Michelangelo is recognized as one of the greatest artists of the Renaissance. But is her artistic achievement really worth it?
Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, poet and one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. The Renaissance, which was a European intellectual and cultural movement that took place from the 14th to the 17th century to reflect the demands of the emerging bourgeoisie, witnessed the re-emergence of humanism in ancient Greece and Rome, in which the concept of "man is the measure of all things" had a huge impact on all aspects of science, literature and art.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="3" > Renaissance</h1>
The movement originated in the Italian Republic of Florence. In the 14th and 15th centuries, Florence was a city rich in culture and wealth, and they liked to support up-and-coming artists.
Powerful ruling elites like the Medici were patrons of the movement, which allowed writers and artists to participate in the intellectual and artistic revolution. Before spreading to France, it expanded to other city-states in Italy and through France into the rest of Europe, a period in which each country in Europe experienced its own unique Renaissance.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="6" > Michelangelo</h1>
Michelangelo was born in March 1475 in Capresse, Italy. His father worked for the Florentine government and soon the family moved to Florence. The Renaissance movement in Italy, which allowed Michelangelo's talent to be brought into play. Despite the tragic death of his mother at the age of 6 and although his father disapproved of his artistic interests, Michelangelo became an apprentice to the painter Domenico Gillandayo at the age of 13.
During his apprenticeship, Michelangelo impressed local aristocrats, such as florence's patron of the arts, Lorenzo de' Medici. He invited Michelangelo to live in his palatial home. It was here that he became acquainted with the scholars and writers of Lorenzo's intellectual community and eagerly learned from them.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="10" > scam</h1>
Despite Michelangelo's promising future and close ties to the dignitaries, by 1496 Michelangelo found himself a poor acid artist struggling to survive. He was 21 years old, but not yet famous, and more unfortunately, his patron Lorenzo died and his family was expelled from Florence.
In order to earn money, Michelangelo premeditated a century of hoaxes.
The program was curated by Michelangelo himself and an art dealer named Baldassari Del Miranese, who buried a sculpture of Michelangelo in a vineyard and processed it artificially. It was a successful plot, and the sculpture was sold to Italian Cardinal Riario for a high price. However, Riario was a shrewd man and soon discovered that the artifact was fake.
When the Cardinal realized he had been deceived, he went to Michelangelo and the dealer to make a claim. Fortunately, Riario only asked the dealer Milanis for compensation. Although the sculpture was a forgery, it seems that the bishop recognized Michelangelo's creative talent, and not only did he not claim compensation from Michelangelo, but also invited him into his circle of contacts.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Michelangelo, and from now on, it was the most important milestone in his artistic career. It was in Rome that he established himself as one of the greatest Renaissance artists of all time.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="24" > became famous in one fell swoop</h1>
Now that his connections include many of Rome's social elites, it's no surprise that Michelangelo's name became famous in one fell swoop. Shortly after arriving in Rome, he was commissioned by Cardinal Jean-Berères de Lagraulas, the representative of Charles VIII of France, to create a sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the dead Jesus on her lap, which is the "Picture of the Piety" that has been left for posterity.
Michelangelo completed the sculpture during the year, and the statue stands in the chapel of the Cardinal's Tomb. It is a huge work, about 6 feet wide x 6 feet high (1.8m x 1.8m), now located in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. It was completed before Michelangelo was 25 years old and is the only statue named after him.
Michelangelo's Piety
Between 1501 and 1504, Michelangelo took over his next major project, David. Two early sculptors tried, but both gave up. Michelangelo created a 17-foot-tall marble statue for the city of Florence depicting David's courage and humanity, cementing his position.
His fame grew so great that he was commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine. Inspired by the work, Michelangelo fired all his assistants and personally completed the ceiling. Indeed, Michelangelo was a great artist.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="75" > where did the fake go? </h1>
After Michelangelo's early sculptural hoax was exposed, the forgery was collected by a man named D'Este in Mantua. It was later purchased by Charles I of England and was lost in the fire at Whitehall Palace in 1689. Although it is a fake, it has to be said that it is a classical art imitation of the dance, and before it was destroyed, it was thought to be the work of the Greek sculptor Prados in the 4th century BC.
The statue of Cupid is based on the Praxitel marble obtained by Charles I (va_va_val).
In addition to this forgery, it is suspected that Michelangelo may have created more forgeries before becoming famous. Considering the collector's love of classical design and any art left over from antiquity, this is a great way to make money.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="80" > great artist or the great liar of the century? </h1>
Young artists without the support of generous and wealthy patrons can struggle to generate income for themselves. Other than that, it's hard for them to continue creating their art. Michelangelo's ability to use forgery to create his name is inspiring. By imitating ancient trends, he could not only make money, but also make himself a brilliant artist. He may have been a liar, but nothing could take away the masterpieces he later created.
A young artist would have a hard time surviving without the support of generous and wealthy patrons. It is more difficult to maintain their artistic creation. Michelangelo opened up his fame by means of counterfeiting, not only made some money, but also became a great artist.
Maybe he was a liar, but he was also a great artist.