Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was a painter, an architect, a poet, and a sculptor. He was nicknamed the “Father and Master of All the Arts”. He is regarded as the most famous artist of the Italian Renaissance. Some of his famous works include the statues “David” and “Pieta”, as well as the Sistine Chapel. His works are still highly praised today and will last into the future. Michelangelo was born in Caprese, Italy on March 6, 1475. His father, Leonardo di Buonarrota Simoni, was serving as a magistrate in the small village. His mother, Francesca Neri, grew ill at this time and this decided Michelangelo be placed and live with a family of stonecutters. As he grew older, schooling became less interesting than the paintings and …show more content…
He relocated to Rome in 1498. It was here that the still young artists sculpture “Pieta”, began its continued adoration. “Pieta” was a sculpture of the virgin Mary holding the dead Jesus across her lap. Michelangelo finished the piece in less than a year. It was carved out of a single piece of Carrara marble and stands six feet wide and nearly six feet tall. Michelangelo was 25 when he completed it. The piece was originally displayed in a church, but has been moved five times since then, and is currently in Vatican City. There is also a legend that goes along with this sculpture. It is said that Michelangelo overheard people attributing the work of art to another sculpture. He made the bold decision to carve his signature in the sash across Mary’s chest. It is the only work of Michelangelo to bear his name. Michelangelo grew into an art star if you will. He returned to Florence to take over the statue of “David”. This sculpture had been taken on and abandoned by two previous sculptors. Michelangelo turned the sculpture, a 17-foot tall piece of marble into a prized possession and almost mascot of the city of Florence. After the completion of “David”, Michelangelo was presented with many other projects including decorating the tomb of Pope Julius II. When that wasn’t enough, the Pope asked Michelangelo to stop sculpting and to being painting the ceiling of the Sistine