Date of Birth: March 6, 1475
Place of Birth: Caprese, Florence, Italy
Died: February 18, 1564
Place of Death: Rome, Italy
Classification: Artists & Entertainers
Michelangelo wasn’t impoverished. His father was a banker in Florence and made enough to support his family, their upper middle-class livelihoods, and his children’s education. After much debate, Michelangelo’s father allowed him to study art, but only after agreeing that if his first three-year apprenticeship didn’t work out, he would return to study so he could take over the family’s business.
The young Michelangelo first started his studies under Domencio Ghirlandajo. After only six months of study, Domencio stated that Michelangelo had surpassed him in his own art. After only one year, Michelangelo began his tutelage under the supervision of the magnificent Lorenzo de’ Medici, who funded Michelangelo’s pursuits. When de’ Medici was overthrown from government, Michelangelo had to search for other commissions that would financially support him. He had, over the years, been sending home money to his father who constantly asked him for financial help.
Moving to Bologna, he found work finishing the shrine of St. Dominic. Michelangelo’s style was different in regard to the way he chose to finish the shrine – attempting to master the beauty and form of the human body. With the finishing of that project, he was commissioned for several others, which he dedicated much time and energy towards, unlike many artists of the day who left many works unfinished. In the year 1501, he completed the statue of David for the Florence Cathedral and received a large commission. In his other works, such as with Madonna and Child, and Madonna and Child with Infant St. John, Michelangelo displayed the evolution of his unmatched abilities.
