BUONAROTTI. 



ro.3 



tutr, and of architecture, was born in 117k The 

 place of his nativity was Castel Capresc, in Tuscany; 

 a fortress of considerable importance in the common- 

 !:h of Fl'iYiue, of \\hkh his father was gover- 

 nor. He is said to have manifested, even in his child- 

 hood, a powerful propensity to the arts which af- 

 terwards immortalized his name; and when put to 

 school, under the tuition of Francisco d'Urbino, he 

 obstinately persevered in devoting so large a propor- 

 tion of his lime to drawing, that he made little pro- 

 ficiency in his other studies. It was with great re- 

 luctance th;it his father and his other relations con- 

 sented to his persevering inclinations ; and so far sa- 

 crificed their own views of family dignity, as to per- 

 mit him to enter upon the regular study of painting 

 as a profession. At the age of fourteen he became 

 the pupil of Domjnico Ghirlandaio, a painter of no 

 incoirJderable merit, when we take into account the 

 false taste which had so generally degraded the art at 

 the period when he began to exert his talents ; though, 

 at the same time, it must be admitted, that to the fu- 

 ture eminence of those illustrious men who issued 

 from his school, rather than to his own individual 

 success, he is indebted for the place which is assign- 

 ed to his name in the remembrance of posterity. 

 Michael Angelo alone secures it from the possibility 

 of oblivion. 



It has been mentioned, as an honourable testimony 

 of the high expectations which Michael Angelo had 

 already created, that, on entering the school of Ghir- 

 landaio, it was stipulated that his master should pay 

 him an annual salary, although custom had establish- 

 ed the contrary practice of paying to the master a 

 considerable premium. It is said, that the jealous 

 temper of Ghirlandaio operated as a frequent bar to 

 the advancement of his pupils ; and Condivi has as- 

 serted, what cannot be strictly true, that Michael 

 Angelo became so marked an object of his envy, 

 that he derived no benefit whatever from his instruc- 

 tions. To acquire the power of minute imitation, 

 was the great object of his first ambition ; and, not- 

 withstanding the deviations from individual nature, 

 which his powerful and poetical mind enabled him at 

 an after period to practise with unexampled boldness 

 and success, it is instructive to know, that, at his 

 outset, perhaps no man ever devoted himself with 

 more unwearied assiduity to the literal and accurate 

 representation of whatever he attempted to paint : 

 nor was it till he had secured actual and real nature 

 as his conductor, that he ventured forth into the pe- 

 rilous regions of ideal grandeur and sublimity. 



Among the circumstances which, at this remark- 

 able period, conspired to favour the progress of the 

 arts in Italy, while much must be ascribed to the 

 general diffusion of a strong and enlightened relish 

 for them in the public mind, they were peculiarly in- 

 debted to the liberal and munificent patronage of the 

 family of Medici. About this time the art of sculp- 

 ture was supposed to be less understood than that of 

 painting : and it was with a view to its encourage- 

 ment that Lorenzo de Medici formed an ample col- 

 lection of statues, busts, and basso-relievos ; and free 

 access was afforded to all who were desirous of form- 

 ing their taste, by studying and drawing from the 

 antique. Of this opportunity Michael Angelo did 

 not fzu'l to avail himself ; and though his first inteu- 



lion had only been to improve himself in the know- 

 ledge of drawing, he soon became enamoured of the 

 art of sculpture ; and the success which attcmlrd bis 

 first ifToru, effectually procured him the marked no- 

 tice and patronage of Lorenzo. This wa the com. 

 mencemcnt of an intimacy, which was nut lets ad- 

 vantageous than flattering t / c lo. As 

 v<t only about fifteen years of age, he was invited to 

 live in the house of Lorenzo. He was treated as a 

 friend, he enjoyed the conversation of men of rank 

 and genius, he was permitted f:ee access to the gems 

 and works of art, which were fitted to improve 

 his tacte, and was accommodated with whatever 

 could contribute to his comfort or to his progress. 



The death of Lorenzo, which uappened about two 

 years after, was an irreparable loss to the arti. Hi 

 successor Piero continued, indeed, to afford them 

 that kind and degr'e of patronage which consisted 

 with the worthlcssncss of his character and the de- 

 pravity of his taste. Michael Angelo, who enjoyed 

 a share of his notice and employment, still continued 

 to reside in the palace ; and hia protector was proud 

 to say, that he had two eminent men under hit roof, 

 a Spanish footman, remarkable for his speed in 

 running, and Michael Angelo. By order of Piero, 

 Michael Angelo executed several works of sculpture; 

 but the disturbances which arose in the state of Flo- 

 rence induced him soon after to retire to Bologna. 

 Here he was received with flattering marks of coo- 

 sideration, and executed two statues for the church 

 of St Dominico. 



After his return to Florence, he executed a varie- 

 ty of admirable sculptures, particularly the well- 

 known colossal statue of David, which was placed in 

 front of the Palazzo Vecchio. The statue of Moses, 

 executed at a subsequent period, is generally acknow- 

 ledged to possess, in a higher degree than any of his 

 other numerous sculptures, that character of ma- 

 jesty which more or less appears in the whole of 

 them. 



Whether Michael Angelo excelled most in paint- 

 ing, in sculpture, or in architecture, it would be no 

 easy task to determine. Of a genius," as is ob- 

 served by one of his most zealous admirers (M. Fu- 

 seli), " who succeeded beyond nvalship in whatever 

 he undertook, it is difficult to fix the principal 

 sphere; but it appears to be incontestable, that how- 

 ever great the loss, in such a case, might have been 

 to either art, painting would have suffered more if 

 deprived of his powers than even sculpture. In 

 sculpture we possess the reliques of the antique, 

 works that more than rival his. But what is there 

 in painting that could compensate for the loss of the 

 Sistine chapel ?" 



The pictures which occupy the ceilings of this 

 edifice were finished in the year l.-'ilj : and it stands 

 on undoubted evidence, however fabulous it may 

 seem, that the time spent in the execution of this 

 stupendous monument of human genius, did not ex- 

 ceed twenty months. The celebrated picture of the 

 Last Judgment, which fills the facade of the chpel, 

 above the altar, was a subsequent performance, exe- 

 cuted during the pontificate of Paul III. ; who, soon 

 after his accession, paid a visit to the artist in per- 

 son, attended by ten cardinals, o solicit him to un- 

 dertake the work. It was finished in loll; and, ac- 



