Michelangelo : Divine Draftsman, And Design

“Every block of stone has a statue inside of it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” Michelangelo made it clear through this statement that he prefers the subtractive method, rather than the additive method of sculpting. One of his most haunting pieces, Awakening Slave, can almost be argued as a finished artwork because not only does it portray the idea of a slave being freed from his prison, but is also a unique perspective inside

On October 22, 2017, I had the opportunity to learn about the works of Renaissance art while observing the painting The Annunciation and Expulsion from Paradise, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. completed by Giovanni Di Paolo in the fourteenth century A.D. The painting is located in the West Building of the National Gallery, designed by American architect John Russell Pope. We entered through the Madison Dr. entrance and walked through the Roman-inspired columns of the rotunda, and proceeded to the left into the “barrel-vaulted sculpture hall” (National Gallery of Art) and entered Gallery 3, where my painting rested. This West Building of the National Gallery focuses on European artworks completed between the thirteenth through sixteenth centuries.

Whether pride, fear, or peace, art is intended to make the viewer feel an emotion. The visit to the St. Louis Art Museum had me excited to discover a new revelation. Being the second time that I had visited in two semesters, I was looking forward to a new angle to take, writing about some of my favorite pieces I was unable to include in my last paper. This semester we have been focusing on the Renaissance era (1300-1700), also known as the Rebirth. During this time, scholars and artists looked back towards the classical learning. Purposefully looking past the middle-ages, they focused on the classical past of Rome and Greece. During this time period many works of art were created, however, throughout this semester every major artist we studied

One of the most famous painter and sculptors of the Italian Renaissance, the age of renewal and cultural achievement circa 1500, was the artistic genius Michelangelo Buonarroti. The man that desired nothing but perfection often reached it in his work. He captured the motion of the human figure and the anatomy of muscles in a way that was increasingly beautiful and startlingly realistic. Whether because of one of the most famous sculptures in history, “the David” or the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, that became the textbook examples for the art period of High Renaissance, Michelango’s art changed the world and he will continue to be studied with awe throughout history.

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy. Michelangelo was known to be one of the best artists during the renaissance. Michelangelo never was interested in school work. He was always amazed by the painters and artist that were around him. Thus, igniting the flame and desire of him becoming a painter, artist, poet and sculptor. At the age of sixteen Michelangelo sculpted two reliefs, Battle of the Centaurs and Madonna Seated on a Step. Two of Michelangelo’s famous works was the Pieta and David. David is meant to symbolize a young, courageous warrior with a bow and arrow ready to take down his enemy. Michelangelo mad David out of discarded stone, a fact which most people are not aware of. Some other works that Michelangelo did

One can see from the many depictions through paintings, sculptures, and architecture that the biblical young David served as an heroic influence and inspiration for many artists. The creation of these masterpieces, although constructed in different moments in time, individually display and bring out great emotional responses from its viewers. When speaking on the statue of David, Michelangelo’s sculpture is world famous and most highly noted. However there is more than one David; one in which was created more than a century later by the great Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

173) Michelangelo’s art brings out these humanistic ideas in human figures. He learns anatomy to show the beauty of the human form accurately even though it was forbidden. He says, “all forms that exist in God’s universe can be found in the human figure” (Stone Book 5, p. 291). This rebellion of the church’s views makes him great because he refuses to see humanity as evil. This portrayal allows his paintings to stand apart from many others. Also Michelangelo wants to create perfection in life through the arts to perform Gods will. He says to Spina, “I am fulfilling the law of Moses through an art form, to compensate for the spiritual degradation of Allesandro and his bullies” (Stone Book 9, p. 656). Michelangelo integrates the nobility of classical art by showing a form of Christian humanism by not replacing God but rather glorifying him: “If my soul is to be saved, it can only be through sculpture. That is my faith, and my discipline” (Stone Book 3, p. 170). In peoples search for God freedom of thought plays a huge role. Michelangelo’s soul searching to interpret the figures, his striving for originality of vision, and in the way he executes his work is practicing this freedom. It is said that

When one marvels at a painting it is tempting to take in one section at a time so as to not miss anything. Certain work entices the audience to come forward, into the scene. Yet the whole painting in its entirety is made to be experienced from a distance, a place where the expanse of the scene can be taken in fully for all it was created to be. Certain brushstrokes or movements only come together when viewed from three yards away. An art museum is a sanctuary filled with these temptations. Each illustration depicts a different story that can only be fully understood once one stands at a distance, senses the mood, researches the historical background, and asks the question: “Why did the artist make the choices he/she did?”

Michelangelo painted frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and made a sculptor of David. Both the painting and the sculptor point to the great deal knowledge Michelangelo has of the Bible. On the Sistine Chapel's ceiling he painted scenes from the book of Genesis, and David the person comes from the first Book of Samuel. Michelangelo has background with the Christian Church and did many sculptures and painting for the church. The religious influence of the church could not be avoid by Michelangelo. He had been introduced to it very early in his life.

Perhaps, at his very death bed, Michelangelo Merisi thought back on his life, and chuckled. Eventually to become known as Michelangelo Caravaggio, after the town he resided in as a child, Caravaggio became regarded as one of the best Italian artist in human history, and most mysteriously regarded. He conquered technical training, studying art and having an apprenticeship for quite sometime, before his career really took off (Biography of Caravaggio). Looking at his wide array of artistic works allows the viewer insight into Caravaggio’s personality and state of being, as his stylistic intentions are often reflected through his brush strokes. Some of his work seemingly recognizes his errors and asks for apologies, others portray his understanding

Beck analyzes the “Vasari” biography of Michelangelo to which he makes conclusions. The first of which is through analyzing the text where he concludes, that the Pope was quite fixated on the completion of the painting that “the pope was strong willed and impatient, when half the ceiling was made, the portion from the entrance, he wanted Michelangelo to unveil it to the public, even though it was still not finished.” As previously stated image was big for the Pope as he wanted it presented to the public as quickly as he could. The text analyzes the necessity of a final layer to the painting as Beck states “the phrase should be interpreted as “the last coat” which provided Michelangelo the opportunity to go over the layer to make adjustments.” This last coat is the subject of debate as Beck States Michelangelo “Said the ceiling was not quite finished as he had wanted it.” However that was not the only aspect of the painting that Michelangelo had desired to have added as Beck States “Michelangelo blames the pope for ignoring his intentions.. [he] wanted the retouching with ultramarine blue and gold.” In summary Beck while analyzing the biography of Michelangelo exclaims how he was forced to open the painting to the public to please the image of Pope Julius before Michelangelo had completed the final product in the way he desired forcing him to accomplish such after the initial viewing. Unlike Coohill, Beck analyzes the Vasari text on Michelangelo to come up with his conclusions on the painting of the Sistine

When thinking of sculptures, one of the first that comes to mind is David. This statue was created of marble between 1501 and 1504 and stands over 14 feet high. David is a symbol that represents strength and anger. The statue had intended political connotations for the ruling of the Medici family. Michelangelo used David as model of "heroic courage" to demonstrate that "spiritual strength can be more effective than arms". Michelangelo insisted that David should stand as a symbol of the republic and act as a warning that Florence shall be governed justly and bravely". This was the first time since antiquity that a large nude statue be exhibited in a public place.

A rare exhibit: 133 of Michelangelo Buonarroti's drawings in one place. Over one hundred masterpieces begging for attention, but one in particular caught my eye. A series of sketches of eyes, locks of hair, and a side portrait of a man. The description suggested it was the collaboration of Michelangelo and his pupils Antonio Mini and Andrea Quaratesi. In the bottom right hand corner of this drawing Michelangelo writes a message telling a frustrated student to have patience. This drawing spoke to me because it provides an understanding for Michelangelo’s thought process. It illustrates the growth Michelangelo wanted to see not only within himself, but his pupils as well.

The sculptures represent the idea of finding something within. The overall narrative evoking the relationship with the fragmented body and self and the disembodied self. The art embodies an inward struggle and the imagined wholeness that the viewer creates. An example of this is in the historical artwork by Michelangelo “The Belvedere Torso” a fragment of a nude male statue which is now located in the Museo Pio-Clementino of the Vatican Museums

I would say Michelangelo is the greatest artist of renaissance art. Michelangelo was one of the greatest old masters of renaissance art. He born in Florentine territory. His nickname - il divine, the divine one – he was a painter, architect, sculptor, and engineer. His work had psychological insight, physical realism and strength never before seen. His contemporaries recognized his extraordinary talent, and Michelangelo received commissions from some of the most wealthy and powerful men of his day, including popes and others affiliated with the Catholic Church. His resulting work, most notably his Pietà and David sculptures and Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, has been carefully tended and preserved, ensuring that future generations