Michelangelo's Persuasive Change In Renaissance Art

At the beginning of the 15th century, art underwent an important change which opened up new ideas and perceptions of humanity. In most fields of study there was a larger focus on humanism than religious doctrines and the praising of God. As a result, artists become more prone to experimenting with the human form, understanding movement and endeavoring to create a more convincing painting or sculpture. The artwork that we see during the Renaissance period is extremely realistic as artists have humanized the divine in paintings and have added proportions, depths and perspective. “The decisive change in Renaissance painting came with the shift in conception of the painting’s relation to the experienced world”. (John W. Dixon, 1987)
Michelangelo
He took a liking in Michelangelo, and Lorenzo invited him to live in the Medici household and educate him with his sons (Gamba, 2005). From then on, Michelangelo built his fame on his talent and remarkable skill yet his personality was sometimes difficult to endure. Unlike most artists, Michelangelo’s skill may not have blossomed from teachers and it isn’t clear who taught him. Bertoldo di Giovanni and Domenico Ghirlandaio may have educated him, yet he insists that he was self-taught (Hall, 2005). His education, nevertheless, only lasted a short amount of time as he began receiving commissions before he reached the age of twenty. Michelangelo notably worked for nine of the thirteen popes whom had served during his life as well as monarchs; unlike many, he was able to stand up to these important figures and sometimes even impose his own inspirations in their commissions (Gamba, 2005). Michelangelo did not hesitate to “criticize the acts of individual popes and monarchs” and his comments were to be
Michelangelo began dissecting corpses at a very young age, eager to learn more about the anatomy of the human body and transferring his knowledge to his work. An example of this precise rendering is his ignudi’s from the ceiling the Sistine Chapel; “they are the consummate beauty of the human, in their youth and their magnificent strength and energy.” (John W. Dixon, 1987). The male nude figures carry out movements that emphasize the muscles in their form yet these are painted in highly complex positions that would be difficult to imitate in reality. Similarly, The Battle of Cascina commissioned by Piero Soderini was completely taken over by Michelangelo’s obsession for the human body as this cartoon features solely men intertwined and in movement (Gamba, 2005). The cartoon was a sketch for a final project that he never been completed yet the drawing still beautifully renders and captures the anatomy of man. Furthermore, each figure is depicting a different pose which allows our eyes to move around the work. “He takes care to harmonize their movements, creating a composition that is active and unified.” (Margaret, 2012). The accumulation of these nude figures in artificial poses became what was called mannerism. It is often thought that this artistic style emphasized much more on the figural composition which outweighed the meaning of the subject matter. Dusk and Dawn, commissioned