Essay Sample about Michelangelo

Michelangelo was born in rural Italy on March 6, 1475 (Bleiberg 425). He and his family moved back to Florence when he was 13 (Bleiberg 425).

After Michelangelo’s family moved back to Florence he spent 2 years “[I]n the Medici household [where] Michelangelo received a rudimentary exposure to humanism and Latin literature” (Bleiberg 425).

Michelangelo lived in Rome for a time after the Medici household and completed the Pietà, a sculpture, there (Cartwrite). When he created David, his most successful sculpture.

Michelangelo was the most successful artist and sculptor of his time because of the important projects he produced and how many important people commissioned his work.

Michelangelo’s successful career began after creating the David and Pietà sculpture and showed that Michelangelo was the most successful artist and sculptor of his time. He was commissioned to take on the task that Donatello, another artist, had started, which was David (Hibbard 52). Even though Michelangelo did not begin the sculpture of David, he was able to finish where Donatello left off, showing great artistry. Vasari, another painter, and sculptor said that while Michelangelo was “working on it continuously he brought it to perfect completion without letting anyone see it” (Hibbard 52-53). Michelangelo was able to focus during the alone time he had, which is the reason he completed it so perfectly. “Michelangelo put into his work so much love and effort that (something he never did again) he left his name written across the sash over our Lady's breast” (Hibbard 48). Michelangelo was involved heavily with his sculpting of Pietà and was a reason for it coming out beautifully. Michelangelo was recognized as the most talented sculptor of central Italy in 1501, which led to more people commissioning him for projects (Carnagie 234). Michelangelo broke through and started the path to becoming a successful artist and became well known after he sculpted David in 1501. His work started to become popular once he created David and Pietà during the 16th century, showing that Michelangelo was the most successful artist and sculptor of his time. 

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling is a second example of how he was the most successful artist and sculptor of the 1600th century. At first, Michelangelo protested that “he was a sculptor, not a painter” (Carnagie 236), but he eventually took the Sistine Chapel job (Carnagie 236). Michelangelo began painting the Sistine chapel and received 3,000 ducats, which was more than a “qualified artisan, such as a goldsmith” could earn in a single year (King 45). Michelangelo was able to achieve such a respected role as an artist that he made more for a single project than many could only hope to make in a year. Twenty-nine years after Michelangelo finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he completed “The Last Judgment” on the altar wall that “was completed, incredibly, in a single day” (King 278). Michelangelo's talents grew a lot during his completion of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, and he gained more talent as an artist. Michelangelo managed to finish the Sistine Chapel ceiling during the 40 years it took for him to complete Pope Julius II’s tomb (Bleiberg 425). He took on and completed two major projects, and was able to finish both within 40 years. While Michelangelo worked on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he gained connections with powerful people receiving exposure to many more important people who desired for him to create projects showing that Michelangelo was the most successful artist and sculptor of his time. 

Michelangelo became the most successful sculptor and artist of the 16th century, because of the important people who commissioned him, and the important projects he took on. 

Michelangelo flourished after creating the David and Pietà masterpieces. Those sculptures would be put in a museum where timeless pieces of art reside, and where so many people travel from all over the world to see those masterpieces.

He was highly involved in the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling, where many people today can walk through and look up at and admire his amazing work. 

Michelangelo’s work was incredibly inspiring to other modern-day artists, and allowed for people, with an interest in famous art pieces, to have a different type of style and variations of art to appreciate.