Michelangelo: The Sculptor Who Painted the Sky

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in 1475 in a small village in Italy. Even as a young child, he didn't want to play with toys or read books as much as he wanted to watch the stonecutters at a nearby quarry. He loved the way they turned rough, gray rocks into smooth, beautiful shapes. Michelangelo famously said that he didn't really 'create' his statues; he just carved away the extra stone to set the figures free.

To him, he was a sculptor, first and foremost. \n\nMichelangelo’s childhood was spent surrounded by the sound of hammers and the smell of dust. He grew up in the hills above Florence, where many of the world's finest stones were found. By the time he was a teenager, he was already an apprentice to a famous artist, though he often felt he could learn more from the marble itself.

He became famous at a very young age for carving the 'Pieta' and the giant 'David' statue, which stood over 17 feet tall. These works were so perfect that people began to call him 'Il Divino,' or 'The Divine One.' \n\nIn 1508, Pope Julius II gave Michelangelo a task that the artist did not want. The Pope asked him to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome.

At first, Michelangelo tried to say no. He told the Pope, 'I am not a painter!' He was worried that his rivals had suggested his name just to watch him fail at a job he wasn't trained for. However, you did not say no to the Pope in those days.

Reluctantly, Michelangelo agreed to the project. \n\nThe technique the Pope wanted him to use was called 'fresco.' This involved painting directly onto wet plaster. The artist had to work quickly before the plaster dried, or the paint would not stick.

If he made a mistake, he couldn't just paint over it; he had to chip away the dried plaster and start the whole section over again. This was a nightmare for someone who preferred the slow, methodical pace of carving stone. Michelangelo even wrote a poem to a friend complaining about how his stomach was 'squashed' and his 'face was a floor for drippings.' \n\nThe task was enormous.

The ceiling was more than 130 feet long and 44 feet wide. Michelangelo had to build his own special scaffolding—a giant wooden platform—so he could reach the top. For four long years, he lived on that platform, often working twelve hours a day. He didn't lie down to paint, as some legends say.

Instead, he stood up and leaned his head back at a painful angle. Paint and plaster often dripped into his eyes, and his back and neck grew stiff and sore. He became so focused on his work that he sometimes forgot to eat or even take off his boots for days at a time. \n\nWhat makes the Sistine Chapel ceiling so special is that it shows Michelangelo’s love for sculpture.

Every person he painted looks like they are made of solid marble. He used shadows and highlights to make the flat ceiling look three-dimensional. Because he had spent years studying human anatomy, or how the body is built, he knew exactly how muscles should look when someone reached out their hand or twisted their torso. One of the most famous parts of the ceiling is 'The Creation of Adam.'

It shows God’s finger reaching out to touch Adam’s finger. Even in this painting, you can see the sculptor's touch. The figures have powerful muscles and heavy frames, looking more like statues than flat images. \n\nWhen the ceiling was finally finished in 1512, the world was stunned.

The bright colors and powerful figures were unlike anything anyone had ever seen. Michelangelo had successfully completed one of the greatest paintings in history, even though he still considered himself a sculptor. After the chapel was done, he happily returned to his beloved marble and hammers. He had proven that his dedication and talent could overcome any challenge, even if it meant trading his chisel for a paintbrush for a little while.