Michelangelo
Michelangelo had his nose broken as a teenager by a fellow student called Pietro Torrigiano. They were both copying frescoes in the Brancacci Chapel when Torrigiano, tired of Michelangelo's taunting, punched him in the face. The nose stayed crooked for the rest of his life. Torrigiano was proud of it.
Biography
He was apprenticed to Domenico Ghirlandaio at thirteen, the standard arrangement for a Florentine boy showing artistic ability. Ghirlandaio ran the largest workshop in the city and was a master of fresco technique. Michelangelo left after one year, claiming there was nothing more to learn. He moved to the sculpture garden of Lorenzo de' Medici, where he studied ancient Roman fragments and attracted the patronage of the Medici family. He was sixteen.
The Pieta was finished when he was twenty-four. David when he was twenty-nine. Both before the age of thirty. He carved David from a block of marble that two previous sculptors had already attempted and abandoned: a narrow, shallow piece that dictated the figure's proportions and made the engineering problem as interesting as the artistic one.
Pope Julius II commissioned the Sistine Chapel ceiling in 1508. Michelangelo did not want the job. He considered himself a sculptor, not a painter, and suspected the commission was a political manoeuvre by rivals to set him up for public failure. He fired his assistants, built his own scaffolding, and painted the entire 65-foot ceiling himself over four years. The image of him lying on his back is a myth; he stood, bending backwards, paint dripping into his eyes.
He outlived both Leonardo and Raphael by more than forty years. His last significant work was the redesign of St Peter's Basilica in Rome. He took no fee.
Timeline
- 1475Born on 6 March in Caprese, Tuscany, to a family of minor Florentine nobles whose banking business had declined.
- 1488Apprenticed at 13 to Domenico Ghirlandaio in Florence. He left after roughly a year.
- 1499Completed the Pieta for St Peter's Basilica aged 24, carving two figures from a single block of marble. It was the only work he ever signed.
- 1504Unveiled the statue of David in Florence aged 29, carved from a block of stone two earlier sculptors had abandoned.
- 1512Completed the Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes aged 37, after four years of work. The ceiling includes more than 300 figures.
- 1547Appointed chief architect of St Peter's Basilica aged 72. He redesigned the dome and refused any payment, calling it a service to God.
- 1564Died on 18 February in Rome aged 88. His body was transported to Florence and interred at the Basilica of Santa Croce.
Notable Works
Tap to view larger.
Where to See Michelangelo
19 museums worldwide.
-
39 works
Vatican Museums
Vatican City, Vatican City
The Vatican Museums hold 39 Michelangelo works beyond the Sistine ceiling, including the marble Pietà (1498-1499) in St Peter's and sheets in the Gabinetto dei Disegni. Together they span his early Roman sculpture, papal commissions, and preparatory drawings for later fresco projects.
-
18 works
Sistine Chapel
Vatican City, Vatican City
The Sistine Chapel ceiling (1508-1512) remains the defining Michelangelo site. The nine central scenes include The Sacrifice of Noah (1508), The Deluge (1508), The Creation of the Sun, Moon and Planets (1511), The Creation of Eve (1511), and Separation of Light from Darkness (1512).
-
8 works
Medici Chapels
Florence, Italy
Michelangelo prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Michelangelo's body of work.
The Ancestors of Christ: Abiud, Eliakim - Michelangelo
From £28.00
Cumaean Sibyl - Michelangelo Buonarroti
From £28.00
The Ancestors of Christ: Josias - Michelangelo Buonarroti
From £28.00
The Ancestors of Christ: Abiud and Eliakim - Michelangelo Buonarroti
From £28.00
David and Goliath - Michelangelo Buonarroti
From £28.00
The Drunkenness of Noah - Michelangelo Buonarroti
From £28.00
Related Artists
Take Michelangelo home.
See all Michelangelo prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Did michelangelo paint the sistine chapel alone?
Although legend suggests that Michelangelo painted the Sistine Chapel almost single-handedly, he did have assistants. He knew that such a large-scale undertaking demanded a team of competent assistants, but he never relied on them as much as Ghirlandaio had in his studio.How did michelangelo die?
Michelangelo died in 1564 at the age of 89.Is michelangelo gay?
Even if the term had been available to him, it is unlikely that Michelangelo would have considered himself gay. Rather, he thought of himself as a sinner, prone to impure thoughts and illicit urges, some of which he no doubt acted upon.Was michelangelo catholic?
Pope Julius II, the head of the Catholic Church, commissioned Michelangelo to paint a ceiling in his palace in the Vatican City. The Pope convinced him, and today millions of visitors a year go to marvel at this work.Was michelangelo married?
Michelangelo was never married, though much of his correspondence discusses finding a suitable bride for his nephew Lionardo. He believed that land ownership and marriage were the twin pillars upon which the future of the family would rest.What is michelangelo famous for painting?
Michelangelo is famous for painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling over four years. The central theme is stories from the Book of Genesis, including Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden.Where can i see michelangelo's david?
Michelangelo's works can be seen at Vatican Museums, Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, Sistine Chapel, and 2 other museums worldwide.Why did michelangelo make david?
Michelangelo was commissioned to carve a figure that would rival the great colossi of the ancient world and assure his fame both in Florence and abroad. He wanted to contribute to the sculptural programme of the cathedral.Is michelangelo italian?
Michelangelo was born in Florence, Italy.When did michelangelo live?
Michelangelo was born in Florence, Italy.Where can i see michelangelo works?
Michelangelo's works can be seen at Vatican Museums, Museum of Fine Arts of Rennes, Sistine Chapel, and 2 other museums worldwide.Why did michelangelo make the pietà?
Michelangelo carved the Pietà after a French cardinal commissioned him to do so for his tomb chapel close to St Peter's. In the contract, Michelangelo promised to carve the most beautiful work of marble in Rome.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Michelangelo.
- [1] museum Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Casa Buonarroti Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Musea Brugge Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Städel Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Royal Academy of Arts Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Kupferstichkabinett Berlin Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] book Typesetter01, 3638_W_Kleiner.FM_V2.qxd Used for: biography.
- [8] book Charlotte Mullins, A Little History of Art Used for: stylistic analysis.
- [9] book Judith Anne Testa, An Art Lover's Guide to Florence Used for: biography.
- [10] book Susie Hodge, Art Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [11] book Seward, Desmond, Caravaggio: A Passionate Life Used for: biography.
- [12] book Gardner, Helen, 1878-1946, Gardner's art through the ages Used for: biography.
- [13] book Masterpieces of western art : a history of art in 900 individual studies from the Gothic to the present day Used for: biography.
- [14] book Miles J. Unger, Michelangelo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [15] book Carol Strickland and John Boswell, The Annotated Mona Lisa _ba crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern _cCarol Strickland and John Boswell Used for: biography.
- [16] book Carol Strickland and John Boswell, The Annotated Mona Lisa _ba crash course in art history from prehistoric to post-modern _cCarol Strickland and John Boswell_2 Used for: biography.
- [17] book James A. Connor, THE LAST JUDGMENT: MICHELANGELO AND THE DEATH OF THE RENAISSANCE Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-06-19. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
Editorial standardsMethodologyCorrectionsAI disclosureAbout the editorial teamCitation ledger