Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)


Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in the village of Caprese on March 6th in 1475.


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When Michelangelo was twelve years old he became an apprentice to Domenico Ghirlandajo (one of the most popular painters in Florence). Michelangelo stopped painting and began working as a sculptor under the guidance of a pupil of the sculptor Donatello before his apprenticeship was complete. Michelangelo's earliest surviving sculptor is from when he was sixteen years old and it is of a battle. Michelangelo was invited to stay at Lorenzo de' Medici (the ruler of Florence) house but when the Medici family lost power in 1494, Michelangelo began to travel.

Michelangelo Buonarroti made his first well known statue while in Rome (1496-1501) which was a life-sized statue of Roman wine god Bacchus. He also carved a piece of the dead Christ on the lap of the mourning Virgin Mary when he was 23.



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One of Michelangelo’s most famous artworks was David which was carved out of marble in 1504. It is a sculpture of an 'ideal man' and is now on view at the Cathedral of Florence.
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Michelangelo’s most famous piece of work was in the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo painted the vault (arched ceiling), he started in 1508 and completed the ceiling in 1512. Michelangelo painted the ceiling in bright colours while standing up. He painted the ceiling using Fresco which is a technique that is when you apply paint to damp plaster.

Other works of Michelangelo Bounarroti include:
-The tomb of Julius II.
-The Medici Chapel
-The Last Judgment.

Michelangelo past away in 1564 at the age of 89.