While the best-known painting by Michelangelo is The Creation of Adam,
the painter was a true Renaissance genius, achieving great prominence in a
number of fields.
A Short History of the life of Michelangelo
Not only a painter, but the great Michelangelo Buonarroti was also an
architect, sculptor and poet, being considered to be one of the greatest
artists of the Italian Renaissance. His works rank among the most famous, with
artist Raphael becoming Michelangelo's greatest artistic adversary.
His Rise to Prominence
The famous painter was born in the small village of Caprese, near
Arezzo, in Tuscany. When the family first moved to Bologna, he received a
commission to finish the carving of the Tomb of St. Dominic. Later he returned
to Florence in 1494, working on two statues - St. John the Baptist, and The
Cupid, which was sold to Cardinal Riario of San Giorgio.
A Man of Many Talents
Michelangelo was also renowned for his sculptures, accepting the commission to work on the Sistine Chapel. It was a difficult task, more so because he had got rid of all his assistants, save just one, who helped him mix paint. Perhaps it is this amazing work that sky-rocketed the tempestuous painter to the highest fame he would know – showing what an ultimate genius he was – showing stories from the Old Testament such as the Creation of the world.
A 20-Year Job
in 1513 Michelangelo was commissioned to work on the facade of the
Basilica San Lorenzo by the new Pope Leo X. He spend 3 years on it and was then
commissioned for a Medici chapel in the Basilica of San Lorenzo. He worked on
this for the next 20 years.
His most important work was on the dome in the eastern end of the
Basilica, combining design ideas of all the architects who had given him advice
and tips.
Such Talent Requires being Documented
An interesting aspect of the famous artist’s fame is that his
illustrious career was more documented than any other artist of that time and
earlier. His biography was published while he was still alive, one being the
final chapter in the series of artists’ lives by architect and painter Giorgio
Vasari. In fact, Vasari’s writings are the most sought after on ideas on
Michelangelo as well as other Renaissance artists. The sheer fame of
Michelangelo has meant hundreds of letters, poems and sketches being preserved.
A Long, Fulfilling Career
Although he always thought of himself as a Florentine, Michelangelo
lived most of his life in Rome. He started his artist career as a young boy,
continuing to work until his death at 88 years of age.
He died at home in Rome in 1564 after a short illness and his body was
taken back to Florence where it was interred at the Basilica di Santa Croce.
Giovanni Boccaccio was an Italian poet, writer, important Renaissance
humanist and a correspondent of Petrarch. He wrote several notable works,
including On Famous Women and The Decameron.
Boccaccio
Early Life and Education - Passion for Literature
Boccaccio was born in 1313 in a village near the town called Certaldo
or in Florence. The details about his place of birth and the exact date are
uncertain. His father was a prominent merchant called Boccaccino di Chellino
and his mother belonged to an illustrious family.
He grew up in Florence and attended school in the same city. When he
was 10 years old, he was introduced to the world of business. In 1327,
Boccaccio was sent to the regional capital of Campania (Naples) to study law
and business. However, Boccaccio's growing interest in literature slowly
drifted him away from the two subjects. Eventually, he decided to stop studying
and dedicated himself to literature.
Boccaccio's
Adult Years - True Poetry Vocation
While in Naples, Boccaccio started what he regarded as his true poetry
vocation. This period featured noteworthy formal innovation, including the
Sicilian octave introduction, where it influenced Petrarch. In early 1341, he
returned to Florence, avoiding the 1340 plague in this city, but he also missed
Petrarch's visit to Naples. Boccaccio left Naples because of tensions between
Florence and the Angevin king. In 1338, his father di Chellino had returned to
Florence, where he went bankrupt. Boccaccio's mother died shortly afterwards.
Although he was dissatisfied with the decision to return to Florence,
Boccaccio continued working and produced Ameto in 1341, a mix of poems and
prose. In 1343, he completed Amorosa visione, a fifty-canto allegorical poem.
Ninfale fiesolano also dates from this period. In 1358, he completed the
renowned Decameron, which narrates 100 stories of 3 men and 7 women residing in
a country villa for 10 days after they have escaped from the plague in the city
of Florence. Here is a website with Boccaccio's biography: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Giovanni-Boccaccio/The-Decameron
Legacy
and Influence - The Greatest of Petrarch's Disciples
Decameron influenced Europe for long and great writers like Chaucer
and Shakespeare borrowed from this masterpiece. Additionally, renowned poets
like Swinburne, Longfellow, Keats, Tennyson and George Eliot wrote poems that
revolve around the Decameron. On the other hand, Boccaccio was influenced by
the works that Dante produced; in 1373, he conducted lectures on Dante's poems.
During his final years, he was troubled by illnesses. Some of these diseases related to obesity and dropsy, more often called edema, which is currently known as congestive heart failure. On 21 December 1375, Boccaccio died in Certaldo town, where he's buried.
Born in Genoa, Leon Battista Alberti was an Italian writer, architect,
and humanist who lived from 1404 to 1472. Through a combination of his
theoretical writings on architecture, sculpture, and painting, Alberti is
credited with raising these practices and methods from a level of mechanicals
arts to one of liberal arts, bringing two separate areas of theory together to
define how we see various art forms to this day.
As a philosopher and scholar who moved within both the vibrant
Florence scene and the papal court of Rome, Alberti became a man who was
involved in many of the key concepts that came to define the Renaissance. Many
of his main focuses and concerns were those of societal reform and drawing
influences from the art and cultures of the Ancient Romans. Something
particularly prevalent in all of Alberti's work is his contrast problem of
man's relation to society and what it really means.
In his early life, Alberti was well educated, studying classics at the
famous Gasparino Barzizza school in Padua. He went on to study law at the
University of Bologna. However, his studies in law had to wind down due to a
combination of poor health and his burgeoning passion for both art and
architecture.
He became known as a writer, cryptography and all-round intellectual
and was employed by the then Pope Nicholas V to assist in the restoration of
both the papal palace and of the Roman Acque Vergine aqueduct.
Two of the most revered books that Alberti wrote in the early stages
of his adult career are De Picture in 1435 and De Re Aedificatoria in 1450. In
terms of his architectural principles, Alberti brought together his flair for
design and his uncontainable creativity by affirming the ethos that painting
should be an important base for all architectures.
This came to full fruition in 1450 when Alberti took on the role of
completing the then unfinished Malatesta temple, or Tempio Malatestiano. This
was the very first building that Alberti undertook, and it is now famously
known for its classical triumphal arch that was a favoured structure of his.
According to classical biographers, it is said that Alberti died in a
"content and tranquil" manner in 1472. Thanks to his many interests
and passion to bring different sectors of the arts together, he is considered
to be one of the first quintessential 'Renaissance men'.
Antonio del Pollaiolo was an Italian Sculptor, goldsmith, and painter
born in Florence. His other name was Antonio di Jacopo Pollaiuolo, his
significant contributions to Florentine painting is analysing how to body moves
when under strained conditioned. He got his nick name Pollaiolo from his
father, who sold poultry. Antonio lived most of his life in Florence but later
moved to Rome, where he died as a rich man. His greatest successes were
achieved as a sculptor and metal-worker. Antonio collaborated with his brother
Piero for most of his paintings.
Birthplace and Studies
Antonio del Pollaiolo was born on 17th January 1429 to a father who
was a sculptor, metal-worker, and painter. It is his father who taught him his
crafts at the Bartoluccio di Michele workshop. It so happens that this is the
same workshop where Lorenzo Ghiberti also received his training.
Significant Paint Works
Antonio made significant contributions to the Italian Renaissance, and
some of his memorable works were portraits. Saint Sebastian (1473-1475) was a
male portrait which portrayed strong brutality. Its current location is the
Pucci Chapel in Florence.
Antonio also did female portraits, and as opposed to the male
portraits, these portrayed calmness. He did a female portrait in the late 15th
century, which illustrated details of fashion.
Collaborative Worth With His Brother
Antonio Pollaiuolo also worked with his brother, and their works
mainly portrayed classical influence and interest in human anatomy. In fact,
the brothers did dissections to improve their knowledge of a subject.
Antonio and Piero also worked together on the mythical Infant twins
founded in Rome. A she-wolf rescued Remus and Romulus after their father left
them to die. This bronze structure represents one of Antonio's successes as a
sculptor.
Relocating to Rome
Rome is Antonio's death place, but before he died, he did Pope Sixtus
IV’s Tomb between 1484 and 1493. He had to go back to Florence for finishing
touches on the piece. This sculptor shows Antonio’s exaggeration of anatomical
features. Today, the sculptor can be found at the Museum of St. Peter’s in
Rome.
Antonio also worked on the Mausoleum of Pope Innocent VIII. This is
actually his last work before he died. Antonio's burial grounds are in the
Church of San Pietro in Vincoli, next to his brother.
Conclusion
Antonio was a sculptor, metal-worker, and painter who made significant
contributions to the Florentine painting. He was known for meticulous attention
to the human anatomical features.
His full name is Raffaello Sanzio. He was also known as Raffaello
Santi, however, many people know him today as Raphael. He was born in Urbino,
Italy, a centre that supported culture and the arts. Giovanni Santi, his
father, was a painter at the court of the Duke of Urbino, so from a very early
age Raphael was taught basic painting techniques as well as being introduced to
humanistic philosophy principles in the Duke’s court.
The
Early Years
Raphael’s father died when he was only 11, at which time he was tasked
with managing his father’s workshop. The young boy obviously had talent because
it wasn’t long before his success exceeded his father’s. He was considered by
many to be the best painter in Urbino.
Raffaello's
Apprenticeship
Around 1500, Raphael was invited by a renowned painter named Pietro
Vannucci, or Perugino, to become his apprentice, at which point, he moved to
Perugia. This city is located in the Umbria area of Italy. There he worked on
frescoes at the College del Cambia. Raphael’s apprenticeship lasted for four
years and during that time he was able to gain real life experience and expand
his knowledge. It was also a time when he was able to work on his own unique
style of painting. Examples of his early works include the Mond Crucifixion,
The Three Graces, and The Knight’s Dream. The altarpiece, the Marriage of the
Virgin was another famous work he created at this time.
His
Move to Florence
When his apprenticeship with Perugino finished, Raphael moved to
Florence. Innovative artists such as Michelangelo, Masaccio, Leonardo da Vinci
and Fra Bartolommeo heavily influenced the young painter and helped him develop
a style that was even more detailed and passionate. While living in Florence he
produced a series of “Madonnas”, inspired by some of Leonardo’s work. The
culmination of his experimenting was his painting La belle Jardiniere. The
Entombment, one of his most ambitious works, was created at the same time.
Rome
and the Vatican
After his spell in Florence, Raphael moved to Rome where he was asked
to paint works for the Vatican. One of the most famous works of this time in
his life is a series of fresco cycles, located in the Vatican’s Stanza della
Segnatura.
While in Rome, Raphael also achieved fame for his architectural work,
in particular at the Vatican. He was hired by the pope in 1514, as his chief
architect. At this time he was instrumental in designing a chapel in Sant’
Eligio degli Orefici, Rome’s Santa Maria del Popolo Chapel and a section of
Saint Peter’s new Basilica. He didn’t just restrict himself to designing
religious buildings either. He was also known for designing palaces.
Raphael died very suddenly at the age of just 37. When he died, he had
been working The Transfiguration, his largest canvas painting. His funeral
service was held at the Vatican. His unfinished painting was given pride of
place.
Pontormo, also known as Jacopo Pontormo or Jacopo da Pontormo, was
born on 24 May in 1494 at Pontorme, near Empoli. He was an Italian portraitist
and Mannerist painter from the Florentine School. Some of his works include
Supper in Emmaus, Birth of St. John Baptist, Portrait of a Halberdier, Christ
before Pilate¸ Portrait of Furrier, and much more.
Early
Life and Work – Who Influenced Pontormo?
According to the writer Giorgio Vasari, Pontormo's parents died when
he was young. It's not known whether Jacopo received a formal education or not.
Vasari said that Pontormo apprenticed as a painter while being guided by Piero
di Cosimo, Mariotto Albertinelli and Leonardo da Vinci. When he was 18 years
old, Pontormo began as an apprentice under the Italian painter Andrea del
Sarto.
According to many art experts, Andrea had the most influence on
Pontormo's works as a painter. The altarpiece that Pontormo executed in 1518 at
San Michele Visdomini, a Roman Catholic Church located in Florence, is an
example of Andrea's influence. Also, Pontormo travelled to Rome to check
Michelangelo’s work. Here is a website with biography, works and facts about
Pontormo: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jacopo-da-Pontormo
Techniques
Used – Twine Poses Coupled With Equivocal Perspective
Pontormo's work represents an intense stylistic shift from the usual
calm perspectival regularity characterising the Florentine Renaissance art.
He's famous for using twining poses, coupled with equivocal perspective.
Pontormo's figures float in an uncertain setting, unhampered by gravitational
force.
Legacy
– One of the Earliest Advocates of Italian Mannerism
Jacopo da Pontormo was a unique figure among the artists that existed
during his era. His individuality, similar to that of Roso, definitely ruled
out ideas of a studio. Pontormo had some imitators, like El Greco, Morandinia
and Naldini, with the exception of Agnolo Bronzino (Agnolo di Cosimo), whose
mannered techniques managed to prolong the Maniera Fiorentina to reach the
sixteenth century. Some works of Salviati, Vasari and Jacopino del Conte, with
their echoes of Jacopo Pontormo's style, serve to emphasise the level of this
Mannerist painter's achievements.
Pontormo's paintings have been displayed in some of the world's best museums, such as the prominent art museum called Uffizi Gallery located in Florence. From 1989-2002, Portrait of a Halberdier by Pontormo held the title of being the most expensive painting in the world by an Old Master. Pontormo died in Florence on 2 January 1557, when he was 62 years old.
