Michelangelo, Renaissance man, 450 years after his death

Thousands of tourists walk past Rome's Capitoline Hill each day. Its design comes from famed Renaissance artist Michelangelo. Within the historic square, the Capitoline Museum hosts an exhibit dedicated to him, to mark 450 years since his death.

CLAUDIO PARISI
Rome Superintendence of Cultural Heritage
"It wasn't possible to show Michelangelo's greatest works, like the Sistine Chapel, the Piety or the David. But, we sought to bring his works that had never been seen together. The exhibit shows Michelangelo through works that are not well known, but hold lots of significance.”

Among the highlights are the "Madonna of the Steps.” Michelangelo completed he relief sculpture at the age of 15.

CLAUDIO PARISI
Rome Superintendence of Cultural Heritage
"Within a very confined space, a thin slab of marble, it already expresses some of the fundamental characteristics of the great Florentine artist. Perspective, the great attention to the delineation of the bodies, and this capacity to create space within an extremely reduced marble structure.”

The exhibit also features the Christ the Redeemer statue from Bassano Romano. It was just recently attributed to Michelangelo.

CLAUDIO PARISI
Rome Superintendence of Cultural Heritage
"This sculpture, kept at the monastery at Bassano Romano, is almost certainly one of the works from his youth. But he abandoned it because of an imperfection in block of marble. We know how careful Michelangelo was in choosing the marble blocks he worked with.”

Michelangelo lived a long life, given the time period. In his 88-year lifespan, he worked for four Popes.

He excelled in sculpting and painting, as well as architecture. But this exhibit also showcases his talent for writing poetry, note-taking and sketching, all of which inspired and helped him become a universal artist.

~ Via Rome Reports.