Renaissance Florence

Here is a website about Michelangelo Buonarroti:
http://www.all-art.org/early_renaissance/michelangelo1.html

Michelangelo was a famous italian artist, sculptor and architect in 15th and 16th century of Renaissance. He was also considered as the most important artist ever lived. He did many great art works in Florence.

Michelangelo's father was an office, but he didn't want to . He chose to be an artist and became an apprentice in a painting school when he was 13 after graduating from school. Michelangelo learned a lot in the art school, and he even stayed in the academy of Plato and learned with older poets and scholars for a little time. After studying art for three years, he started to create some art works. He showed his talent on art and became famous. Then he was commissioned by church and popes to do many things, like painting the ceiling of chapels, sculpting statues and the tombs of the Medicis in the Medici Chapel.

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The Doni Tondo

by Machelangelo (1503 - 1504)

This is one of the few paintings Michelangelo did on easels. We can clearly see Michelangelo's unique style in the painting. He drew the outlines of people sharply and added a lot of light and shadow on them, separating them from the background. They don't look like real people. Instead, I think they are more alike to sculptures in the picture. Furthermore, we can claerly see the muscles on Mary's arms. She is lifting the baby Jesus on her shoulder, showing her muscles. We can see that Michelangelo liked to draw female models as women. Rather than mixing a variety of colors, it seems that Michelangelo liked to depict the beauty of human in his art works.

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David

by Machelangelo (1504)

This the most famous sculpture made by Michelangelo. It is about the young hero, David, who defeated Goliath the giant Philistine. He is holding a band which can throw stones, ready to fight the formidable giant. He stands confidently and faces his foe sideways. His muscles tense, and the veins in his hands are obviously exposed. He is the boy who stands out to fight for his nation, but he looks like a strong and mature man.

Michelangelo kept David completely nude, showing the beauty of men thoroughly. He not only looks handsome and strong, but also expresses the strength and the faith of a man.

This is the detail of David's face. He looks earnest but confident, concentrated upon a distant place. His regular features show his anger and his bravery. He is staring fiercely at his opponent, not having any fear. He focuses on the adversary, with a stone prepared in his hand, ready to land a deadly hit on him.