Michelangelo: The Master in His Youth

Michelangelo: The Master in His Youth

1. Michelangelo (Michelangelo Buonarroti) was a long-lived and great artist whose career can be divided into two distinct periods, with his work on the Sistine Chapel ceiling marking the transition. Before this monumental work, his youth was a period of prolific creativity. He chose sculpture as his artistic path at a young age, and during this time, he displayed extraordinary talent, leaving behind numerous highly valuable sculptural masterpieces, including Pietà and David.
2. Michelangelo came from a noble family, with his ancestors even having held the title of count. His family was considered middle-class at the time, with his father serving as the highest-ranking government official in their town. As a child, Michelangelo was sent to study literature, which gave him a solid foundation in the humanities. His privileged family background provided him with the material means to pursue his artistic aspirations.
3. At the age of 13, Michelangelo joined the renowned Florentine painter Domenico Ghirlandaio’s workshop, where he was first exposed to the art of painting and quickly mastered it. Soon after, he studied sculpture under Bertoldo di Giovanni, a pupil of the Renaissance “father of sculpture” Donatello, officially beginning his journey as a sculptor.
4. Like many artists of the Renaissance, Michelangelo was supported by the Medici family. However, he was only a young teenager at the time. At just 15 or 16, Michelangelo’s extraordinary talent caught the attention and favor of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the head of the Medici family. Lorenzo even allowed him to live and dine with his own children. Life at the Medici court gave Michelangelo many opportunities to learn from the best scholars and artists of the time, laying the foundation for his future artistic career.
5. Michelangelo’s earliest known sculpture, Madonna of the Stairs, is a relief created when he was just 15 years old. While its artistic value may not be the highest, it is of great significance in understanding Michelangelo’s development. The most notable feature is the Virgin Mary’s unusually large left hand, which, for a woman, appears overly muscular. This masculine aesthetic would continue to characterize nearly all of his later works, signaling his artistic manifesto.
6. Pietà, created by Michelangelo at the age of 23, stunned the world upon its unveiling. Commissioned by a French cardinal for St. Peter’s Basilica, the statue was so exquisitely crafted that people could hardly believe it was Michelangelo’s work. In a fit of youthful pride, Michelangelo sneaked into the church one night and carved his name onto the Virgin Mary’s chest. Although the theme of the Pietà was common during the Renaissance, Michelangelo’s interpretation was exceptional, and if Renaissance sculptures were ranked, this one would certainly be among the top three.
7. Pietà perfectly captures the delicate image of a woman holding a large male figure in a “princess carry,” a pose that is neither awkward nor unnatural but harmonious and graceful. Michelangelo intentionally enlarged the Virgin’s legs and exaggerated the folds of her dress, stabilizing the sculpture’s base and creating a sense of balance. The sculptural details in her chest draw attention to the balance of density, with “weakness” supporting “strength.”
8. Pietà also reflects Michelangelo’s surreal artistic vision. While typical depictions of the Virgin Mary in art show her as an elderly, sorrowful woman, Michelangelo portrayed her as a young woman. He believed that worldly desires cause aging, but the Virgin Mary should remain forever pure and untouched. Michelangelo’s artistic skill allowed him to express this surreal idea to its fullest.
9. David, completed at the age of 29, is Michelangelo’s most famous work and represents the pinnacle of sculptural art. The muscular, heroic figure of David is considered an ideal representation of male beauty. However, Michelangelo deliberately added an “imperfection” to David’s right hand. The proportion of his right hand is larger than it should be, and the veins are exaggerated, making it appear more aged and muscular. Michelangelo did this intentionally to symbolize that, with God’s blessing, David could triumph over Goliath despite his youth and weakness.
10. In the perfect David, Michelangelo even carved highlights in the figure’s pupils. If you look closely, you will see that David’s pupils are heart-shaped. At the time, portraiture often used the technique of adding a white dot to the pupil to bring the eyes to life. Michelangelo achieved this effect in sculpture by using a subtle, raised carving technique, giving David’s eyes a vibrant, reflective quality.