Michelangelo: beyond era, beyond time

This March marks 550 years since the birth of Michelangelo, yet we continue to talk about him and travel to any corner of the world to witness his eternal masterpieces.

They say Michelangelo was headstrong, distant, and solitary. But can a man truly be alone when he has art? He believed that art is jealous and demands complete devotion, and he gave his entire life to it, sculpting and painting until the age of 88. He may not have been a favorite of society, but his talent and relentless work ethic were undeniable.

As an Italian visionary, Michelangelo had a gift for “capturing time” itself – not just the result, but the emotion, the process. That is why David stands tense just before the battle, and Moses appears as if he has just turned someone to speak. Michelangelo once said that he does not create figures but releases them from the marble, as though he were constantly searching for truth rather than mere form.

It’s almost unbelievable to think that Michelangelo was only 26 years old when he began sculpting David. The block of marble had been waiting for nearly 40 years, passed from hand to hand – first to Agostino di Duccio, then Antonio Rossellino, both of whom abandoned the project, deeming the marble too fragile, flawed with cracks, and unsuitable. Yet Michelangelo saw potential where others saw failure: in just two years, he transformed this discarded and forgotten stone into one of the greatest masterpieces in history. 

A few years later, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Though he never considered himself a painter, he could not refuse the Pope. He had no preliminary sketches, no structured plan – just an idea in his mind that came to life directly on the frescoed vault. For four years, Michelangelo endured immense physical strain. He stood on scaffolding, his head tilted back for hours, his neck and spine aching, with paint dripping onto his face and into his eyes. Every day was a test of endurance and resilience. Yet centuries later, visitors still look up in awe at the Sistine Chapel, mesmerized by the grandeur of his vision.

Photo: Pexels

Michelangelo changed the course of art, breathing motion, and emotion into his sculptures. His La Pietà captures tragedy and tenderness in equal measure, while the Madonna of Bruges presents a youthful, contemplative Blessed Virgin Mary, depicted not in rigid religious iconography but as a real woman, guiding her child as he takes his first steps. He redefined beauty, introducing muscular forms not just as physical strength but as symbols of spiritual power. Even the elderly figures in the Sistine Chapel and his marble Battle of the Centaurs possess athletic physiques, embodying divine energy and force.

Michelangelo broke the artistic conventions of his time, making his figures breathe, feel, and exist beyond time itself. This is why, 550 years later, we are still speaking about him. We are still standing in front of his works, speechless in admiration.

Happy Birthday, Michelangelo di Lodovico di Leonardo di Buonarroti Simoni!

Photo: The Metropolitan Museum of Art