Global History Chapter 17 The Renaissance

Michelangelo Following the new emphasis on realism, artists strove to portray individuals each with their own unique distinctions. One such artist was Michelangelo Buonarroti, a sculptor, architect and painter. He used a realistic style to depict the human body.

Michelangelo La Pieta (1499) is a masterpiece of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The statue was made for a cardinal's funeral monument, but was moved to its current location, the first chapel on the right as one enters the basilica, in the 18th century. This famous work of art depicts the body of Jesus on the lap of his mother Mary after the Crucifixion. Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà is unique to the precedents. It is an important work as it balances the Renaissance ideals of classical beauty with naturalism. The statue is one of the most highly finished works by Michelangelo.

Michelangelo The Sistine Chapel ceiling, painted by Michelangelo between 1508 and 1512, is one of the most renowned artworks of the Renaissance. The ceiling is that of the large Sistine Chapel built within the Vatican by Pope Sixtus IV, begun in 1477 and finished by The chapel is the Papal Chapel within the Vatican, and is the location for Papal Conclaves and many important services.

Raphael Raphael Sanzio was younger than Michelangelo or Leonardo and he learned by studying their works. He became famous for his use of perspective. His most famous work, School of Athens, was painted between 1509 and 1511 for the walls of Pope Julius II’s library. It conveys the classical influence on the Renaissance. In it, Raphael painted famous Renaissance figures such as Leonardo, Michelangelo and himself with classical figures such as Socrates, Plato and Aristotle.