Michelangelo Buonarroti

The art of Michelangelo Buonarroti was among the best and most famous in the world; hundreds of thousands of people have marveled at his enduring works. From the young age of thirteen, he made painting and sculptures that have a reputation that survived the centuries. His works reflected his love for art and God. Although some have questioned his painting abilities, his mastery of anatomy made his sculptures among the best of his era; his skills in art were matched only by his rash temper. Michelangelo was undoubtedly one of the most skilled and interesting artists of the Renaissance. Coming from an upper-class Capresian family who considered themselves to be Florentines, Michelangelo seemed like he would live a privileged yet simple life.
He once said about sculpting, “I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” From the young age of 16, his sculptures outshone those of lifelong professionals. More importantly, though, his studies of anatomy advanced European artists’ knowledge of the human body. The church at the time strictly prohibited human dissection, so Michelangelo had to obtain special permission to study cadavers’ anatomical structures. Although these studies often had an adverse impact on his health, Michelangelo’s paintings and sculptures improved dramatically due to his knowledge of anatomy. In sculptures such as David, his mastery of the human body became incredibly apparent to anyone who saw his works. The Last Judgement, a painting on the Sistine Chapel, also showed the fruits of his studies. In the fresco, dozens of humans were shown from scores of angles and poses. No known artist before Michelangelo had so accurately depicted humans in such a multitude of unique positions. His studies of human anatomy pushed the artistic movement from simple and passive poses to those that were dynamic and more complex. Michelangelo’s sculptures and anatomical mastery greatly advanced the world of