Interesting Facts about Michelangelo

Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance painter, sculptor and architect. He was also a poet and an engineer. He made valuable contributions to each of the fields he worked in and remains being the best-documented artist of the 16th century. Let us look at some of the important and interesting facts about this great artist.

Interesting Facts about Michelangelo

• Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 near Arezzo, Tuscany. His birth name was Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. He was brought up in Florence. He lost his mother at an early age after which he was raised in the family of a stonecutter in the town of Settignano.
• Michelangelo was often dissatisfied with himself. He considered art as originating from inner inspiration. He was a preoccupied person who withdrew himself from the outside world.
• His keen interest in art left him disinterested in schooling. He would rather spend days copying paintings from churches and keep company with painters. For two years from 1490, he attended Lorenzo's school. It was here that many prominent forms of art and the works of eminent artists influenced him. It was during these years that he was exposed to some of the great works of art.
• Some of Michelangelo's notable works of this period include, 'Madonna of the Steps', 'Battle of the Centaurs' and the wooden sculpture, 'Crucifix', which he gifted to a church.
• One of his most famous works is 'Pieta', which is a depiction of Jesus on the lap of mother Mary. Vasari, an Italian painter and architect described this work as a miracle and as the creation of perfection from a block of stone that even nature seldom creates out of flesh! Pieta is the only work that was signed by Michelangelo.
• The Statue of Davis that Michelangelo finished in 1504 was a masterpiece among the works of Renaissance. The Statue of David symbolized Florentine freedom and was made out of a marble block. His Statue of Moses, which is the most striking feature of the Pope's tomb, is surprisingly one work that was never completed to Michelangelo's satisfaction. Interestingly, Michelangelo used to spend months in selecting marble blocks for his works.
• Historical records reveal that Michelangelo had discontinued his work in the field of art from 1527 to 1529 in order to defend the Republic of Florence.
• The fresco of The Last Judgment was another renowned work of Michelangelo. Pope Clement VII commissioned him for this work, which he worked on from 1534 to 1541. Five years later, Michelangelo was appointed as an architect for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. The sketch for this work of his was found in 2007.
• Michelangelo's renown as a poet is nonetheless noteworthy. About 300 of his poetic works survive. He was also a recognized poet throughout his life.
• A strong contender for the title, Renaissance Man, he was also known as II Divino that means, 'the divine one'. The artists who followed his era were highly influenced by his works. Their attempts to emulate this artist gave rise to the High Renaissance movement.
• Michelangelo died on February 18, 1564 at the age of 88. He was the first Western artist whose biography was published while he was alive. His death meant the loss of a great artist.

Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists, times have seen, is held in high regard by the masses. Artists from all around the world derive inspiration from his works. Though it has been centuries after he expired, the world still remembers him for his artistic genius.