Today is the 537th birthday of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, aka Michelangelo! Considered to be one of the greatest artists of all time, Michelangelo was a painter, sculptor, architect, engineer, and poet during the Renaissance. In recognition of his artistic success during his lifetime, there were two biographies about him published while he was alive (a first for an artist at the time.) Well known to most as the artist of the sculpture David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, he is the creator of some of the most famous artworks in existence.
“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” ~ Michelangelo
View a slideshow of some of his most famous works below (contains nudity.) Which one is your favorite? Why?
We wish Michelangelo a happy birthday today!
List of images:
Sistine Chapel Ceiling, 1502-12
Sistine Chapel, The Last Judgment, 1534-41
Pietà, 1498-1499
St. Peter’s Basilica Dome, 1547-90 (finished after Michelangelo’s death)
Holy Family, 1504-05
David, 1501-04
Study for Libyan Sibyl, 1510-11
Tomb of Pope Julius II, 1505-45