Michelangelo Buonnaroti (Image List)

Michelangelo Buonnaroti, 1475-1564, born in Urbino, Italy, thought of himself mainly as a sculptor, but he was much more than that. He was also a painter, poet, and architect. During his early years, he worked in Rome and Florence sculpting the famous David and Bacchus, working on tombs by the order of Julius II, and painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Near the end of his lifetime, he painted the Last Judgement and produced three sculptures - all Pietas. The last of the three, The Rondanini Pieta (1552-1564), was quite different from most sculptures of the time. It was rough and rather undefined, yet was not dull in the least. It was left unfinished or in Italian, nonfinito.

Some Mannerist artists felt it was left unfinished to provide an effect of spontaneity. Others believed Michelangelo thought a work such as the Rondanini could not be completed with human hands (just as some people feel God is the only perfect being and thus they leave flaws in works of art or quilts).

Unlike Van Gogh, Michelangelo was highly respected in Italy and led a busy, successful life and is still respected to this day.