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Michaelangelo By Tyler Strickling My name is Michaelangelo Buonarroti. I was born in Florence, Italy on March 6, 1475. I was famous for making statues, architecture, paintings, and writing poetry, and am considered one of the most famous artists in history. This is what my childhood was like. My father worked for the government. My mother was too ill to take care of me. I was also sickly and remained small and thin. First I went to school and studied literature, art, and the history of ancient Greece and Rome. When I was thirteen, I went to the school of Domenico Ghirlandajo who was the most popular painter in Florence. The mayor of Florence noticed my talent, and I made him my first statue when I was 16. I traveled to Rome when I was 19 and carved more statues. The most famous can still be seen in Rome. It is a statue of the Virgin Mary holding a dying Jesus. Later I returned to Florence and carved my most famous statue when I was 29. It is the statue of David. I was criticized for making David’s nose too big, so I pretended to cut a piece off with my chisel and dropped marble dust on the ground. When I was 30, I accepted the job of painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome. This is where major Catholic religious ceremonies take place. The ceiling was 70 feet high. I didn’t really want to take on such a huge project, but the Pope insisted. I started the project in 1508 and finished it four years later. During this time, I wrote a funny poem about my stiff neck and the paint dripping into my eyes. I had to do a lot of the painting laying on my stomach with my head turned to the side. After age 71, I worked mostly with architecture and designed churches. I finished my last paintings when I was 75 years old, and I wrote some of my finest poetry in my old age. I died in 1564 at the age of 89. My art was my life, and I am proud that people still admire my work today. |
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