Young Michelangelo : Before the Sistine Chapel

Excellent three week online course from Paul Nutall looking in detail at the first thirty years of Michelangelo’s career.

As ever Paula was very clear with excellent illustrations and quotes. Of course she ran over time but she always does and that’s part of the fun of her courses.

Week one we looked at Michelangelo’s life until he left for Rome in 1496, a short period he spent in Bologna and the first few years after he arrived in Rome. We discussed how we know so much about him, what his influences were and where he might have trained, even if he claimed he hadn’t.

Week two concentrated on the early masterpieces in Rome the Bacchus and the Pieta shown here then the David made on his return to Florence and the Bruges Madonna. We also looked at other work done in this period between these iconic works such at the National Gallery’s two panel paintings.

Finally week three looked at his years back in Florence and in particular the battle of the battle scenes for the Palazzo Vecchio where Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were commissioned to paint frescos for the council chamber. Nether work was finished but we pieced together what is known about them from drawings.

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