Michelangelo

The figure of Michelangelo Buonarroti, known as II Divino or "the Divine One" during his lifetime, looms large in the Renaissance. This painter, sculptor, architect, and widely admired poet from Tuscany produced some of the most ground-breaking works in the history of art. This accessible book presents many of the painter's most famous works in sumptuous full-color reproductions, including his world-renowned ceiling frescoes for the Sistine Chapel, his paintings commissioned by the sixteenth-century Florentine aristocracy, his work on the tomb of Pope Julius II, the numerous canvasses depicting scenes from the Bible, his famous Doni Tondo of the Holy Family at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, and his final masterpiece, The Last Judgment. An excellent and authoritatively written text detailing Michelangelo's early years as an apprentice in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio, his tumultuous relationship with Julius II, and his constant inner struggles to reconcile his faith with his artistic expression, make this book not only a significant addition to any art lover's library, but a chronicle of one of history's most brilliant individuals.

Curator and art historian Claudio Gamba is a specialist in 17th–19th century Italian sculpture. His publications include books from the series "I classici dell’arte" and "I grandi musei del mondo."