Michelangelo and His Reception

Catalog description

Within his lifetime Michelangelo Buonarrotti (1475–1564) found himself inexplicably hailed as "Divine". This seminar investigates the work of this Renaissance titan and the impact of his art production on Renaissance art theory and its aftermath. Topics include his early training, specific uses of media (drawing, painting, sculpture, architecture), major projects (the David, the Sistine Chapel frescoes, the architecture of St. Peter's) case studies of specific competitions and rivalries (Leonardo vs. Michelangelo and Michelangelo vs. Raphael), and themes such as artistic collaboration and the non-finito. The final classes will be devoted to art theory and reception, including Michelangelo’s own writings on art and the legacy of the artist's biography generated by Giorgio Vasari and Condivi, concluding with his 19th-century reception in France.