Michelangelo

Throughout his life, Michelangelo Buenarotti (1475-1564), the Italian painter, sculptor, architect and poet saw himself exclusively as a sculptor. Yet his masterpieces in all disciplines of the European art tradition quickly disabuse us of any such restricted notion. The grandiose triumphal procession of his art, caught in the political tensions between Florence with its republican government and the Roman Popes, was not diminished by the conflicts and interruptions which characterized his work. Although an outsider, Michelangelo played a central role in the artistic and intellectual life of Italy during his lifetime. Numerous ambitious projects such as the Sistine Chapel and the tomb for Pope Julius II bear witness to the maturity of his art. Not without reason is Michelangelo both linked to the classical high Renaissance and described as the father of Mannerism and the Baroque.