Michelangelo and Leonardo: Artists of the Renaissance - Essay Example

Michelangelo and Leonardo: Artists of the Renaissance The word ‘Renaissance’ literally means ‘rebirth’,but most people today associate the term with a specific time period in Western European culture. Many of these go even further to think specifically of Italy, or perhaps more specifically still, of Florence. This is because this cultural revival, which happened roughly between the years 1400 and 1600, had its start earlier than other countries in Western Europe within the major city-states of Italy. “The term ‘Renaissance’ might now be defined as a model of cultural history in which the culture of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Europe is represented as a repudiation of medieval values in favor of the revival of the culture of ancient Greece and Rome” (Campbell, 2004, v-vi). The period is characterized primarily by a renewed focus on the symbolism and skill represented in the artworks of the ancient world. To the people that faced these remnants every day, such as the people who lived in Rome and other parts of Italy, the remains of buildings and statuary from the ancient world represented a golden age of shared culture, reason and creativity throughout the region. This refocus on the classic styles, subjects and artistic knowledge are exemplified in the works of both Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci, both learning their art in the capital of this flowering rebirth, the city of Florence. Although each of these artists grew up within a similar general artistic environment, their personal backgrounds, education, talents and expression communicate much different approaches to their subjects. By studying the works they left behind, it can be seen that Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were similar and different in many ways. Michelangelo Buonarroti was actually born in the town of Caprese in 1475, but was moved to Florence soon after his birth when his father lost the governorship of Caprese one month after his birth. Because of his mother’s constitutional frailty, Michelangelo was given to a wet nurse who turned out to be the daughter and wife of stonecutters, giving the small Michelangelo his first introduction to the stone and tools that would one day make him famous, a beginning he would never forget. “If I have anything good in my talent, this has come to me from having been born in the purity of the air of your Arezzo countryside; and also from having received with the milk of my wet nurse, the chisel and hammer with which I make my figures,” Michelangelo told his friend and biographer (cited in Labella, 1990, p. 44). His mother died when Michelangelo was only six, and he remained distanced from the rest of his family throughout the remainder of his life as his brothers born both before and after him were raised separately. In addition, his father, doomed to live a life of mediocrity following his return to Florence, remained negatively inclined toward Michelangelo’s interest in art, considering it the work of common laborers. Michelangelo is described by others as being “touchy and quick to respond with fierce words, he tended to keep to himself, out of shyness according to some but also, according to others, a lack of trust in his fellows” (Bonner, 2001). Despite his father’s reluctance, Michelangelo was placed under the instruction of Domenico Ghirlandaio where he quickly outpaced his master and from there to the household of Lorenzo de’ Medici, the Magnificent, whom he had met through his accomplishments within a sculpting school sponsored by the Magnificent. It was this relationship that would govern a great deal of Michelangelo’s future career as an artist, sculptor and architect as he was forced in and out of Florence and pressed to work in one or another form of art. Throughout the Renaissance, artists such as Michelangelo were required to depend almost exclusively upon the financial support, as well as political position and aesthetic tastes, of their patrons and Michelangelo was no exception. His work represents a life full of opposites. With Lorenzo Medici, he was a favored son of Florence, encouraged to explore his many ideas and develop his studies into Humanism, anatomy and art, yet the death of Lorenzo would bring him much more limited options. Two of the pieces he created during this early period reflect another of his conflicts – the Madonna of the Stairs and The Battle of the Centaurs. “Already at 16, my mind was a battlefield: my love of pagan beauty, the male nude, at war with my religious faith. A polarity of themes and forms … one spiritual, the other earthly” (Michelangelo, cited in Bonner, 2001). This pattern is further emphasized in the slightly later works of Bacchus and the Pieta, yet in these works, he demonstrates his mastery of the conflict he felt between the past and the present in his sculpture by including both the classic construction in each while still incorporating the human reality of imperfection in the first and emotion in the second, traits that he would only continue to perfect in later art. Likewise, his switch from sculpture in the creation of David to painting in the work of the Sistine Chapel represents his slavery to the patrons who support him, as his conversion to painting at this time was demanded by Pope Julius II. However, thanks to a great working relationship between himself and the Pope, Michelangelo was granted the freedom to create what he envisioned, greatly surprising the artisans who had instigated the commission in malice, hoping to end Michelangelo’s rising fame (Bonner, 2001). With fame and admiring support from the Pope to many other leaders of Renaissance Italy, Michelangelo turned architect in his later years, smoothly incorporating his sculptural ideas of communicating through the stone with his natural ideas concerning his paintings to create unique works of art in things as utilitarian as a set of stairs for the Laurentian Library (Bonner, 2001). He died in 1564. Like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci was not born into the art explosion that was Florence at that time, but instead grew up in a small village just outside of Vinci where his explorations into the world of nature would be of major importance to his future work as an artist, inventor and engineer. Born in 1452, Leonardo was the son of a wealthy upper middle-class notary, Piero da Vinci, and an unknown woman named Caterina, with whom he lived until he was approximately four or five years old, losing his connection to his mother as he came under his father’s roof and the care of a step-mother (Kausal, 1997). Despite the fact that his father never legitimized him, Leonardo grew up in a happy, loving home and was provided an education in writing, Latin and geometry. It wasn’t until he was approximately 14 years old that he arrived in Florence, as an apprentice in the workshop of Verrocchio. Verrocchio was one of the most well-known artists at that time in Florence, and was known as a sculptor, painter, goldsmith and bronze caster, among other things. Working with other famous artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Pietro Vanucci Perugino and Lorenzo di Credi, as well as obtaining the much-needed education in how to mix paints and the flexibility to learn the new Dutch technique of using oils, Leonardo chose not to leave his master’s workshop at the end of his apprenticeship in 1472. Through this, Leonardo’s use of color became so well-developed, that in a painting created by Leonardo and Verrocchio, “Leonardo painted an angel who was holding some garments; and despite his youth, he executed it in such a manner that his angel was far better than the figures painted by Verrocchio. This was the reason why Andrea would never touch colors again, he was so ashamed that a boy understood their use better than he did” (Kausal, 1997). Leonardo eventually found fame in Milan, both for his artistic talents as well as for his mathematical understanding, inventiveness in creating new mechanical devices and brilliance at entertainments. Many of the artistic contracts Leonardo was awarded were never finished, instead existing only as mere notes, a sketch or a model here and there because of his pursuit of his many other interests. Leonardo had as many engineering and mechanical successes as he did artistic ones. Leaving Milan in times of political turmoil, Leonardo traveled for several years before finally returning to Florence, where he created the Mona Lisa, before moving finally to France in 1517 where he died in 1519. Leonardo da Vinci’s unique way of looking at the world as well as his deeply inquisitive mind that kept him asking questions about every conceivable thing around him also led him to the early development of a unique style that would have tremendous impact upon the artistic world. The earliest known work created by Leonardo was a pen and ink drawing of an Arno River valley. “This drawing dated 5th of August 1473 reflects the ingenious mind of Leonardo. The Arno valley is drawn with aerial perspective by allowing the color of the paper to dominate and less details as the depth increases. This effect will be called later ‘the perspective of disappearance’.” (Kausal, 1997). In “Baptism of Christ,” in which Leonardo was assigned to paint the angel sketched by Verrocchio, modern science has revealed a vast difference between the sketched angel and the painted one. “Leonardo was freeing himself of his master’s coaching to follow his own path. … Leonardo’s [angel] paying close attention to the action, the figure looking quite natural and part of the activities and scene. In contrast, Verrocchio’s angel stares off into space with no interest in what is going on” (Kausal, 1997). His extensive research in developing one of his masterpieces, “The Last Supper” in the convent of Santa Maria della Grazie is evident in his sketches, notes and reports of his search for real life models to use in the composition. Although those who saw the fresco new remarked on its realism, today’s scholars note that the “general symmetry governs the variety of gestures and postures; the groups of characters are balanced in a concert of rhythms, proportions and linear perspective arrangements that help bring to life the sublime and terrible moment … with an unprecedented spiritual intensity” (Labella, 1990, p. 126). He introduced the use of chiaroscuro, or the use of highlights and shadows to create dimension, in the “Virgin and the Child with Saint Anne” as well as mastered the art of sfumato, or blending without lines or borders, with his masterpiece the “Mona Lisa” (Kausal, 1997). Reading through the biographies of these two very influential artists, there are several parallels that can be traced throughout their lives that are much more profound than the simple fact that they each traced their artistic beginnings to Florence in an overlapping time period. Both Leonardo and Michelangelo lost their mothers at a very young age, which would eventually shine through in their wistful, emotion-filled depictions of the Madonna watching over her child. Both began their careers in Florence at approximately the same age after having had an upper middle class, somewhat privileged childhood. Both demonstrated how they had mastered their masters before their apprenticeship ended in Leonardo’s use of color and naturalism outstripping that of Verrocchio and Michelangelo’s correction of some of the sketches of Domenico Ghirlandaio for the frescos in the chapel in Santa Maria Novella, and both achieved recognition within their lifetimes for their amazing abilities and accomplishments. However, both artists were also constrained by their patrons, forced to abandon their homes due to political unrest and struggled to find balance within their lives. For Leonardo, this struggle was the inability to gain recognition for his art in his home town of Florence, instead being sent as a musician to the Milan court by Lorenzo the Magnificent himself. It continued with his insatiable desire to be constantly learning and his tendency to overtax himself in investigating these ideas. For Michelangelo, the challenges were also in facing opposing perspectives, but these were more internalized than those of Leonardo, often writing of his feelings of entrapment or inability to call himself his own (Labella, 1990, p. 10). In addition, each man was multi-talented in a variety of media and subject matter. Leonardo worked as a painter, sculptor, musician, entertainer, engineer and inventor, achieving recognition in most of these fields. Michelangelo was also a painter and sculptor, as well as an architect in his later years, also gaining recognition within each field. While Leonardo made significant contributions to the world of paint in his amazing attention to color, chiaroscuro, sfumato and the mysteries he left lingering in his haunting images, Michelangelo made equally significant contributions in his use of fully rounded forms in his paintings, influencing contemporary artists such as Raphael. Though sketches of Leonardo’s equestrian monument indicate the sculpture might have been one of his greatest works, his talent as a sculptor as compared to that of Michelangelo will never be known as the statue was destroyed during France’s invasion of Milan. However, Michelangelo’s works display an exquisite combination of classical ideals of perfection and proportion with the contemporary ideals of naturalism and realism, capturing the touching emotions and elements of imperfection in his sculptural subjects. This seemingly unbalanced comparison is equaled out when one takes into consideration the tremendous contributions Leonardo made in the areas of science, engineering and mechanics even while he was developing his artistic abilities. Finally, both artists were “arrogant in the self-assurance of their talent, humble in the knowledge that beyond any finishing line there was another, and yet another, to be crossed. The threads of their lives were spun from different origins, yet were interwoven, and often entangled, in that unique loom of the Renaissance tapestry that was Florence” (Labella, 1990, p. 10). Yet for every way in which Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti are similar, there is a corresponding difference that leads to an impression of looking at two sides of a coin, completely opposed while still artistic genius. Personally, they couldn’t have been more different. Although both had lost mothers at a young age, Leonardo was raised in a loving, supportive home where his step-mother treasured him and his father approved of him. Michelangelo never grew close to the remainder of his family following his mother’s death, being raised in a different household from those of his brothers, and having received only grudging support from his father who viewed artistic pursuits as being of equal rank with that of the laborers. Leonardo is described as a beautiful, lovable child who grew into a man who “distinguished himself for his qualities of great gentlemanliness, and his refined and generous manners, accompanied by a most handsome appearance … he became cherished to a very high degree, by all those who happened to know him” (Paolo Giovio cited in Labella, 1990, p. 126). While Michelangelo was known for “his brusque and rude manners, his difficult character, his touchiness and intransigence and the difficulties that he often had in his relations with others. He had no pupils, nor constant collaborators, and always used boys from the workshop as his assistants” (Bonner, 2001). An actual meeting between the two artists was recorded in which they were both at a place where Dante was being discussed. Leonardo asked Michelangelo to answer some questions some younger men were asking, yet Michelangelo replied in a way that both challenged Leonardo to do it himself and humiliated the older artist in the presence of his friends (Labella, 1990, p. 177). Artistically, while Leonardo’s masterworks were focused primarily on the use of color to define form and dimension in his paintings, Michelangelo was concentrating on the depiction of natural human conditions within his monuments in stone. Leonardo disparaged the sculptor as being less an artist than a mechanic in that the sculptor merely knocked excess stone away through the use of sheer physical strength while the painter is able to work in a clean, refined environment while he neatly and scientifically applies fine colors to a canvas to depict an image (Labella, 1990, p. 164). A majority of Leonardo’s works were focused on the human level, depicting human events, human faces and human ordeals. Many of Michelangelo’s works, on the other hand, partly because of the patrons who commissioned them, remain focused on the Biblical world, featuring natural human conditions within the figures of his saints, heroes and saviors. In works commissioned at the same time by both Leonardo and Michelangelo in Florence for the Hall of the Major Council, each artist was asked to present an heroic episode from Florentine history. While Leonardo depicted a fierce battle with all the tension and ugliness of war in depicting a conflict that actually held no bloodshed and was a minor clash of arms at best, Michelangelo depicted the moments before the Florentine army engaged in battle, having been surprised out of their baths by the announcement of the oncoming army. Both pieces of art were lost due to the artists being called away from Florence prior to completing the frescoes themselves. Through similar personal tragedy and upbringing, equal genius in their field, uncommon ability in translating their visions to images and sculptures and identical cultural background in terms of living in Florence at the height of the Renaissance, it can be seen and traced how Michelangelo Buonarroti and Leonardo da Vinci were very similar in several profound ways that gained expression in their art. This expressive quality, genuine skill and consummate confidence in their abilities led to the development of some of the greatest art ever produced in the western culture. However, the two artists had many differences in both personality and artistic approach, which had further significant impacts on how their work was completed, performed, preserved and understood. In addition, the vast differences in their patrons, Michelangelo primarily through Lorenzo the Magnificent and Pope Julius II and Leonardo through his connections in Milan and with the Borgia family, led to differences in the types and subjects of works they created within their lifetimes. When given the freedom of choice, the two men displayed the vast differences in their approaches to art with Leonardo choosing to exaggerate the flashy, fiery nature of war while Michelangelo chose instead to focus on the perfection of form and function displayed in young male bodies conditioned for war just prior to the destruction of the same as the enemy army suddenly approaches. Both containing artistic genius, both revolutionizing the art world and making tremendous impacts on artists to follow for centuries, it can be seen how there are many similarities as well as many differences between Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo Buonarroti. Works Cited Bonner, Neil R. (Ed.). Michelangelo Buonarroti [Website]. December 14, 2001. Michelangelo.com, Inc. April 8, 2006 < http://www.michelangelo.com/buon/bio-index2.html> Campbell, Gordon. Renaissance Art and Architecture. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Kausal, Martin. Leonardo da Vinci [Website]. 2006. Kausal.com. April 8, 2006 < http://www.kausal.com/leonardo/index.html> Labella, Vincenzo. A Season of Giants: 1492-1508. Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1990. Outline I. Introduction – 1 page a. General background on the Renaissance b. Introduction to Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo as prominent figures c. Thesis statement - Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo were similar and different in many ways. II. Michelangelo – 2 pages a. Personal life b. Art III. Leonardo – 2 pages a. Personal life b. Art IV. Similarities – 2 pages a. Personal lives b. Art V. Differences – 2 pages a. Personal lives b. Art VI. Conclusion – 1 page Read More