Michelangelo
Creation of Man
c.1508-1512
Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
Image Courtesy of Carol Gerten
"It's easy. You just
chip away a stone that doesn't look like David."
-Michelangelo on how he made David
His return to Florence marked the production of numerous commissions including David, and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. He received the position of chief architect, sculptor, and painter at the Vatican. He kept working on the Vatican until his death in February of 1564.
One point of irony regarding Michelangelo is that he is regarded as one of the master painters of history, yet he never thought of himself as a good painter. He always felt more attached to sculpture, expressing the art of three dimensional forms of the human figure. He did numerous sculptures, among the most famous was David, the protagonist from the story of David and Goliath.
Masterpieces like this demonstrates the knowledge of proportions in the human figure. The statue of David stands far taller than an average person, yet it looks natural at any angle because each part of his body is position correctly.
Michelangelo also used a lot of nudity, particularly the male figure, in his artwork. It was somewhat shocking at that time, especially on the frescos and other areas so often seen by the public. It brings the beauty of the human figure to new levels. Michelangelo's figures were much more bold, more revealing than that of other artists in his time. Some found it so startling that artists were later hired to cover up the nudity in his paintings.