Michelangelo's Influence On The Renaissance

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The name “Michelangelo” bears a lot of weight, and individuals are immediately able to recognize the man as one of the greatest artists, not just during the Italian Renaissance, but of all time. Michaelangelo is most well-known as a painter and sculptor, but has completed several works as an architect, engineer, and poet. His artwork set the bar for other artists during the Renaissance and his popularity is largely due to the fact that his style was much more advanced than that of his time period and is still unsurpassed in the modern 21st Century. As an artistic leader, Michelangelo greatly impacted the Renaissance by displaying his acclaimed expertise of incredible detail, mannerism, and minimalism through the fields of sculpture, painting, …show more content…
The 17-foot tall sculpture depicts a young man about to enter battle with the giant Goliath and is currently found at the Accademia Gallery in Florence. David’s popularity exploded during the Renaissance as it represented characteristics such as humanism, courage, and liberty that were of importance and idolized during the era. At the time, Florence was going through tough times with Girolamo Savonarola (leader of Florence) being burned at the stake for defying a pope and Florence facing several threats from Rome and other countries. The people needed some form of defiance and identity and David was able to provide just that. The sculpture encaptured the city’s call for resistance and was put up for display in front of its town hall. Since then, the sculpture became one of the greatest humanist statements of the Renaissance and Michelangelo continued to support the movement through his …show more content…
Though the majority of his work involved creating paintings and sculptures, he was still able to leave a legacy behind in architecture. The majority of Michelangelo’s work was commissioned by various Popes (Michelangelo Biography). Some of these famous works include the Laurentian Library in which Michelangelo was the mastermind behind the staircase resembling lava because it trails outside the library (Gilbert). Another renowned building created by Michelangelo is St. Peter’s Basilica, whose dome is very noticeable (Michelangelo Biography). The significance behind Michelangelo’s architectural works is that his name would become affiliated with church and religion due to the very esteemed projects he was to complete. During the Renaissance, religion was a vital part of almost everyone’s life, and Michelangelo played a role in creating works that were assigned by the Pope, giving him credibility and trust from the people. The beauty of his work was that it was very simplistic, yet still conveyed a message or represented something through the minimalism, which is why his work is very