Art point -Michelangelo

These are my personal notes and observations on art of Michelangelo the way I see it. (reading the book of Jilles Neret about Michelangelo).
Michelangelo was a great artist, sculpture and painter of frescoes in time of Italian Renaissance, born on 6. March (1475), Florence. His fruitful years in art started before he turned 30.

"The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection"

  His main theme in all art works was –the movement, passion, expression of emotion in naked body; remains of archetypal pagan energy is felt in most of his works, together with great masculine force. He was admirer of male appearance, beauty and energy of male naked body, that was obviously constant object of his work. Female body was depicted by him in paintings, frescoes and sculptures with rude masculine outlines, big stable hands, neck and muscles, and somehow strange breasts attached to the torso. All the females resemble male outlook.

  The basic feelings expressed in his art are: passion, movement, fight between passion and mind in human, weakness and strength in human naked body, muscles tension, body and soul suffering, the torment of the soul, impetuosity, hidden and expressed emotions in human, catharsis of soul, punishment of physical body in Apocalypse, purification of the soul trough suffer, image of the real rebellion of physical body on earth trough rage of emotions. All of these expressions of his art give the passionate music of Michelangelo sculptures.

My favorite art works by him ~

(1) David sculpture, (2) Pieta (Sculpture group), (3) Moses (sculpture appointed for the tomb of Papa Julius II, (4) The dying Slave (sculpture)

Paintings: Torment of St. Anthony, Scenes of Last Judgment (Self-portrait bitten by demon-snake) from Fresco groups.

Some time frame of his works:

1487 -   The Torment of St. Anthony

1492 -   Crucifixion (with naked Jesus)

1495 -   Angel with Candle stick (winged angel sculpture)

1499 -   Pieta (sculpture group with Virgin Mary and Jesus)

1501 -   The Entombment (painting unfinished)

1501 – 1504   David (sculpture)

1506 -   Tondo Donni (Holy Family with St. John the Baptized)

1509 -   Ignudo – detail of man naked male from Cappella Sistina

1509 – 1512 – Ceiling of Cappella Sistina (Vatican city)

1512 -   Adam and Eve (scene from Cappella Sistina fresco)

1513 -1515 – Moses (impressive sculpture for tomb of Papa Julius)

1505 – 1513  Rebellious slave (sculpture for the tomb)

1513 – 1515  The Dying Slave (sculpture with male exalted body)

1520 -  Leda and the Swan (popular theme, painting)

1530 -  Apollo (sculpture of loved Greek mythology god)

1531 -  Medici Madonna (sculpture of Madonna and child)

1533 – The dream of human life (mystic drawing)

1534 -  Cleopatra (drawing portrait with snake)

1526 – 1533 Tomb of Medicci (the project was postpone and changed)

1545  - Rachel and Leah (two sculptures)

1550  - Pieta (Madonna, Jesus and self-portrait sculpture of an old man)

Michelangelo work and style were influenced by: Greek sculpture of Antiquity, Giotto, Masaccio. 

Notes: the most angels in Capella Sistina and fresco Last Judgment resemble human body and movements, they are represented without wings. 

References ~
The Story behind David  (magazine) 
Michelangelo works (wikiart)

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