Michelangelo’s Bacchus
Michelangelo’s Bacchus was executed early in the artist celebrated career (1496-1497). The Bacchus is a captivating and complex portrayal of the god of wine, fertility, and revelry. As one of the artist’s few large-scale works dedicated to a purely pagan subject, the work offers a crucial look at his emerging mastery of form and anatomy […]
Michelangelo’s Isaiah
Michelangelo’s Isaiah is one of the iconic prophets from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Known during his lifetime as the Divine One, Michelangelo Buonarroti, was a High Renaissance Italian artist whose career spanned 70 years, The history of the Sistine Chapel is a long and complicated one that has resulted in a depository for […]
Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling: Uncovering Its Message
Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling astounds with its beauty and complex theological messaging. In this post we will be exploring the meanings behind the various elements of the ceiling and how they all come together to support a common theme of reconciliation. I’ve already written about the drama and challenges Michelangelo faced when he was forced […]
Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling, The Backstory
Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling is considered one of the greatest art cycles to ever be created. Ironically, the backstory to the Sistine ceiling reveals that the commission was meant to tarnish, if not ruin, Michelangelo’s reputation. His rivals did not foresee that Michelangelo’s genius and pride would push him to create a work that gained him […]
Teaching Botticelli’s Venus and Mars
Teaching Botticelli’s Venus and Mars, a lighthearted painting perfect Valentine’s Day study. It’s a fun way to incorporate art history into your February homeschool plan? This painting has fun details that are sure to delight a curious child, and in this post I’m going to give a quick lesson plan including a hands on exercise. […]
Michelangelo’s The Holy Family
Michelangelo’s The Holy Family portrays an intimate moment on a round panel, or tondo, encased in an elaborate, original frame. The work, often referred to as the Doni Tondo, was completed just before Michelangelo began the Sistine Chapel ceiling and gives hints of his movement toward Mannerism. The painting shows a progression of time—from […]