Sculpture “Pietà” (1489-99) by Michelangelo Buonarroti, reduced to artificial marble

Michelangelo depicted pain and despair, but also hope, in his prehistory of humanity: the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. When he created these vault frescoes between 1508 and 1512, the leading figure of the High Renaissance and pioneer of Mannerism already played a central role in the artistic and intellectual life of Italy as both a sculptor and painter. Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in 1475 in Caprese, Tuscany. He trained as a painter under Domenico Ghirlandaio and as a sculptor possibly under Bertoldo di Giovannis, with the study of antiquity being a major influence. From 1496 to 1501, Michelangelo worked in Rome, where he created, among other works, the Pietà for St. Peter's Basilica. Until 1504, he worked in Florence on the monumental statue of David, which still reflects his close connection to antiquity. The sculptures that followed, characterized by their dynamic movement, mark the transition to Mannerism.