1. Portrait of Michelangelo, unfinished, by Jacopino del Conte
ca. 1540, oil on wood, 34 ¾” x 25 ¼”. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
The Victory, ca. 1532-1534, 8’ 7 1/2”, marble, Sala dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio,
Florence
Michelangelo used his own features as the old man who is bound and bent beneath the left knee of
the dominating figure of The Victory.
Image from The Last Judgment, 1536-1541, wall fresco, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
Michelangelo used his features for the flayed skin held by St. Bartholomew in The Last Judgment
fresco painting on the wall of the Sistine Chapel.
The Deposition [also known as The Nicodemus Pietà] , ca. 1540-1555, 7’ 8”, marble,
Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence
Michelangelo created his image as Nicodemus in The Deposition [also known as The Nicodemus
Pietà]. In this sculpture, Nicodemus hands down the body of Christ to the Virgin Mary and to Mary
Magdalene.
There were a few artists who created portraits of Michelangelo, both during and after his lifetime.
One of these artists was Jacopino del Conte [1510 – 1598], a Mannerist painter who worked in both
Florence and Rome. X-ray examination of this unfinished painting found that Michelangelo’s portrait
had actually been painted over an earlier blocked in composition of the Holy Family, also by del
Conte.
Michelangelo evidently created three images of himself. He painted his features on the flayed skin
held by the figure of St. Bartholomew in The Last Judgment fresco painted on the altar wall of the
Sistine Chapel. He sculpted his own features on the face of old man who bends beneath the knee of
The Victory sculpture in the Sala dei Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence as well as on the face
of old Nicodemus in The Deposition [also known as The Nicodemus Pietà] sculpture in the Museo
dell’ Opera del Duomo [Cathedral] in Florence, Italy.
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2. Mallet and chisels used to cut and shape the stone;
A sculptor working on a stone sculpture
photographs
Michelangelo believed that each sculpture lived inside a block of stone until it was set free by the
artist-sculptor.
Here we see some of the tools that Michelangelo used and that are still in use today. The artistsculptor uses variety of mallets to pound the blades of different chisels against the stone’s
surface. At first, a large mallet and chisel are used to remove chunks and fragments of stone
which allows the rough shape to emerge. Once the intended shape is released from the stone, the
artist-sculptor then uses increasingly smaller mallets and chisels to remove smaller bits of stone in
order to carefully refine the final form as well as to create fine features and details. Finally, the
artist-sculptor uses files, pumice, sandpaper, and cloths to smooth the stone’s final, polished
surface.
Michelangelo’s most-used tool was the serrated claw chisel, called the gradina. With this tool,
Michelangelo was able to create both grooved and cross-hatched textures on the form as he
carefully carved away the excess stone. Like the lines and cross-hatchings that he used to create
form in his two-dimensional drawings, the grooved textures that Michelangelo carved with his
gradina helped define the form of the sculpture that he slowly and skillfully “released” from the
stone. Sometimes these textures would later be filed and smoothed away as the work progressed
but often, they would remain just as Michelangelo originally created them, as a specifically
textured surface.
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3. Atlas by Michelangelo, ca. 1520-23, unfinished marble, 208 cm, approx. 6’ 10”,
Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, Italy
Young Slave by Michelangelo, ca. 1520-23, unfinished marble, 235 cm, approx. 7’ 8 1/2”
Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, Italy
In 1505, Pope Julius II commanded Michelangelo to come to Rome and design a memorial tomb
for him. This was a project that would trouble Michelangelo for the next forty years until a smaller
version of the tomb to commemorate Julius II was finally finished in1545 for the church of San
Pietro in Vincoli [St. Peter in Chains Church] in Rome. Ironically, Pope Julius II was never buried
in this tomb because he died in 1513, long before his memorial tomb was finished. Instead, his
remains were interred in St. Peter’s Basilica next to the remains of his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV.
These two marble statues are part of a group of four unfinished works that were originally
intended to decorate one of the early versions of the Tomb for Pope Julius II. Michelangelo
designed several versions of the tomb over the years because Julius’ family, the della Roveres,
kept changing their minds as to what they wanted.
Why these particular works remained unfinished is a mystery, but the likely reason is because
their size and purpose no longer fit the revised plans for the Tomb. Fortunately, Michelangelo kept
these works until he died and, after his death, they were installed in the Boboli Gardens of the Pitti
Palace in Florence. They remained on display in the Gardens until 1909, at which point they were
moved indoors to the Accademia, and they are now displayed in a hallway that leads to
Michelangelo’s magnificent sculpture of David..
Because Michelangelo kept these unfinished sculptures, we can actually see how he approached
his work. He first imagined the form that waited within the stone. Michelangelo said that, “every
block of stone has a statue inside it and it is the task of the sculptor to discover it.” He would next
pick up his mallet and chisel to began chipping away somewhere in the middle of the piece of
marble, carefully working his way upward, downward, and around the block of stone as he
removed the excess marble in order to slowly reveal the form that awaited release. Michelangelo’s
biographer, Vasari, described Michelangelo’s sculptural skill by saying that his sculptures
emerged from the stone, “…as though surfacing from a pool of water.”
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5. The Pietà
1499, marble, 5’ 9” high, 6’6” high, including base, St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome, Italy
Besides designing the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, Michelangelo also created this
favorite masterpiece that has been prominently displayed there for more than 500 years.
When he was commissioned to create this statue of the Holy Mother and Christ, Michelangelo
was just 24 years old. When the sculpture was put on display, it truly amazed all who saw it. The
Pietà depicts the Holy Mother, Mary, who holds the crucified body of her dead son, Jesus, across
her lap. She sits quietly, calmly accepting what has happened, yet her grief and anguish is still
clearly communicated through the simple gesture that she makes with her left hand.
Michelangelo created a stable, pyramidal [ triangular] form that is unusual because it is also
asymmetrically balanced. Unity is created through the position of Christ’s arms and legs that bend
and follow the graceful folds of Mary’s robe. The details carved into this sculpture are truly
amazing: there are realistic skin folds and fingernails on the hands and toes, the strands of hair
are arranged realistically, the chiseled patterns indicating the earth, and the many rippling folds of
the garments—some folds are carved so thinly that the stone is translucent—all add such a sense
of reality to this work.
Although the body of Jesus is life-sized. Mary’s body is larger than life, well-proportioned, and
clearly strong enough to hold Christ’s weight easily. If she were to stand up, she would be seven
feet tall, yet her head is the same size as Christ’s. To the viewer, however, none of these
inconsistencies are readily apparent; the visual effect is real and it is stunning. As Michelangelo
said, “ It is necessary to keep one’s compass in one’s eyes and not in the hand, for the hands
execute, but the eye judges.”
Fun Fact: This was the only work that Michelangelo actually signed with his name. When he
overheard someone attributing his sculpture to another artist, he quickly carved the words,
“Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine, made this” onto the narrow band that falls across Mary’s
chest.
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6. David
ca. 1501-1504, marble, 517 cm, approx.16’ 11 1/2”, Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, Italy
Carved from a huge, piece of white marble that earlier sculptors had started working on and
abandoned, the high point of Michelangelo’s early career was this successful and magnificent
marble statue of “David.” Michelangelo won the commission to tackle the used piece of marble
and to carve a statue of David in 1501. The statue was originally supposed to sit atop a wall that
buttressed the Duomo, Florence’s Cathedral, but when it was finally displayed in September of
1504, the Florentine citizens instead enthusiastically embraced and adopted the statue as the
symbol of their united defiance and independence because, at the time, Florence was facing
imminent threats of war and conquest from other, nearby city-states as well as from France.
So, instead of adorning the buttress wall, the “David” was installed in a place of honor in the
Piazza della Signoria next to the entrance of Florence’s Town Hall, called the Palazzo Vecchio.
Centuries later, in 1873, the “David” was moved inside for safety’s sake, to the nearby Galleria
dell’ Accademia. Later, in 1910, a copy of the statue was installed at the original site on the Piazza
della Signoria.
“David” takes an asymmetrically-balanced, contrapposto stance with his weight carried on his
right leg. He stands tense and alert, anticipating the imminent fight he will soon have with the
Philistine giant, Goliath. Although “David” holds his sling in both hands with the strap draped
loosely across his left shoulder and down his back, his weapon is ready to spin and launch a fatal
stone in an instant. “David” frowns slightly as he intently gauges the next move of his foe, Goliath.
He assesses the situation and calculates his own next move. He is ready…
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7. David
ca. 1501-1504, marble, 517 cm, approx.16’ 11 1/2”, Galleria dell’ Accademia, Florence, Italy
Nearly 17 feet tall, Michelangelo’s “David” truly demonstrated his mastery of sculpture and his
ability to create art from stone as he displayed his extensive knowledge of the human body.
Unity is achieved by the overall smooth, three-dimensional realism of the carved marble figure.
Michelangelo created amazing true-to-life details in the stone that clearly and accurately depict
the muscles of the body and even “David’s” veins, fingernails, and toenails. “David’s” alertness
and apprehension are both conveyed through the turn of his body, the tightness of the tendons in
his neck, the grim expression of his mouth, and even in the uneasy scowl on his brow as he
watches and awaits Goliath’s next move.
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10. Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508 – 1512, fresco, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
The Sistine Chapel is one of many chapels and buildings in the Vatican City, an independent citystate of the Catholic Church that is located within the city of Rome, Italy. Named for Pope Sixtus IV,
the Sistine Chapel was built between 1477 and 1486. It was constructed upon the foundation of a
much earlier Great Chapel and consequently its walls are not parallel. Many artists created a
variety of original wall frescos and the original fresco ceiling consisted of a blue background with
golden, gilded stars.
In 1508, Michelangelo was commissioned—nay, commanded—by Pope Julius II to create a new
fresco painting for the ceiling. Although Michelangelo preferred sculpture and did not want to paint,
a rival, Bramante, evidently convinced the Pope to demand Michelangelo’s cooperation because
Bramante secretly hoped that Michelangelo would surely fail. Bramante was proved wrong,
however, and Michelangelo’s frescos on the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling are among the finest pictorial
images of all time! Michelangelo divided the vaulted ceiling into ceiling panels, corner spandrels,
triangular pediments, and side-wall arched lunettes. The panels depict stories from the Book of
Genesis in the Old Testament, from the Creation of the World and of Man, to Noah and the Flood.
In the spandrels are four savior bible stories. The pediments depict seven male Old Testament
Prophets and five female pagan Sibyls who all foretold of Christ’s coming. In the arched lunettes
are the ancestors of Jesus. Each scene and all 343 colorful and mighty images together
demonstrate Michelangelo’s skill and ability to depict in brilliant color, such beautiful sculptural
forms and movement with a paint brush.
Because the vault of the ceiling is 68-feet above the floor, Michelangelo also had to devise the
unique scaffolding upon which he and his team of assistants could work safely. While some
assistants applied the fresh plaster, or transferred cartoon drawings onto the plaster, others ground
pigments and prepared the paints. Michelangelo did the painting and he did not paint the ceiling
while lying down. The floor of the scaffold was far enough below the ceiling to allow everyone room
to work and Michelangelo spent his days with his arm and brush stretched high above him as he
constantly bent backward and looked upward in order to paint. He did this daily for four years, a
painful and dedicated task!
The ceiling is symmetrical and balanced. It is unified by its biblical theme, by its beautiful bright
colors, and by its 343 human figures, all sculpturally depicted in graceful and lively positions.
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11. Detail: The Creation of Adam, Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1508 – 1512, fresco, Sistine Chapel,
Vatican, Rome
“The Creation of Adam” is one of the best-known images from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. In this
panel, Michelangelo’s talent for creating three-dimensional, sculptural forms was translated into
the two-dimensional shapes of God and Adam. Michelangelo used sculptural highlights and
shadows to define the perfection of Adam’s “ideal” Renaissance figure in a reclining, contrapposto
position.
This image is unified by an overall repetition of colors and shading as well as by the continuous
line created by Adam’s arm and hand as he reaches out to receive the give of life from God’s own
outstretched arm and empowering fingertip. The focus of this painting is the imminent touch of
their fingertips, a powerful focal point in this panel’s space that unites the two sides of the panel
both literally and symbolically.
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12. The Last Judgment, 1536 – 1541, wall fresco, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome
The Sistine Chapel, also included another masterpiece created by Michelangelo, and that is the
fresco of The Last Judgment on the wall behind the Chapel’s altar.
In 1536, Michelangelo was again commanded—this time by Pope Paul III—to complete the
Sistine Chapel with a new fresco painting for the altar wall. Michelangelo had two windows
removed and plastered over before he spent the next seven years completing his large and
sometimes gruesome painting that was called, “The Last Judgment”. Filled with many religious
signs and images as well as huge, muscular figures, Michelangelo portrayed the ultimate
judgment of the souls of all mankind.
The Resurrected Jesus Christ, with the Virgin Mary at his right side, sits in the upper center of the
scene, surrounded by a group of martyred saints, each of whom holds the tools that were used to
complete their martyrdom. Below them, angels blow on trumpets to awaken the dead and to
announce that judgment is nigh.
As Christ raises his hand in judgment, some souls rise up on one side of the scene and they
ascend to their heavenly blessing and reward. But the souls on the other side are doomed and
they slide, fall, or are dragged and bitten by demons as they descend into eternal hell and
damnation.
Michelangelo also included images taken from Greek myth and Dante’s Inferno with his depiction
of the demon ferryman, Charon [Share on], who rowed the damned across Hell’s river, Styx
[Sticks], and of Minos [My nos], the satanic Prince of Hades, who awaits the arrival of all
condemned souls,
In the top two arched areas are two groups of angels who carry instruments of Christ’s Passion
and his suffering and death. We can see the cross and the crown of thorns, the column upon
which Christ was beaten, the reed and sponge used to offer him vinegar, and the ladder down
which the body of Christ was lowered after the crucifixion.
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13. Moses, 1513– 1515, marble, 235 cm, approx. 7’ 8 ½”, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome
In 1505, Michelangelo was summoned to Rome by Pope Julius II to design a magnificent, 3-story
memorial Tomb for Julius. In 1506, however, Julius changed his mind and, instead, made
Michelangelo paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. When Julius died in 1513, the family of Julius,
the della Roveres, demanded that Michelangelo revise and reduce his plans for Julius’ Tomb. The
revised Tomb was smaller, but it still included the sculpture of “Moses,” the stern and mighty leader
of the Israelites, the man who met with God on the mountain top for forty days and nights, and who,
with his face radiant and shining, brought down Stone Tablets upon which had been carved the Ten
Commandments.
Michelangelo completed his “Moses” sculpture in 1515, during an interval when other work on the
Tomb had been halted. Michelangelo decided to keep the sculpture in his studio and eventually, in
1545, the “Moses” and two sculptures of Jacob’s wives “Rachel” and “Leah”, were finally installed for
the completed Tomb of Julius II in the Church of San Pietro in Vincoli [St. Peter in Chains] in Rome.
Michelangelo’s interpretation of “Moses” forms a powerful, muscular, ever-vigilant, and stern leader.
He sits in a twisting, active, contrapposto pose as he holds the Stone Tablets under his right arm
and grasps the intricate coils of his beard in his hand. The horns on Moses’ head were the result of
an early version of the Latin Bible that mistranslated a Hebrew word meaning “radiant” or “shining”
and that mistakenly used the Hebrew word for “horns,” instead.
Fun Fact: This “Moses” sculpture was originally intended to be installed as an impressive large form
that was supposed to loom above spectators on an upper level of the original Tomb’s design.
Instead, after many years, the “Moses” was finally installed at ground level in the center of the
smaller Tomb’s façade.
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14. Tomb of Giuliano de Medici, 1519–1534, New Sacristy, San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy
Tomb of Lorenzo de Medici, 1519–1534, New Sacristy, San Lorenzo, Florence, Italy
When Giuliano de Medici [the Duke of Nemours by marriage] died in 1516 and Lorenzo de Medici
[the Duke of Urbino] died in 1519, the Medici family called upon Michelangelo to design a fitting
family Tomb in the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo Church in Florence. After several years and with
modifications, two single tomb facades on opposite walls of the New Sacristy were installed.
Each tomb memorialized the former greatness of the Medici family, now ended by the death of
these last Medici men. Michelangelo depicted both of the Dukes as Roman Generals in seated
positions. Neither statue was an exact portrait and when someone pointed this out, Michelangelo
is supposed to have said, “a thousand years from now, nobody will know what they looked like.”
The forms of Giuliano and Lorenzo represented the Active Life and the Contemplative Life,
respectively. Four sculptures depicting the four times of the day were included to symbolize the
ongoing cycles of time and of life—from Dawn’s beginning and new potential to the eventual fall of
Night and the inevitability of death and eternity.
The Active figure of Giuliano holds a baton indicating his status as a Captain-General of the papal
army; he is accompanied by the figures of Night and Day. The Contemplative Lorenzo wears a
Roman helmet and sits lost in thought as he holds a money bag; the figures of Dusk and Dawn
recline below Lorenzo’s seated figure.
Vasari wrote: “Michelangelo’s ideas for the tombs of Duke Giuliano and Duke Lorenzo de’ Medici
caused even more astonished admiration. For here he decided that Earth alone did not suffice to
give them an honorable burial worthy of their greatness but that they should be accompanied by
all parts of the world; and he decided that their sepulchers should have around and above them
four statues. So to one tomb he gave Night and Day, and to the other Dawn and Dusk; and these
statues are so beautifully formed, their attitudes so lovely, and their muscles treated so skillfully,
that if the art of sculpture were lost they would serve to restore to it its original luster.”
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15. Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican, Rome
In 1506, Pope Julius II initiated the reconstruction of the ancient St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Over
the course of its reconstruction, a succession of prominent men were employed as the Pope’s
Chief Architect.
In 1546, Michelangelo took over as Chief Architect and he worked on St. Peter’s without pay for
nearly 18 years, until his death in 1564. Without him, St. Peter’s would not be the incredible space
it is today. Michelangelo decided to have some areas demolished and reconstructed, he
redesigned the shape and structure of the Dome, he simplified the Basilica’s floor plan, and he
gave the architectural features of the exterior a new rhythm and monumentality that all previous
designs had lacked. Michelangelo’s design for the Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica was an elongated
hemisphere rather than a typically rounded hemisphere, like that of the Pantheon. The elongation
created a more pleasing and imposing exterior view and the revised Dome’s ribbed design added
greater strength while the windows around the drum wall allowed more light to enter the interior.
Michelangelo did not live to see St. Peter’s finished. Giacomo della Porta assumed the position of
Chief Architect after Michelangelo’s death, and it was he who finally completed the project in 1590
with minimal changes to Michelangelo’s design.
The exterior of the Dome reflects a symmetrical balance with evenly spaced windows that
alternate with double columns around the drum wall, the vertical portion that supports the curved
dome portion above. The evenly spaced vertical ribs form the dome’s imposing shape as they
converge at the base of the cupola at the top. Unity is achieved by Michelangelo’s design with its
organized, rhythmic, and repeated architectural details such as the columns, windows, and ribs.
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