Eric visits a (non)American grave, Part 1,606 - Lawyers, Weapons, and Money

This is the grave of Michelangelo. You surely know this man! He was born in Caprese, Republic of Florence, in 1475. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, our future genius, grew up in a well-off but not noble family. His father was an unsuccessful banker who had to hold positions in government. Nevertheless, this provided the family with a place in the top 2-3% of the population of Florence, where he spent his childhood. Michelangelo received an excellent education that was available at that time and place, but unfortunately, he was a poor student. However, his passion for drawing and natural talent showed from the very beginning. Therefore, his father decided to let him pursue his favorite activity.

In 1489, he managed to persuade the famous artist Domenico Ghirlandaio to take his son as an apprentice for a fee. Soon after, Lorenzo de' Medici asked Ghirlandaio to select two of the best students from his workshop. One of them was Michelangelo, and the other was Francesco Granacci. The Medici family would become an important patron for Michelangelo when he began working with marble in the early 1490s, residing at their court and attending the Platonic Academy—a school founded by this family to nurture new generations of elite artists and thinkers. It can be seen as a Renaissance-era school. However, in 1493, his father passed away (his mother had died when he was still a child), and Michelangelo was forced to return home to manage the family estate. This did not prevent him from continuing his work, and soon he became a recognized figure in the Florentine elite, establishing himself as a true talent. He began creating numerous sculptures that sold well and attracted attention.

He spent some time inRome, and in 1497, the French ambassador to the Vatican commissioned him to create the famous sculpture Pietà, depicting the Virgin Mary mourning over the body of Christ. Today, it is located in St. Peter's Basilica and is considered one of Michelangelo's first masterpieces. After the execution of the proto-Puritan priest Savonarola in 1498, Michelangelo returned to Florence the following year. Soon, the Guild of Wool approached him with a request to complete a long-started but halted project — the statue of David. He was able to finish the work only by 1504.

David

Now let's talk about David. I find it a bit strange to discuss Renaissance art, as it's a topic I'm not very knowledgeable about and, to be honest, it somewhat blends together for me, like religious art. When I was in Florence, it was an amazing experience—I couldn't believe my eyes. The whole time I was thinking, "This is incredible, how did I end up here?" The trip in January turned out to be even better—the crowds were much smaller, and the weather was warm enough for walks, even despite a few rainy days.

Unlike the typical American tourist who tries to cover Italy in a week, focusing on stops in Rome, Florence, and Venice, we slowed down and spent a full 10 days just in Florence, including trips to Siena and Pisa. Even that felt like too much movement (Siena, obviously, deserves a few days on its own). I remember that just a few blocks from our hotel, there was a preserved sculpture of religious art from that time on the wall of a building, and despite its insignificance, I really liked it—I could stand and look at it alone, imagining what it must have looked like on the streets of Florence 500 years ago (perhaps at a time when I was suffering from the plague or dysentery).

It's hard to overstate how striking the art of the greatest masters can be when you're overwhelmed by a sea of impressions, and the details get lost in the overall picture.

The gallery where David is displayed also contains many unfinished sculptures by Michelangelo, which you can get closer to and see the process of their creation, which is also impressive. At the same time, Michelangelo had another 60 years of work ahead of him after completing David.

I won't go into detail about all of his works — we can discuss that in the comments. I will just note that although I haven't seen the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel yet, I really hope to see it one day. The same goes for Moses, the Last Judgment, and other critically important works. I haven't been to Rome, but I hope there are many more travels ahead, although as I get older, time starts to play a role, and the world is vast, with many of my trips being determined by something more academic for me or my wife.

But I managed to see almost all of his works in Florence — such as the Medici tombs and the Basilica of San Lorenzo. A few more interesting facts — Michelangelo actually fought to stop the return of the Medici to Florence in the late 1520s, and after their victory in 1530, they planned to kill him, forcing him to hide in a tiny secluded room for several months. This room was only discovered in 1975, where a huge treasure trove of Michelangelo's drawings was found, which he created to pass the time while waiting for the hatred towards the Medici to subside. Eventually, he was allowed to come out of hiding, partly to complete their own tombs.

After 1534, he spent more time in Rome. And we must not forget the greatest honor that was bestowed upon him — if only he knew about it, he has a Ninja Turtle named in his honor. Michelangelo himself was bisexual and wrote a lot of love poetry to other men, which his descendants altered to hide this fact. This information only became known after new translations in 1893.

He was no different from other lovers, being a very religious Catholic and a strict ascetic who hardly ate or washed — he was almost entirely focused on his art. We all felt the consequences of this. Of course, he had to compete with other outstanding artists of his time for the best commissions, which meant having to serve kings and popes and often criticize others. He was incredibly ambitious and, in particular, harbored a strong hatred for Raphael.

From time to time, new works by Michelangelo are discovered. For instance, in 2007, a charcoal sketch of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica was found in the Vatican archives, which is believed to be the last of his surviving works. This was unusual, as he often destroyed his drawings. Any addition of knowledge about such a genius as he is significant. Michelangelo passed away in 1564 in Rome at the age of 88 — quite an impressive longevity for the 16th century! In any case, there is much to say about his life and work, but the key point remains in the comments. Ultimately, Michelangelo is truly an amazing figure!