In this second edition of The 3 Most Famous Renaissance Artists Series, our featured artist is Michelangelo. Like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo is an iconic Renaissance Man; he gained expertise in many fields of the arts, earning the nickname “Il Divino”.
Michelangelo was known for his “terribilità”, referring to his ability to inspire awe. This was reflected in his paintings, which were known to be momentous and grand. Some of his best paintings were the Creation of Adam, the Persian Sibyl (both part of the Sistine Chapel series), and the Holy Family.
1. Creation of Adam
Creation of Adam c.1511
The Creation of Adam is a large scale fresco in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. Michelangelo created these frescoes by painting on wet plaster, essentially locking the pigment into the fabric of the wall itself when the plaster dried.
The painting depicts a scene from the Book of Genesis in which God creates Adam. He is seen sending life into Adam through their fingertips, which are stretching to reach each other. It is interesting to note the figure carrying God is in the shape of a human brain.
This iconography was later seen in the movie “ET”!
2. Holy Family
Holy Family (Doni Tondo) c.1507
This Holy Family painting by Michelangelo is often referred to as the Doni Tondo, named for its patron. The painting was commissioned by Agnolo Doni to commemorate his marriage to Maddalena Strozzi, and “tondo” refers to the round frame. The painting was influenced by Leonardo da Vinci's The Virgin and Child with St. Anne.
The figures of the Holy Family foreshadow the look of the Sistine Chapel frescoes; Michelangelo employs the use of bright colors and massive, sculptural figures responsible for giving his paintings such monumental qualities. This is true even for Mary, yet is due to Michelangelo's use of male models even for female figures.
Michelangelo also utilized “cangiante”, a technique used for shading form through using entirely different colors at times instead of a lighter or darker shade of the same color. By using this method, Michelangelo could create darker shadows and lighter highlights without being constrained by the limits of a particular hue.
3. The Libyan Sibyl
The Libyan Sibyl c.1512
The Libyan Sibyl is another fresco from the Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo, and is part of a series of Sibyls which depict famous women that are said to have prophesied the birth of Christ. The Libyan Sibyl is turned away from the viewer, increasing even further her sense of mystery and power.
Again, the Libyan Sibyl figure has large, masculine muscles from the use of male models. Also, there is the need for the figure to look momentous from ground as some impact of the painting is lost from the distance. This is also the reason for the particularly bright colors of the painting; some impact and richness of the hues are lost in the distance from the viewer on the ground.
