Michelangelo Buonarroti 1475-1564  Born on March 6, 1475 in Caprese, Italy  Michelangelo was a famous Sculptor, painter, poet, architect and engineer.  His favorite was Sculpture. His favorite stone was Carrera marble. This was a hard stone, that when polished became smooth and shiny. (Fun Fact: It was said that he was so strong that he could split a block of marble with a single strike of his mallet)  As a young boy he moved to Florence to study, but he preferred to draw, so at 13 he became an apprentice for a well-known artist Domenico Ghirlandai. Who taught him mural art.  Have you ever dreamed of living in a palace or castle? Well Michelangelo did, at 14 he was invited to live with a very wealthy family the De’ Medici’s. Where he studied to be a sculptor.  He learned a lot at this time, and began to be very talented.  He became famous at the age of 24 for His sculpture “La Pieta” (pee ey TAH) this was a sculpture of Madonna and her son Jesus. People could not believe that someone so young could make something so beautiful.  Years later, Michelangelo chipped away at another huge block of marble which Leonardo Da Vinci had refused to work with because it had so many cracks. Michelangelo accepted the challenge, and in three years, he had completed one of the most famous sculptures in the world today.  “David”.  Fun Fact: He was known for being very grouchy, so he did not have many friends, and fought with just about everybody. Including his arch-rival Leonardo DaVinci (duh VIN chee) It is rumored that he got so mad that he threw paint at the pope, the most important person in the Catholic Church.  David is the hero from the bible who bravely fought the giant Goliath. No one believed that David could beat the giant. However David triumphed over Goliath. Therefore the people of Florence believed that Michelangelo’s David was a symbol of strength, and courage. The people chose to put David in the center of town, to warn their enemies, that Florence, though a small city, was very strong. Just like David.  Michelangelo created a lot of detail in his sculptors. He studied anatomy, for years, and not only understood how muscles and bones together, but also the right proportions. Of the human body. His sculptors looked very realistic, and this is why David is shown without clothes.  Michelangelo was also a famous painter, The Sistine (SIS teen) chapel ceiling. He painted this fresco dome 1508 to 1512. It is located in the Vatican City in Rome Italy.  The Sistine Chapel is 6 classrooms long and 2 classrooms wide, and it reaches 3 classrooms in height.  He painted the ceiling with stories from the bible, and the figures he painted were very large as to be seen from the bottom. Most of his figures were about 10 feet tall. Pope Julius hired Michelangelo for the project 500 years ago. Back then most people didn’t read or write, so their only way to learn history was through stories that were told or by looking at art.  Fun fact: Michelangelo didn’t want this job, he much rather sculpt then paint, and this is why his painting resemble sculptures. He complained a lot, and was very grouchy in the process, and very upset at Pope Julius for making him do it. This is probably when Michelangelo decided to through paint at the pope.  There are over 300 people in the painting  Even though the chapel ceiling is curved, He was able to make each figure look as if it was done on a flat surface.  Michelangelo faced many challenges; one was the height of the ceiling. So he designed and built scaffolding that was attached to the walls. He’d climb up the latter and lay on his back just under the ceiling.  He would paint this whole thing with a candle strapped to his head, while lying on his back.  He used very bright paint as to be seen from below. This paint was called fresco paint. Fresco meaning fresh in Italian. This style of painting uses bright paint thickened with eggs, and the painted on wet plaster.  Therefore he had to paint each section at a time as the paint would dry quickly.  It took him 4 years to complete the task.  He never married or had children  He worked until his death at 88 years old.

The Project  Materials  White drawing paper 12x18  Tempera paint, and brushes  Masking tape  Smock  Water containers  News paper

 Note: Minor preparation required. Preferably when students are not present, tape papers on the bottom of the desks, and prepare water containers and tempura.  Have each child put on their smock. (we will remind teachers that the children need to bring in an old t- shirt for this project)  Now have the kids lie down on the newspaper, under their desk. Have them imagine that they are Michelangelo 500 years ago. (Maybe dim the lights for a moment to give them a sense of what his lighting conditions were like.) Tell them how difficult it most of been to paint lying down in this dim light Imagine the paint dripping on your head, its hot your tired, but you keep on working.  Now ask them to think of what they’d like to paint?  Maybe a scene from a story or their favorite place. Or a picture of someone or themselves. Have paints in reaching distance, and don’t be surprised that it will get messy. Glossary

 Renaissance- a period in European history between the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world. It was cultural rebirth, a revival of classical art, architecture, literature. It originated in Italy and later spread throughout Europe.  Sculptor – An artist who shapes material, such as wood, marble, clay Etc.  Mallet – A tool similar to a hammer, with a large head which is used by sculptors to hit a chisel in order to form a material.  Apprentice – A young individual to work under the tutelage of a master craftsman.  Domenico Ghirlandai (1449-1494) Italian renaissance painter who was famous for his fresco painting.  Mural – A large picture painted on the wall.  Leonardo DaVinci – (1452 – 1519) Italian renaissance painter. Famous for the Mona Lisa. He was always in competition with Michelangelo.  Proportion – The relationship and harmony between the parts of a whole.