drunken god of wine made of Bacchus marble, 2 m 3 cm high, is depicted in 1497 with a glass of wine in his hand and with bunches of grapes, symbolizing the hair on his head. He is accompanied by a goat-legged satyr. The customer for one of Michelangelo's first masterpieces was Cardinal Raffaele della Rovere, who subsequently refused to take the work back. In 1572, the statue was bought by the Medici family. Today it is exhibited in the Italian Bargello Museum in Florence.

Roman Pieta

Order to paint a ceiling with an area of ​​about 600 sq. m. “Sistine Chapel” (“Sacellum Sixtinum”), Pope Julius II (Iulius PP. II) gave the Apostolic Palace to the master after their reconciliation. Before this, Michelangelo lived in Florence, he was angry with the pope, who refused to pay for the construction of his own tomb.

Previously talented sculptor I had never done frescoes, but I completed the order of the royal person in the shortest possible time, painting the ceiling with three hundred figures and nine scenes from the Bible.

Creation of Adam

“The Creation of Adam” (“La creazione di Adamo”) is the most famous and beautiful fresco of the chapel, completed in 1511. One of the central compositions is full of symbolism and hidden meaning. God the Father, surrounded by angels, is depicted flying into infinity. He reaches out his hand to meet Adam's outstretched hand, breathing the soul into the ideal human body.

Last Judgment

The Last Judgment fresco (“Giudizio universale”) is the largest fresco of Michelangelo’s era. The master worked on the image measuring 13 m 70 cm by 12 m for 6 years, finishing it in 1541. In the center is a figure of Christ with his right hand raised up. He is no longer a messenger of peace, but a formidable judge. Next to Jesus were the apostles: Saint Peter, Saint Lawrence, Saint Bartholomew, Saint Sebastian and others.

The dead look at the judge with horror, awaiting the verdict. Those saved by Christ are resurrected, but the sinners are carried away by the devil himself.

“The Universal Flood” is the first fresco painted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the chapel in 1512. The sculptor was helped to carry out this work by masters from Florence, but soon their work ceased to satisfy the maestro and he refused outside help. The image represents human fears at the last moment of life. Everything is already flooded with water, except for a few high hills, where people are desperately trying to avoid death.

“Libyan Sibyl” (“Libyan sibyl”) is one of the 5 depicted by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the chapel. A graceful woman with a folio is presented half-turned. According to art historians, the artist copied the image of the Sibyl from a posing young man. According to legend, she was a dark-skinned African woman of average height. The maestro decided to portray a soothsayer with white skin and blond hair.

Separation of Light from Darkness

The fresco “The Separation of Light from Dark,” like other frescoes in the chapel, is filled with a riot of colors and emotions. Higher intelligence, full of love for everything that exists, has such incredible power that Chaos is unable to prevent him from separating light from darkness. Giving the Almighty a human form suggests that each person has the power to create a small universe within himself, distinguishing between good and evil, light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance.

Saint Paul's Cathedral

At the beginning of the 16th century, Michelangelo, as an architect, participated in the creation of the plan for St. Peter's Basilica together with the architect Donato Bramante. But the latter disliked Buonarroti and constantly plotted against his opponent.

Forty years later, the construction completely passed into the hands of Michelangelo, who returned to Bramante's plan, rejecting the plan of Giuliano da Sangallo. The maestro introduced more monumentality into the old plan when he abandoned the complex division of space. He also increased the dome pylons and simplified the shape of the semi-domes. Thanks to innovations, the building acquired integrity, as if it were cut from one piece of material.

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Chapel Paolina

For the painting of the “Cappella Paolina” in Apostolic Palace Michelangelo was able to begin only in 1542 at the age of 67 years. Long work on the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel greatly undermined his health; inhaled fumes of paint and plaster led to general weakness and heart disease. The paint ruined his vision, the master hardly ate, did not sleep, and did not take off his boots for weeks. As a result, Buonarroti stopped work twice and returned to it again, creating two amazing frescoes.

“Conversion of the Apostle Paul” (“Conversione di Saulo”) is Michelangelo’s first fresco in the “Paolina Chapel” measuring 6 m 25 cm by 6 m 62 cm, completed in 1545. The Apostle Paul was considered the patron saint of Pope Paul III (Paulus PP III) . The author depicted a moment from the Bible, which describes how the Lord himself appeared to Saul as an implacable persecutor of Christians, turning the sinner into a preacher.

Crucifixion of Saint Peter

The fresco “Crucifixion of St. Peter” (“Crocifissione di San Pietro”) measuring 6 m 25 cm by 6 m 62 cm was completed by Michelangelo in 1550 and became the artist’s final painting. Saint Peter was sentenced to death by Emperor Nero, but the condemned man wished to be crucified upside down, since he did not consider himself worthy to accept death like Christ.

Many artists, depicting this scene, encountered misunderstandings. Michelangelo solved the problem by presenting the crucifixion scene before the erection of the cross.

Architecture

During the second half of his life, Michelangelo increasingly began to turn to architecture. During the construction of architectural monuments, the maestro successfully destroyed the old canons, putting into the work all the knowledge and skills accumulated over the years.

In the Basilica of St. Lawrence (Basilica di San Lorenzo), Michelangelo worked not only on the Medici tombs. The church, built in 393 during reconstruction in the 15th century, was supplemented with the Old Sacristy according to the design of Filippo Brunelleschi.

Later, Michelangelo became the author of the project for the New Sacristy, built on the other side of the church. In 1524, by order of Clement VII (Clemens PP. VII), the architect designed and built the building of the Laurentian Library (Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana) on the south side of the church. A complex staircase, floors and ceilings, windows and benches - every little detail was carefully thought out by the author.

“Porta Pia” is a gate in the northeast (Mura aureliane) in Rome on the ancient Via Nomentana. Michelangelo made three projects, of which the customer, Pope Pius IV (Pius PP. IV), approved the least expensive option, where the facade resembled a theater curtain.

The author did not live to see the construction of the gate completed. After the gate was partially destroyed by lightning in 1851, Pope Pius IX (Pius PP. IX) ordered it to be reconstructed, changing the original appearance buildings.

The titular basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri (Basilica di Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri) is located on the Roman (Piazza della Repubblica) and was erected in honor of Our Lady, the holy martyrs and God's angels. Pope Pius IV entrusted the development of a construction plan to Michelangelo in 1561. The author of the project did not live to see the completion of the work, which occurred in 1566.

Poetry

The last three decades of Michelangelo's life were not only engaged in architecture; he wrote many madrigals and sonnets, which were not published during the author's lifetime. In poetry, he sang love, glorified harmony and described the tragedy of loneliness. Buonarroti's poems were first published in 1623. In total, about three hundred of his poems, just under 1,500 letters from personal correspondence and about three hundred pages of personal notes have survived.

1. Michelangelo's talent was evident in the fact that he saw his works before they were created. The master personally selected pieces of marble for future sculptures and himself transported them to the workshop. He always stored and treasured unprocessed blocks as finished masterpieces.
2. The future “David,” which appeared before Michelangelo as a huge piece of marble, turned out to be the sculpture that two previous masters had already abandoned. For 3 years the maestro worked on his masterpiece, presenting the naked “David” to the public in 1504.
3. At the age of 17, Michelangelo quarreled with 20-year-old Pietro Torrigiano, also an artist, who managed to break his opponent’s nose in a fight. Since then, in all the images of the sculptor he is presented with a disfigured face.
4. The “Pieta” in St. Peter’s Basilica impresses the audience so much that it has been repeatedly attacked by individuals with unstable psyches. In 1972, Australian geologist Laszlo Toth committed an act of vandalism by hitting the sculpture 15 times with a hammer. After this, the Pietà was placed behind glass.
5. Darling sculptural composition The author's Pieta "Lamentation of Christ" turned out to be the only signed work. When the masterpiece was unveiled in St. Peter's Basilica, people began to speculate that its creator was Cristoforo Solari. Then Michelangelo, having made his way into the cathedral at night, embossed on the folds of the Mother of God’s clothing “Michelangelo Buonarroti, a Florentine sculpture,” but later he regretted his pride, never signing his works again.
6. While working on The Last Judgment, the master accidentally fell from high scaffolding, severely injuring his leg. He saw this as a bad omen and did not want to work anymore. The artist locked himself in the room, not letting anyone in and deciding to die. But the famous doctor and friend of Michelangelo, Baccio Rontini, wanted to cure the wayward stubborn man, and since the doors did not open for him, he with great difficulty made his way into the house through the cellar. The doctor forced Buonarroti to take medication and helped him recover.
7. The power of the master's art only gains strength over time. Over the past 4 years, more than a hundred people have sought medical help after visiting rooms with Michelangelo's works on display. Particularly impressive to viewers is the statue of a naked “David”, in front of which people have repeatedly lost consciousness. They complained of disorientation, dizziness, apathy and nausea. Doctors at the Santa Maria Nuova hospital call this emotional condition"David syndrome"

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Hands reaching out to each other - the most famous (at least from the screensaver Nokia phones) fragment of a fresco of the Sistine Chapel. But in Michelangelo's "Creation of Adam" it is not his hands that are more important, but... his brain

FRESCO "Creation of Adam" 280 x 570 cm
Years of creation: 1511–1512
Located in the Sistine Chapel in Rome

This order was immediately disliked by the artist, who preferred sculpture to painting and had little experience in creating frescoes. Michelangelo suspected that the idea to entrust him with a job in which he was not good was given to Pope Julius II by envious people. And although you can’t argue with the most powerful customer in Europe, out of a sense of contradiction, the master signed the contract like this: “Michelangelo, sculptor.” Sculpture, according to Michelangelo’s definition, is “an art that is realized through diminution.” And if you look at the fresco through the eyes of a sculptor, “cutting off everything unnecessary” (as Rodin puts it), then unexpected outlines appear in the image.

The main part of the painting is nine scenes from Genesis, “The Creation of Adam” is the fourth of them. The action on the fresco froze a second before the beginning of the biblical story homo sapiens, when God, who created man in his own image, “breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul” (Gen. 2:7). But Michelangelo has his own interpretation: in the fresco, Adam is already able to breathe and move, but is still an unfinished creation. What was missing for the first man to become like God? As art critic and professor at Temple University in the United States Marsha Hall writes: “From the point of view of the Italian Renaissance, endowing a person with the ability to think meant being created in the image and likeness of God.” Some researchers believe that here Michelangelo depicted the Creator as the source of intelligence literally - in the form of a brain.

1. Adam. His pose almost mirrors the pose of the Creator - Adam is like God - only it is weak-willed and relaxed. Energy and life are poured into Adam by the divine stream of consciousness.

2. Brain. American physician Frank Lynn Meshberger was the first to note the similarity of the outlines of the cloak fluttering around God and his companions with the contours of the human brain. This point of view was supported by a number of doctors and biologists. Michelangelo, according to his friend and biographer Giorgio Vasari, “was constantly engaged in anatomy, opening up corpses in order to discern the beginnings and connections of the skeleton, muscles, nerves and veins...” So the artist could well study in detail the contents of the skull. And during the Renaissance, there were already ideas about the brain as the seat of the mind. It cannot be ruled out that in the fresco Michelangelo visualized the idea: the creative principle in the person of God with the angels is, first of all, a thinking center.

3. Furrows, demarcating parts of the brain. Meshberger and his followers believe that in the fresco the artist visually identified the main parts of the thinking organ and the lines corresponding to the lateral sulcus (separates the temporal lobes), the deep central sulcus (separates the frontal lobe from the parietal lobe) and the parieto-occipital sulcus (separates the parietal lobe from the occipital lobe) .

4. Varoliev Bridge. Contains pathways for nerve impulses between the spinal cord and brain. The 16th-century master hardly knew about these functions, but he depicted the outlines of the pons in a similar way.

5. Pituitary gland. Meshberger believed that the artist highlighted the anterior and posterior lobes of this organ associated with the endocrine system.

6. Two vertebral arteries. They are as sinuous as the fluttering fabric in the fresco.

7. Middle frontal gyrus. Biologist Konstantin Efetov believes that the fresco represents the outer surface of the brain. In the middle gyrus of the frontal lobe there is an oculomotor center that simultaneously rotates the head and eyes. In Michelangelo, the contours of this gyrus correspond to the outlines of the Creator's hand, which is naked, although the sleeves of the tunic are long. This is a reference to the biblical: “To whom was the arm of the Lord revealed?” (Isa. 53:1). According to Christian tradition, these words of the prophet are about Jesus, the new Adam, who will come to atone for the sin of his forefather.

8. Supramarginal gyrus. According to modern science, controls complex human movements. On the fresco, the silhouette of a woman’s head repeats the outlines of this gyrus. Marsha Hall believes that the artist here depicted Sophia, the Divine Wisdom. The Bible says that Wisdom was with God when he created the world and people (Proverbs, chapter 8).

9. Angular gyrus. Its contours follow the contours of the child's head. Art critic Leo Steinberg believes that the boy whose shoulder is touched by God is the Christ child, foreseeing his fate.

ARTIST
Michelangelo Buonarroti

1475 - Born in Caprese (now Caprese Michelangelo, Tuscany) in the family of a judge.
1488–1489 - Studied painting with Domenico Ghirlandaio.
1489–1492 - Studied at Bertoldo di Giovanni's school of sculpture in the gardens of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
1498–1499 - Sculpted the “Pieta” for St. Peter’s Basilica.
1501 - around 1504- Created a five-meter statue of “David” from a block of marble damaged by another sculptor.
1508–1512 - Painted the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
1534 - Finally moved from Florence to Rome.
1536–1541 - Worked on the “Last Judgment” mural in the Sistine Chapel.
1564 - Died of fever in Rome. He was buried in Florence in the Church of Santa Croce.

The culmination of the High Renaissance and at the same time a reflection of the deep contradictions in the culture of the era was the work of the third of the titans Italian art– Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564). Even in comparison with Leonardo and Raphael, who are striking in their versatility, Michelangelo is distinguished by the fact that in each of the areas of artistic creativity he left works of grandiose scale and power, embodying the most progressive ideas of the era. Michelangelo was a brilliant sculptor, painter, architect, draftsman, military engineer, poet, and at the same time he was a fighter for high humanistic ideals, a citizen who defended the freedom and independence of his homeland with arms in hand.

The great artist and fighter are inseparable in the idea of ​​Michelangelo. His whole life is a constant heroic struggle to assert the human right to freedom and creativity. Throughout his long creative career, the artist’s focus was on a person who was effective, active, ready for a feat, and overwhelmed by great passion. His works of the late period reflect the tragic collapse of Renaissance ideals.

Michelangelo was born in Caprese (in the vicinity of Florence), in the family of a city ruler. As a thirteen-year-old boy, he entered the workshop of Ghirlandaio, and a year later he entered the art school at the court of Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent. Here, in the so-called Medici gardens at the monastery of San Marco, he continued his studies under the guidance of Bertoldo di Giovanni, a staunch admirer of antiquity. Having become acquainted with the rich, refined culture of the Medici court, with the wonderful works of ancient and contemporary art, with famous poets and humanists, Michelangelo did not isolate himself in an elegant court environment. Already his early independent works confirmed his attraction to large monumental images, full of heroism and strength. The relief “Battle of the Centaurs” (early 1490s, Florence, Casa Buonarroti) reveals the drama and stormy dynamics of the battle, the fearlessness and energy of the fighters, the powerful plasticity of interconnected strong figures, permeated with a single rapid rhythm.

Final formation public consciousness Michelangelo comes at the time of the expulsion of the Medici from Florence and the establishment of a republican system there. Trips to Bologna and Rome contribute to the completion of art education. Antiquity opens up to him the gigantic possibilities hidden in sculpture. In Rome, the marble group “Pieta” (1498–1501, Rome, St. Peter’s Cathedral) was created - the master’s first large original work, imbued with faith in the triumph of the humanistic ideals of the Renaissance. The sculptor solves the dramatic theme of the mourning of Christ by the Mother of God in deep psychologically, expressing immeasurable grief by tilting his head, exactly found in the gesture of the Madonna’s left hand. The moral purity of the image of Mary, the noble restraint of her feelings reveal the strength of character and are conveyed in classically clear forms, with amazing perfection. Both figures are arranged into an indissoluble group in which not a single detail violates the closed silhouette or its plastic expressiveness.

Deep conviction and the excitement of a person striving for a feat are captured in the statue of David (Florence, Accademia fine arts), executed in 1501–1504 upon the sculptor’s return to Florence. The idea of ​​civil feat, courageous valor and intransigence was embodied in the image of the legendary hero. Michelangelo abandoned the narrative style of his predecessors. Unlike Donatello and Verrocchio, who depicted David after defeating the enemy, Michelangelo presented him before the battle. He focused on the strong-willed composure and intensity of all the hero’s powers, conveyed by plastic means. This colossal statue clearly expresses the peculiarity of Michelangelo’s plastic language: with the hero’s outwardly calm pose, his entire figure with a powerful torso and superbly modeled arms and legs, his beautiful, inspired face expresses the utmost concentration of physical and spiritual forces. All muscles seem to be permeated with movement. Michelangelo's art returned to nudity the ethical meaning it had in ancient sculpture. The image of David also acquires a broader meaning as an expression creative forces free man. Already in those days, the Florentines understood the civic pathos of the statue and its significance, installing it in the city center in front of the Palazzo Vecchio as a call for the defense of the fatherland and for fair rule.

Having found a convincing form for the statue (with support on one leg), masterfully modeling it, Michelangelo made him forget about the difficulties that he had to overcome in working with the material. The statue was carved from a block of marble, which everyone believed had been ruined by an unlucky sculptor. Michelangelo managed to fit the figure into a ready-made block of marble so that it fit extremely compactly.

At the same time as the statue of David, cardboard was made for painting the Council Hall of the Palazzo Vecchio “The Battle of Cascina” (known from engravings and a pictorial copy). By entering into competition with Leonardo, the young Michelangelo received greater public appreciation for his work; He contrasted the theme of exposing the war and its atrocities with the glorification of the sublime feelings of valor and patriotism of the soldiers of Florence, who rushed to the battlefield at the call of the trumpet, ready for heroism.

Having received an order from Pope Julius II to build his tombstone, Michelangelo, without finishing the Battle of Cascina, moved to Rome in 1505. He creates a project for a majestic mausoleum, decorated with numerous statues and reliefs. To prepare the material - marble blocks - the sculptor went to Carrara. During his absence, the pope lost interest in the idea of ​​​​building a tomb. Insulted, Michelangelo left Rome and only after persistent calls from the pope returned. This time he received a new grandiose order - painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, which he accepted with great reluctance, since he considered himself primarily a sculptor, and not a painter. This painting became one of greatest creations Italian art.

Under the most difficult conditions, Michelangelo worked for four years (1508–1512), completing the entire painting of the huge ceiling (600 sq. m.) with his own hand. In accordance with the architectonics of the chapel, he divided the vault covering it into a number of fields, placing in a wide central field nine compositions on scenes from the Bible about the creation of the world and the life of the first people on earth: “The Separation of Light from Darkness”, “The Creation of Adam”, “The Fall” , “The Intoxication of Noah”, etc. On the sides of them, on the slopes of the vault, are depicted figures of prophets and sibyls (soothsayers), in the corners of the fields are seated naked young men; in the vault sails, formwork and lunettes above the windows are episodes from the Bible and the so-called ancestors of Christ. The grandiose ensemble, including more than three hundred figures, seems to be an inspired hymn to the beauty, power, and intelligence of man, glorifying his creative genius and heroic deeds. Even in the image of God - a majestic, powerful old man, what is emphasized first of all is the creative impulse expressed in the movements of his hands, as if truly capable of creating worlds and giving life to man. Titanic strength, intelligence, insightful wisdom and sublime beauty characterize the images of the prophets: the deeply thoughtful, mournful Jeremiah, the poetically inspired Isaiah, the mighty Cumaean Sibyl, the beautiful young Delphic Sibyl. The characters created by Michelangelo have a tremendous power of generalization; for each character he finds a special pose, turn, movement, gesture.

If tragic thoughts were embodied in individual images of the prophets, then in the images of naked young men, the so-called slaves, a feeling of the joy of being, irrepressible strength and energy is conveyed. Their figures, presented in complex angles and movements, receive the richest plastic development. All of them, without destroying the plane of the vaults, enrich them, reveal tectonics, enhancing the overall impression of harmony. The combination of grandiose scale, harsh power of action, beauty and concentration of color gives rise to a feeling of freedom and confidence in the triumph of man.

Leonardo did not spend too much time on painting and was not very concerned about what would be left to his descendants. Therefore it artistic heritage not as great as it could be.

The most outstanding work Leonardo's fresco "The Last Supper" is located in Milan, in the refectory of the monastery of Santa Maria delle Grazie. To see it worldwide famous work You will have to sign up in advance online. True, Milan is no longer Tuscany. From Tuscany you need to drive a couple of hundred kilometers to neighboring Lombardy.

Russians can be proud: of the two dozen works by Leonardo that have survived to this day, two are exhibited in the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg - “Madonna with a Flower” and “Madonna Litta”. Four more works are kept in the Paris Louvre.

In Florence, in the Uffizi Gallery, you will find three works by the master: “The Baptism of Christ”, “The Annunciation” and “The Adoration of the Magi”.

Michelangelo Buonarotti

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was born in the village of Caprese, not far from the Tuscan city of Arezzo.

Michelangelo's mother died when the boy was six years old. The father, an impoverished nobleman, due to lack of funds, gave the child to be raised by a wet nurse, whose husband was a “scalpellino”, i.e. builder-mason. Therefore, the boy learned to handle a chisel and clay much earlier than he learned to write and read.

Michelangelo showed early artistic ability and was given to the workshop of the famous artist Ghirlandaio. A year later he went to study sculpture with Bertoldo di Giovanni, at the art school established by Lorenzo Medici. Lorenzo the Magnificent noticed a talented student. Michelangelo lived in his palace for two years and received an extensive education. At the age of 16, he was already completing independent orders.

Michelangelo lived long life- 88 years old. These years were divided largely between Florence and Rome. Michelangelo saw the years of the rise of Rome associated with the activities of Pope Julius II and the heyday of Florence under the Medici, the luxury and extravagance of the court of Pope Leo X, the preaching of Savonarola and the religious movement of the people, survived the sack of Rome by mercenary armies that got out of control in 1527, the expulsion of the Medici from Florence and the ensuing turmoil. And all this time he worked hard.

His youth came at a time Early Renaissance, mature years on the High Renaissance, the decline of life - on the Late Renaissance. Actually, Michelangelo was this very Renaissance.

Michelangelo's style

Michelangelo, of course, was first and foremost a sculptor. His statue “David” (Florence, Academy of Fine Arts) is an unsurpassed example of the image of the human body. Pieta (Vatican, St. Peter's Basilica) - an unsurpassed example images of the dead bodies. (The word “pieta” means pity; this is the name given to the scenes depicting the Mother of God with Christ taken down from the cross in her arms.)

And Michelangelo approached painting in many ways as a master of form. His figures are voluminous and anatomical, his poses are full of tension and drama. Michelangelo's paintings in the Sistine Chapel are a grandiose monument to his genius.

Michelangelo gave a lot of strength and inspiration to the Cathedral of St. Peter's in the Vatican. The wonderful dome, striking in its size and at the same time lightness, was designed by Michelangelo.

By the way, he worked with stone in his own special way: he did not process it from all sides, like other sculptors, but started from the frontal plane and progressively moved towards the rear. Its recipe for creating sculptural masterpiece: simply “take a piece of marble and cut off all the excess.”

Where to see

Almost everything that the master created is in Italy. We can say that Florence is one big Michelangelo museum. His legacy is great and well preserved. Maybe the fact is that marble is a material created to last, it is much stronger than oil-coated canvas and painted plaster of frescoes?

List of Michelandelo's works - only his most famous 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, Cathedral of St. Petra; 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 Museum Bargello; Apostle Matthew. Marble. 1506. Florence, Academy of Fine Arts; Painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel. 1508--1512. Vatican; 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.