Michelangelo Buonarroti
Coming out of Florence, Michelangelo was a renowned artist of the Renaissance era celebrated for his sculpting, painting, and architecture, including the David, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and aspects of St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo’s art combined technical skill with intense emotional expression, reflecting the humanist ideals of the Renaissance and inspiring the subsequent Mannerists. His stone sculptures conveyed a sense of movement and dramatic tension such as in the Pietà, which depicts the grieving Virgin Mary cradling the body of her son Jesus. The first artist of the Western world with biographies published during his lifetime, Michelangelo’s talent was recognized from an early age and his artistic legacy has continued to inspire and influence artists for centuries.
