Michelangelo: Catalyst of Western Art Development

831 Words2 Pages

Luke Laster
Mrs. Ventre
World History
October 31, 2017
Michelangelo
Far and wide, Michelangelo was a major contributing factor to art of the Christian faith and the growth and development of Western art. Born in 1475, Michelangelo grew up in Florence, Italy, where he lived much of his long life. Throughout his life, he created many paintings and sculptures that would slowly shape the world of art. He also was not afraid to create creations that were typically frowned upon in his day and age. Michelangelo was influential to world history through his unique and daring artistic style, as well as having a major influence on modern western art. Michelangelo was interested in artwork from a very young age, showing much more interest in artistic …show more content…

He was the creator of the statue of David, a statue that came to represent the city of Florence for much of the 1500’s. The statue was known to represent human virtues, such as courage and trust. His “Last Judgment” painting was commissioned by a Pope, but once it was finished, the Pope deemed it offensive to the Christian faith. This demonstrates that Michelangelo truly was a very daring individual. However, the painting is now known as another staple of Renaissance art. The Creation of Adam was also a daring move for the artist; the painting showed God’s anatomy in a way that almost no artists dared to before, afraid that it may be disrespectful or frowned upon. Michelangelo’s most famous painting by far is the Sistine Chapel ceiling paintings, a collection of paintings on the church ceiling that took upwards of four years to complete. The ceiling is now one of the most famous paintings of all time, as well as the most prominent symbol of art in the Christian community. In addition, while not an artwork, Michelangelo helped create fortifications for the city of Florence in 1528 when it came under siege. Florence still fell, which led to Michelangelo leaving Florence for the remainder of his

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