Michelangelo Buonarroti Biography for Kids
Ciao! I am Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni! Most people just call me by my first name. Have any of you ever heard of me? I should think so! I am considered by many people to be the greatest artist who ever lived!
I was born near and grew up in Firenze, Italia, or as you say, Florence, Italy, which is the center of Renaissance.
People at this time were interested in architecture, painting, poetry and sculpture – and of course, I am good at all of these!
I grew up with a family of stonecutters, since my parents couldn’t take care of me, which may be where I got my love for cutting stones into sculpture! You see, I love sculpture!
So when I was 16, I studied at a school for sculptors started by a wealthy and powerful man, Lorenzo de’ Medici, who became one of my patrons.
A patron is someone who pays you to create art. So I had another patron from Rome who paid me to make a statue of Mary holding the crucified Jesus. It is called the Pieta. Everyone who saw it was amazed! It is now in St. Peter’s Church in Vatican City in Rome – you know, where the pope lives!
Another one of my famous sculptures is of David when he is ready to fight Goliath. I carved it for the city of Florence, and it shows that the people of Florence thought of themselves as brave, strong, clever and ready to defend their city. These statues gave me the opportunity to make the human body realistic, for the human body as God’s great creation is the most important subject an artist can paint or sculpt.
I had been Catholic, but I greatly appreciated Martin Luther’s love for the truth and all he did to help me overcome many difficulties. I wanted to make a portrait of him too, but I did not get around to it. I did make portraits of other men who were influential to the Protestant Reformation though, like Erasmus…
Pope Julius II invited me to Rome to carve some statues for him, but then he changed his mind and asked me to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. I was not happy about this – I love sculpture more than painting – so I argued a lot with the pope. Not only did I have to lie on my back to paint, I had to paint on wet plaster, a style called fresco. It took me four years to paint the whole ceiling, but I am proud of the wonderful Bible scenes such as God giving Adam life and the creation of the stars and planets.
It was after this that I painted the altar scene of “The Last Judgment.”
I also helped design plans for the dome on St. Peter’s Basilica, the large cathedral at the Vatican.
So, I have done some pretty fantastico art, no? But it is for God’s glory. Many believe – and I believe – that I have been designated for this work by God. In spite of my old age, I do not want to give it up; I work out of love for God and I put all my hope in Him.
Here’s what you should remember about me.
- I am Michelangelo who lived from 1475 to 1564.
- I am an Italian Renaissance sculptor and painter.
- I am known for best known for sculpture and for painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
- I am considered to be the greatest artist who ever lived.
Investigate the life and art works of Michelangelo Buonarroti in this artist unit study!
Watch the video about me too!
Resources:
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Michelangelo (Getting to Know the World’s Greatest Artists) by Mike Venezia
Vincent’s Starry Night and Other Stories: A Children’s History of Art
DK Annotated Guides Great Artists: The Lives of 50 Painters Explored Through Their Work
