Michelangelo Biography

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, popularly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. He is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the High Renaissance period. Born in Florence, he lived with a family of stonecutters from the age of six after the death of his mother. Michelangelo never paid attention in school and instead expressed interest in painting. He later became an apprentice under a painter before studying in the sculpture gardens of the powerful Medici family. Thereafter, he started focusing on his work, establishing a remarkable career as a painter and sculptor in the Italian Renaissance. Two of his most significant initial works that helped him achieve fame were the statues of ‘Pieta’ and 'David’ which were recognized for their artistic technique. Subsequently, he was commissioned by Pope Julius II to design his tomb, a project on which he worked for four decades. Meanwhile, after receiving much appreciation for his works as a sculptor, he was commissioned to design the ceiling of Rome's Sistine Chapel, a project which fueled his imagination to produce one of the most influential works in the history of Western Art. Some of his other major works include the design of ‘Medici Chapel’ and ‘Laurentian Library.’ His painting of ‘The Last Judgment’ on the altar wall of Sistine Chapel is considered a masterpiece. Michelangelo was the greatest artist of his time and his name has become synonymous with the best of the Italian Renaissance.