Chapter 1
The stubborn apprentice of Florence
Chapter 2
Painting under protest in the Sistine Chapel
Chapter 3
Shaping stone and space
Chapter 4
The divine genius of the twilight years
YOUR GOAL
Master of The world of Michelangelo
Ch 4 · The divine genius of the twilight years
andy The Rondanini Pietà
Chiseling the marble, / Chiseling the marble, / Six days before the end.
andy In The Last Judgment, Saint Bartholomew holds a knife and a flayed skin with the tragic, humorous face
Fun Fact
Frugal billionaire: Despite dying as one of the wealthiest men in Europe, Michelangelo lived in near-poverty, rarely bathing, sleeping in his boots, and eating only bread.
Glossary
pietà (noun)
A representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Jesus Christ. Michelangelo carved his hauntingly unfinished Rondanini version in Rome during his final days before dying in 1564.
A representation of the Virgin Mary mourning over the dead body of Jesus Christ. Michelangelo carved his hauntingly unfinished Rondanini version in Rome during his final days before dying in 1564.
Quiz
Which other Renaissance giant was Michelangelo's chief rival in the famous 1504 Florence mural competition?
Quiz
Who was Vittoria Colonna, the woman who deeply inspired Michelangelo's late-life poetry?
Quiz
What historical milestone did Michelangelo achieve regarding his own biography during his lifetime?
Quiz
How did Michelangelo's family smuggle his body out of Rome back to Florence after his death in 1564?
Quiz
In which masterpiece did Michelangelo paint a tragic self-portrait of his own face on a flayed skin?
Quiz
What insulting remark did Michelangelo famously make to Leonardo da Vinci on a street in Florence?