FREE ESSAY ON THE BIG MIKE

THE BIG MIKE

Michelangelo, the second of five brothers was born on March 6, 1475, at Caprese, in
Tuscany, to Ludovico di Leonardo di Buonarotto Simoni and Francesca Neri. The same day,
his father noted down: Today March 6, 1475, a child of the male sex has been born to me
and I have named him Michelangelo. He was born on Monday between 4 and 5 in the morning,
at Caprese, where I am the Podesta.
When Michelangelo was a child, he met a boy, Francesco Granacci six years older than him,
who was learning the art of painting in Ghirlandaio's studio, and Michelangelo found his
own artist vocation. Michelangelo's father placed his 13-year-old son in the workshop of
the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. After about two years, Michelangelo went on to study at
the sculpture school in the Medici gardens and shortly thereafter was invited into the
household of Lorenzo de' Medici, the Magnificent.
Michelangelo's studies were: Painting, sculpture and Anatomy of the human body, (for this
reason, the quality of his artwork, the perfection of the body in the sculpture and
painting). Michelangelo was a very illustrated and intelligent boy, and his father always
give him unconditional support. For these reasons, Michelangelo succeed.
Michelangelo produced his first large-scale sculpture, the over-life-size Bacchus
(1496-98, Bargello, Florence). Pieta at the same time, Michelangelo also did the marble
Pieta (1498-1500), still in its original place in Saint Peter's Basilica. One of the most
famous works of art, the Pieta was probably finished before Michelangelo was 25 years
old. These two artworks of Michelangelo were the first ones and both are great works.
While Michelangelo was occupied with the David (1501-1504) he receive a commission, paint
a mural, the Battle of Cascina, destined for the Sala dei Cinquecento of the Palazzo
Vecchio. With this work, he demonstrates his ability as a painter.
In 1505 the Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to produce his tomb which was planned to
be the most magnificent of Christian times.
In 1508, the pope Paul III had a job for him, painting twelve figures of apostles and
some decorations of the Sistine Chapel, and Michelangelo learn the art of the fresco.
There are a lot of masterpieces of artwork in his life, but I consider these ones the
most important.
Michelangelo during his life was an intimate of princess, popes, cardinals, poets and
painters. All the work that Michelangelo did, was an expression of the his own world,
with a deep feeling.
In my own opinion, Michelangelo Buonarroti was a huge human being, he was in the middle
of something, he was in the right place, in the right time, and he made the best of the
situation.