Michelangelo’s Sybille de Cummes and the Sistine Chapel
Gina Williams
GS 601-OL5: The Renaissance Art World & Its Classical Origins
Instructor: Kevin Koczela, Final Paper, December 8, 2010
Michelangelo’s Sybille de Cummes and the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (family name shortened to Bouonarroti) was born in 1475 in the small town of Caprese near Florence, Italy. Michelangelo attended School at the age of nine where he had extensive training in Latin; however, he soon grew a desire to become an artist. Lodovico, Michelangelo’s father, did not want this for his son for artists were generally poor and only worked for wealthy family’s needs and the church.
At first Lodovico discarded the idea. Later, he gave in and at the age of 15, sent Michelangelo to live and become an apprentice to Ghirlandaio, who owned the most successful workshop in Florence. Michelangelo learned everything about becoming a painter and perfected this craft, but he had another passion; to become a sculptor. He knew he would never learn to sculpt if he remained with Ghirlandaio. Some of the utmost distinctive people in Florence frequently visited Ghirlandaio’s workshop, including Bertoldo di Giovanni. Bertoldo was an old sculptor who had been a pupil of the great sculptor Donatello. Michelangelo left Ghirlandaio and began to sculpt and was advised and guided by Bertoldo (Wilkinson 20). Michelangelo also became employed by Lorenzo de’ Medici, the most powerful man in the city. Even though Michelangelo worked hard at studying sculpture, he continued to copy the works of great painters while employed by Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Michelangelo lived during the High Renaissance period and was one of the puissant, influential, and transcendent artists of all time. He was not only a sculptor, but also an unfathomed painter, a poet and an architect. This paper intends to analyze Michelangelo’s Sybille de Cummes (1512) fresco in the Sistine Chapel in terms of the following art historical philosophical themes/concepts:
GS 601-OL5: The Renaissance Art World & Its Classical Origins
Instructor: Kevin Koczela, Final Paper, December 8, 2010
Michelangelo’s Sybille de Cummes and the Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (family name shortened to Bouonarroti) was born in 1475 in the small town of Caprese near Florence, Italy. Michelangelo attended School at the age of nine where he had extensive training in Latin; however, he soon grew a desire to become an artist. Lodovico, Michelangelo’s father, did not want this for his son for artists were generally poor and only worked for wealthy family’s needs and the church.
At first Lodovico discarded the idea. Later, he gave in and at the age of 15, sent Michelangelo to live and become an apprentice to Ghirlandaio, who owned the most successful workshop in Florence. Michelangelo learned everything about becoming a painter and perfected this craft, but he had another passion; to become a sculptor. He knew he would never learn to sculpt if he remained with Ghirlandaio. Some of the utmost distinctive people in Florence frequently visited Ghirlandaio’s workshop, including Bertoldo di Giovanni. Bertoldo was an old sculptor who had been a pupil of the great sculptor Donatello. Michelangelo left Ghirlandaio and began to sculpt and was advised and guided by Bertoldo (Wilkinson 20). Michelangelo also became employed by Lorenzo de’ Medici, the most powerful man in the city. Even though Michelangelo worked hard at studying sculpture, he continued to copy the works of great painters while employed by Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Michelangelo lived during the High Renaissance period and was one of the puissant, influential, and transcendent artists of all time. He was not only a sculptor, but also an unfathomed painter, a poet and an architect. This paper intends to analyze Michelangelo’s Sybille de Cummes (1512) fresco in the Sistine Chapel in terms of the following art historical philosophical themes/concepts: