Artist 1
Michelangelo
Born: 1475 Died: 1564
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Type of Art: Fresco
o Fresco (plural frescos or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon
freshly laid plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the pigment and, with the
setting of the plaster, the painting becomes an integral part of the wall.
Mediums Used: Marble, Plaster, Paint
Short History
 MICHELANGELO BUONARRROTI was born in Italy, then moved with his family to
Florence at 6 months old.
 Lived in the Renaissance period – which means re-birth and refers to the revival
of classical art, literature and learning.
 Starting at age 13, he was taught by Domenico Ghirlandaio.
 A year later Michelangelo was sent to Lorenzo de’ Medici’s school of sculpture in
Florence. Medici was so pleased with him, he took him in and treated him like a
son.
 In 1492, Lorenzo died and Michelangelo returned to his father’s house and
continued sculpting.
 He also studied nature and science.
 At age 24, he finished his first famous sculpture, The Pieta, for a wealthy patron.
 In 1502, Michelangelo finished another famous sculpture, David. It took him two
and a half years to complete.
 After completing David, he became known as the greatest sculptor in Italy.
 In 1508, Pope Julius II assigned Michelangelo the task of painting the ceiling of
the Sistine Chapel. The ceiling is 60 feet high and the room measures 132 feet by
44 feet. The project took 4 years.
 Because Michelangelo stood when he painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling with his head
bent pack, he had pain and problems that affected his eyes for months after the project
was completed. When Michelangelo finished he was exhausted, emaciated and
prematurely old.
 His fresco paintings in the Sistine Chapel included The Creation of Adam and
Erythaean Sibyl. The Creation of Adam is by far his most famous art work and rivals
Leonardo di Vinci’s Mona Lisa.
 At age 37, Michelangelo was called “The Divine Michelangelo”.
 Michelangelo died at age 89.
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Fun facts
 As a young boy, Michelangelo was punched in the nose by another boy. He
showed a nose broken at the bridge for the next 74 years.
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 He was allowed to study dead people at the hospital to make his art as realistic
as possible.
 The Ninja Turtles were named after four famous Renaissance artists: one of
which is Michelangelo.
 Michelangelo and Leonardo di Vinci knew each other but were not friends. They
had very different personalities.
 Michelangelo was so obsessed with his art, he would sometimes forget to bathe
or even eat.
Key Words
 Renaissance, Sculptor, Painter, Sistine Chapel, Vatican City, The Pope, Frescos,
Domenico Ghirlandaio, , Lorenzo de’ Medici
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Questions About Art
Michelangelo Buonarroti
Erythaean Sibyl Sistine Chapel 1508-1512
1.
What can you tell about the person in this painting?
This woman is a sibyl, a character from classic mythology (like Zeus or Cupid or unicorns). Sibyls
were women inspired to tell the future. She is holding a book, sitting in deep contemplation
while she ponders what she must write.
Did anyone notice how muscular her arms are in the painting? Michelangelo was able to sketch
only me. Women were kept well covered and private at that time.
2.
Do you see any other people in this painting?
The two little boys in the upper right of the painting are Cupid like children representing the
Sibyl’s guardian spirits. One is lighting a lamp – symbolic of the illumination of the future. The
other seems to be asleep – possibly an illusion to the trance that overcomes seers at the
moment of inspiration.
3.
Most of the art we talk about in Art Masterpiece is found hanging in Museums around
the world.
There’s something different about the location of this painting. Can anyone
guess where it is found?
This painting is part of a much larger work Michelangelo painted on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel. The Sistine Chapel is 132 feet by 44 feet. That’s about 25% larger than the entire
Greentree cafeteria. Our painting shows three figures, the whole ceiling shows 343 figures.
4.
How do you think Michelangelo felt when he was asked to do this project?
Most artists would consider it an honor to be asked to do such a large important project, but
Michelangelo tried to turn it down. He insisted that he was a sculptor, not a painter and even
recommended another artist, Raphael, to do the job. Michelangelo once said that the best
paintings are those which come closest to looking like a sculpture.
5.
Can you think of any special problems an artist might have painting a ceiling?
The first problem would be how to reach the ceiling – its 60 feet high (remind the children that
most of our ceilings are 8 or 10 feet high). Michelangelo designed his own scaffolding so he
could reach the ceiling.
The second problem was pain. Because Michelangelo stood when he painted with his head bent
pack, he had pain and problems that affected his eyes for months after the project was
completed. When Michelangelo finished he was exhausted, emaciated and prematurely old.
6.
The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel was painted in the fresco process. Fresco is the Italian
word for “fresh”. Can you guess what fresco is?
Fresco is the art of painting on fresh plaster. First, the artist prepares a sketch, called a cartoon,
showing the outlines of this subject. Then the painter supplies just enough plaster for one day’s
work. He attached the cartoon to the wet plaster and uses a sharp chisel to transfer the cartoon
to the wet plaster. Then he paints on the still wet plaster. (Show the laminated picture from
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the folder showing the fresco process and how Michelangelo changed his mind about the arm
position of one figure.)
7.
Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is almost 500 years old.
What kind of condition do you think it is in?
The frescoes on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel had been seriously discolored by years of candle
soot, incense, smoke, and dirt. Worst of all, varnishes were used in previous restorations. The
varnishes were applied in various centuries to brighten the darkening surface and they did so for
a time. Then each deteriorated and turned the ceiling darker than before. A nine year
restoration has recently been completed by experts at the Vatican. Despite its dingy
appearance, most of the fresco remained in good condition. The technique of painting on fresh
plaster was its own best protection. The various glues and gums of the centuries did not
penetrate the hard carbonate shell. (Show the before and after pictures included in the folder.)
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