Da Vinci Vs. Michelangelo Case

Da Vinci vs. Michelangelo

During the Renaissance period, the art field grew extremely. As follows I will be writing about how the works of Leonardo Da Vinci and Michelangelo influenced the art of the 16th century in Italy and Europe in many ways. I'll be writing about three of Michelangelo's work as well as Leonardo Da Vinci. The Last Judgment, Pieta and David were one of Michelangelo's works during this period, as well as The Last Supper, Mona Lisa and a Self -Portrait of Leonardo Da Vinci. Even though they had similarities in their work, their differences and uniqueness is what made their works great masterpieces of the 15th and 16th century.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) was certainly one of the greatest artists that have ever lived. Besides his characteristic genius, which alone would have paved the road to his greatness, two events helped him rise even higher: he was born during the most abundant period in Western art in the most artistically developed country of the time: Renaissance Italy. Not only was Michelangelo a sculpture but he was also a fresco painter, architect and a poet. He's career began in a city called Florence, under Lorenzo the Magnificent and moved to and from Rome, soon to reach its top under a series of great popes: Julius II and Leon X, the latter a Medici and a Florentine. According to the Life and Times of Michelangelo "he was a man of very strong character, who preferred to work alone rather than suffer incompetent assistants. He often lost his temper and would find himself in difficulties because of it. Many a commission he abandoned for this reason, but fortunately for art he met a patron whose character was just as strong as his: Julius II, who bent Michelangelo to his will, forcing him to paint, much to Michelangelo's chagrin, the walls and ceiling of the Sistine Chapel." One of his famous works that I'll be writing about is The Last Judgments, Pieta and David.

The decoration of the ceiling and the Last Judgment are the work of Michelangelo, the first was executed in his mid-thirties, and the second was in his early sixties. Among both lie no other paintings, for though these two monumental schemes are the greatest paintings the world has ever known - or will know. In this painting Michelangelo thought of himself primarily as a sculptor, and a feeling for the expressive potentialities of sculptural form manifests itself in all his work. The Last Judgment painting has several very unique features that have been the subject of different interpretations. It has lack of any framework or clear articulation of space, its size is immense the many figures mostly appear as free floating, rotating against the dark blue background.(Gillgren, P. 2008- 2011) According to Vatican Museum, "omitted are the two upper lunettes with groups of angels bearing in flight the symbols of the Passion Next to Christ is the Virgin, who turns her head in a gesture of resignation: in fact she can no longer intervene in the decision, but only await the result of the Judgement. Catherine of Alexandria with the cogwheel and St. Sebastian kneeling holding the arrows. In the center of the lower section are the angels of the Apocalypse who are wakening the dead to the sound of long trumpets. Some characters can be easily recognized, such as St. Peter with the two keys, St. Laurence with the gridiron, St. Bartholomew with his own skin which is usually recognized as being a self-portrait of Michelangelo, St. On the left of the painting the risen recover their bodies as they ascend towards heaven (Resurrection of the flesh), on the right angels and devils fight over making the damned fall down to hell. Finally, at the bottom Charon with his oars, together with his devils, makes the damned get out of his boat to lead them before the infernal judge Minos, whose body is wrapped in the coils of the serpent". (Vatican Museum)

Pieta is probably one of the world's most famous sculptures of a religious subject. It was carved by Michelangelo when he was 24 years old, and it is the only one he ever signed. It was said to be done between 1498 and 1500, it's 5 feet 9 inches tall and it's locates in the St. Peter Basilica in the Vatican. Because of its beauty of its lines and expression, it has left lasting impressions on everyone. Michelangelo has given us a highly spiritual and Christian view of human suffering with this magnificent sculpture. In this beautiful statue Mary holds Jesus lifeless body on her lap, her face emanated sweetness, serenity and a majestic acceptance of her immense sorrow. According to St Peters Basilica.org in this sculpture it seems almost as if Jesus is about to reawaken from a tranquil sleep and that after so much suffering and thorns, the rose of resurrection is about to bloom. As we contemplate the Pieta which conveys peace and tranquility, we can feel that the great sufferings of life and its pain can be mitigated.

According to Gabriella, "David is a sculpture done out of marble, it has a height of 17 feet. It was done between 1501-1504. In August 1501 shortly after the proclamation of the new republic, the cathedral worked department of Florence entrusted Michelangelo with a huge block of marble, nicknamed "the giant", from which he was to create a statue of David, a heroic character from the Old Testament of the Bible. "The block of marble was not compact, it was riddled with veins and above all it was tall and narrow, more suitable for slender gothic statues than for the muscular, active representations of Renaissance heroes".(Ciucetti, L. 1998) Michelangelo finished the sculpture in 1504. It was placed in the city's main square the Piazza della Sigoria in front of the Palazzo Vecchio the city's town hall. It remained there for over 350 years. In 1873 it was moved using complex machinery, to the Galleria dell' Academia a museum in Florence. A replica of the statue now stands in the square".(Di Cagno, G 2008)

Leonardo Da Vinci was born on April 15, 1452 in a small Tucson town of Anchiano, near Florence. His parents were Ser Piero, a notary, and Caterina, a peasant woman. Ser Piero and Caterina were unmarried; he was then raised by his father. Leonardo da Vinci was a painter, sculptor, architect and an engineer; Leonardo Da Vinci's had very numerous skills that earned him the title of the renaissance master. However Leonardo's colleagues were known to create static figures in their works, Leonardo always tried to incorporate expression and movement into his own paintings Leonardo's fascination with science and his in-depth study of human anatomy aided him in mastering the realist art form. All the personages in his works were painted with great precision and that sometimes it was said that Da Vinci painted from the bones outward. Leonardo's genius

...