Page10MyArtHistorySite

"The Holy Family" by Michelangelo

Michelangelo painted "The Holy Family" in 1504 A.D.; the medium is tempera on wood; the diameter is 120 cm; and the painting is still in its original frame ( Wirtz, 2000). This is the only extant easel painting by Michelangelo (Wirtz, 2000). This painting was named after its patron, Agnolo Doni, a.k.a. Tondo (Wirtz, 2000). Because Michelangelo was an expert sculptor, who perfected his style of representing the human body with shapeliness and correct contours according to natural muscularity form; his paintings also reflect the same style he used in his sculptures (Wirtz, 2000). This made his style of painting very unique. "The Holy Family" is a painting of the Virgin Mary, her husband Joseph, and the child Christ Jesus. In this painting, Mary and Joseph are clothed, but the child Jesus in not clothed. Mary's arms appear to be more rounded and muscular in this painting by Michelangelo, than in other paintings by different artists of the Italian Renaissance. This sculptural-type roundness and muscularity of forms is characteristic of Michelangelo's paintings. There are four nude men and a clothed man in the distant background. There is a clothed child, possibly John the Babtist, who is in the background (on the right), and he is holding a thin, wooden, cross over his shoulder. The cross in this painting, is a symbol of Christianity. The painting is in an outdoor scene; and the technique of perspective is used to give the painting a feeling of depth. The mountains in the background are small and pale blue to give this depth perception. Michelangelo uses chiaroscuro, a contrast of light and dark, which also promotes a 3-dimensional appearance to this painting. In addition, Michelangelo uses his style of having bright colors for the main figures; substantial and elegant drapery for their clothing; exaggerated poses; and realistic yet serene facial expressions (Wirtz, 2000). Michelangelo was a brilliant artist because his sculptures and paintings were not just an artistic rendering, but they conformed to the science of physiology and proportions and the way a body exactly looks considering one's muscles. In this sense, Michelangelo intertwined Science and Art and Religion.

About the artist, Michelangelo.

Michelangelo (1474 - 1564 A.D.) was a great sculptor, painter, and architect of the Italian Renaissance (Hughes, 1999). His real name was Michelangelo di Ludovico di Lionardo di Buonarroti Simoni; and he was born in Caprese, Tuscany, and died in Rome (Wirtz, 2000). Michelangelo first studied painting with Ghirlandaio in Florence, Italy (Wirtz, 2000). Then in 1490 A.D., Michelangelo studied sculpture with Bertoldo di Giovanni (Wirtz, 2000). Lorenzo de Medici was from a strong Italian ruling family and was a leading patron of the arts, and his influence encouraged Michelangelo to study antique sculpture and philosophy (Wirtz, 2000). In 1496-1501 A.D., Michelangelo spent time in Rome studying sculpture (Wirtz, 2000). When Michelangelo returned to Florence after this, he made his first paintings (Wirtz, 2000). From 1505 - 1520 A.D., and from 1534 A.D., he was imployed by the Vatican as an architect, sculptor, and painter (Wirtz, 2000).

During Michelangelo's lifetime, he created more paintings than sculptures (Hughes, 1999). Michelangelo was a devout Christian, but sometimes his imagery was criticized for being unholy and sacrilegious (Hughes, 1999). However, his artistisc legacy remains; and in 1564 A.D., a few months after he died, a new artists' academy praised his worth as an accomplished artist with a memorial service held in the Florentine church of San Lorenzo (Hughes, 1999). Three biographies of Michelangelo where published within his own lifetime; one was by Paolo Biovio, Bishop of Nocera; one was by Giorgio Vasari, a writer, painter, and architect; and one was by Ascanio Condivi, who was Michelangelo's assistant (Hughes, 1999). Vasari praised the art of Michelangelo, and Vasari said that Michelangelo was the regional genius on Tuscan art, sent down to earth by "the benevolent Ruler of Heaven" (Hughes, 1999). Vasari not only wrote about Michelangelo, but he also wrote about Leonardo Da Vinci, and Raphael, in his work entitled: "The Lives of the Most Excellent Italian Architects, Painters, and Sculptors from Cimabue up to Our Own Age" (Hughes, 1999).

References:

Aston, M. (2003). Panorama of the Renaissance. London: Thames & Hudson, Ltd.

Hughes, A. (1999). Michelangelo. London: Phaidon Press Limited.

Kleiner, F., Mamiya, C., & Tansey, R. (2001). Gardner's Art Through The Ages. Vol.II. N.Y.: Harcourt College Publishers.

Wirtz, Rolf C. (2000). Art and Architecture: Florence. Oldenburg: Konemann.

My Art History Site

Art History - The Renaissance

"The Holy Family" by Michelangelo

About the artist, Michelangelo.