Michael Angelo

Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the most well-known artists in history with many famous paintings that show his talent. He was born on March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Tuscany between four and five in the morning. He was the second of five boys to Ludovico di Buonarotto Simoni and Francesca Neri. His mother was too ill and frail to take care of him so he was placed with someone called a “wet mother”. This woman nursed Michelangelo and took care of him in ways that his own mother was unable to do. At the young age of six, Michelangelo lost his mother and set on a path to live a dull, lonely childhood. He was known to keep to him-self, but to have quite a temper and be quick to respond with fierce words. However, Michelangelo was extremely intelligent, which his father discovered, and sent him off to learn more. Michelangelo was sent to school to learn grammar and the basics of Latin where he made some friends. One of the friends he made was Francesco Granacci, who was an art student, and encouraged Michelangelo to pursue an interest in painting. Michelangelo’s father devoted everything he had to preserving what was left of his family’s fortune, which was not much. He dreamed that his son Michelangelo would go to school and become a wealthy merchant or business man. At thirteen Michelangelo agreed to apprentice in the workshop of painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. This infuriated his father, but he wanted to pursue a career in what he loved to do, and that was paint. After being an apprentice in Domenico Ghirlandaio’s workshop, Michelangelo continued on to study at a sculpture school and then to the household of Lorenzo de’Medici. This opened many doors for Michelangelo and introduced him to many great artists of his time. Michelangelo became intrigued with the human body and wanted to study corpses to learn more. This was strictly forbidden by the church, so in exchange for the permission, Michelangelo gave the prior of the church of Santo Spirito a wooden Crucifix.