Legendary Artists
LEGENDARY ARTISTS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Legendary Artists of
the Sixteenth Century
Bailey D. Troia
Ocean Lakes High School
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Legendary Artists
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Throughout history, artists from have gotten much of their inspiration from art of the
1500s. Through detail and design, paintings and sculptures have been based on artists’ previous
works. Without art in the sixteenth century, we wouldn’t have perspective, detailed religious
paintings, or the renowned Sistine Chapel ceiling. Renaissance artists have had a major
influence on art and artists around the world.
Raphael Sanzio was an extremely popular artist of the 1500s. Sanzio, born in 1483, was
young when he first got involved with painting. He learned art from his father, Giovanni Santi.
When he was sixteen, he became a student of Perugino. Later, when Sanzio was twenty-five,
Pope Julius II hired him to direct the decoration of the state rooms in the Vatican Place. Sanzio
became the first Superintendent of Antiquities in 1515, after being made Chief Architect of Saint
Peter’s Basilica in 1514. Raphael Sanzio’s most popular paintings included the Madonna dell
Granduca, the Small Cowper Madonna, the Alba Madonna, Stanza dell Incendio, Marriage of
the Virgin, Sposalizio, the Crucified Christ with Virgin Mary, Saints and Angels, the Courier,
and Baldassore Castiglione. His two great most popular, artistic themes were beauty and
serenity. Raphael Sanzio has influenced many painters centuries after his time. His work is
“admired for its clarity of form and ease of composition” (Kren, Marx, 2008). Because of his
art, Sanzio is considered to be a genius of his time.
Michelangelo Buonarroti was another amazing artist of the 16th century. Born in 1469,
Michelangelo started showing interest in art when he was ten years old, becoming an apprentice
at twelve. As an apprentice, Michelangelo always amazed his master, Ghirlandajo, with his
drawings and their amazing “life-like animation” (Gietmann, 1908). As a painter and sculptor,
he was well known for his use of color, light, and design. Michelangelo painted the famous
Sistine Chapel ceiling from 1508 to 1512. Most likely being his most famous work, he is said to
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have “exerted all his powers of mind and body” to complete the ceiling (Gietmann, 1908).
Instead of painting 12 pictures of the apostles, he painted the history of the Old Testament. In
addition, he painted Doni Tondo and the Last Judgment. Some of his famous sculptures included
Madonna of the Stairs, Bieta, and the unfinished St. Matthew. His paintings were all equallyproportioned and had 3-D effect. He made his sculptures but starting from the back and working
towards the front. Although Michelangelo was a poet and architect, he was mostly known for his
fascinating paintings and sculptures.
Leonardo Da Vinci contributed to some of the most well-known art in history.He was
born in 1452 but didn’t begin his start as an artist until 1469. Da Vinci was an apprentice for
Verrochio until he grew older and decided to get a real job. Da Vinci worked for Duke Sforza by
painting, sculpting and designing festivals and designing weapons, buildings, and machinery.
While working for the Duke, he found his interests in painting, architecture, elements of
mechanics, and human anatomy. In 1499, Duke Sforza fell from power, resulting in Da Vinci’s
travel and job-hunting throughout Italy for 16 years. When he was 61 years old, Da Vinci
maintained a workshop and carried out projects for the Pope. After that, he became Premier
Painter, Engineer, and Architect of the King of France. There, he found more inspiration for his
art. In 17 years as a major artist, Da Vinci painted 6 works. When it came to art, he was
considered to be a perfectionist. He used science and nature to improve his paintings. Da Vinci
was the first artist to study the physical proportions of people and their physicality for his art.
From his studies to his paintings, Da Vinci was one of the “greatest minds of the Renaissance”
(Gillet, 1912). His drawings and imagination were uniquely ahead of his time, which he’s been
known throughout history for. Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous paintings were the Last
Supper, Mona Lisa, and the Virgin on the Rocks. After finishing Mona Lisa, Da Vinci claims to
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have “never painted anything with more love” (Gillet. 1912). This painting, and almost all of his
paintings, is known world-wide for their beauty and distinctive detail.
Raphael Sanzio, Michelangelo Buonnarroti, and Leonardo Da Vinci each had major
contributions to art around the world. Through paintings and sculptures, these three Renaissance
artists portrayed the style of the time through their work. To this day, art of the 1500s is being
studied and many other artists have tried to copy 16th artists’ techniques in art. Artists
throughout history will always be influenced by Renaissance artists and their style.
Legendary Artists
References
Gietmann, G. (1908). Michelangelo Buonarroti. (Catholic Encyclopedia). New York: Robert
Appleton Company. New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/03059b.htm
Gillet, L. (1912). Leonardo da Vinci. (Catholic Encyclopedia). New York: Robert Appleton
Company. New Advent: http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15440a.htm
Kren, E., Marx, D. RAFAELLO Sanzio, Biography. Web Gallery of Art.
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