Academic Fun
Art Education
3 March 2010
Wednesday
● Text and Illustration: Annika Foote
Master of the Renaissance
M
ICHELANGELO was one of the greatest artists
of the Italian Renaissance. He was a painter,
sculptor, engineer, architect, and poet. He was
born in the central Italian province of Tuscany. His
family moved to Florence, which was seen as the centre of the
Italian Renaissance.
When he was 13 years old, he became an apprentice
to Domenico Ghirlandaio, a very well-known fresco painter in
Florence.
It was a difficult process that involved painting on wet
plaster. When the plaster dried, it became a part of the wall.
When he was 14 years old, he studied sculpture with Bertoldo
di Giovanni at the Humanist Academy founded by Lorenzo de
Medici. The Medici family were one of the most powerful families
in Florence and wealthy patrons of the arts. Michelangelo
created many of his sculptures from large blocks of marble. He
used a hammer and a chisel to carve into the stone.
When he was 21 years old, Michelangelo moved to Rome.
In 1499, he created the Pieta, one of his most famous statues.
It depicts Mary holding Jesus after the crucifixion. His statues
were very lifelike. After completing the Pieta, he was quickly
commissioned to create a large statue of the biblical David
preparing to fight Goliath. He completed the statue of David in
1504 and it stands over 14 feet tall in Florence.
In 1505, Pope Julius II wanted Michelangelo to return
to Rome and paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Michelangelo
considered himself to be primarily a sculptor. He protested his
involvement with the project, but the Pope would not take no for
an answer! It took him four years to complete it. One of the most
famous scenes is a painting of God touching Adam's finger,
giving him life. Michelangelo also designed the dome on St.
Peter's Basilica in Rome.
He was, like Leonardo da Vinci, considered to be a
'Renaissance Man' and was highly skilled in many fields of study.
Academic Fun
Vocabulary
sculptor (n) 雕刻家
apprentice (n) 學徒
patron (n) 資助者
marble (n) 大理石
depict (v) 雕出
commission (v) 委託製作
P09