Michelangelo

Renaissance master Michelangelo (1475-1564) was a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet whose influence on Western art remains unmatched. Called "Il Divino" (the divine one) in his lifetime, he created works of terribilita, awe-inspiring power. Though he considered himself primarily a sculptor, his Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508-1512) and Last Judgment (1541) rank among painting's greatest achievements. His 17-foot David embodies the Renaissance ideal of perfect humanity.

Michelangelo apprenticed to Ghirlandaio at 13 before joining Lorenzo de' Medici's household, studying sculpture in his garden. The Pieta (1499), completed at 24, established his fame. Pope Julius II commissioned the Sistine ceiling; Michelangelo fired all assistants and painted the 65-foot ceiling alone over four years, creating over 300 figures including the iconic Creation of Adam. He designed St. Peter's Basilica dome in his final decades. Three biographies were published during his lifetime, unprecedented for an artist. His works remain in situ at the Vatican Museums, while the David stands at Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia. He died at 88, outliving all other Renaissance masters.