Michelangelo

Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was born in Caprese. His father was a local administrator. He would become the greatest artist of the Renaissance.

After his mother's death, was nursed by a stonecutter's wife in Settignano. He later joked that he absorbed his love of sculpture with his nurse's milk.

Became apprentice to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Though contracted for three years, his exceptional talent soon surpassed his master.

Invited by Lorenzo de' Medici to study sculpture in the Medici gardens. He lived in the Medici palace and received humanist education alongside Lorenzo's sons.

Created the marble relief 'Madonna of the Stairs', one of his earliest surviving works. It already showed his mastery of the human form.

Arrived in Rome and carved his first major work, the sculpture of Bacchus. The drunken god demonstrated his revolutionary approach to depicting the human body.

Completed the Pieta for St. Peter's Basilica at age 24. This masterpiece of Mary holding the dead Christ established him as the greatest sculptor alive.

Unveiled the colossal statue of David in Florence. Carved from a damaged block of marble others had abandoned, it became the symbol of Florence.

Commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Though he considered himself primarily a sculptor, he reluctantly accepted.

Finished the Sistine Chapel ceiling after four years of work. The 500+ figures transformed Western art and remain the supreme achievement of Renaissance painting.

Began work on the Medici Chapel with its revolutionary architecture and sculptures. The allegorical figures of Day, Night, Dawn, and Dusk showcase his mature style.

Commissioned to paint The Last Judgment on the Sistine Chapel altar wall. The massive fresco took seven years and shocked viewers with its nude figures.

Appointed chief architect of St. Peter's Basilica. He redesigned the dome and refused payment, considering it service to God.

Began his final sculpture, the Rondanini Pieta, which he would work on until days before his death. Its unfinished state reveals his creative process.

Died in Rome and was buried in Florence. Called 'Il Divino' (The Divine One) in his lifetime, he remains the supreme example of artistic genius, excelling in sculpture, painting, architecture, and poetry.