Born: 6 March 1475
Died: 18 February 1564
Nationality: Italian
Michelangelo, one of the most famous artists of the Italian Renaissance, was born in Caprese, Italy. As a young boy in Florence, Michelangelo was not interested in school but preferred watching the painters at nearby churches (Vasari, Condivi and Varchi). With a recommendation from Ghirlandaio, he moved into the palace of Lorenzo the Magnificent, from the powerful Medici family, to study classical sculpture.
The time he spent with the Medici family, from 1489 to 1492, helped him become part of the social elite of Florence. He studied with the sculptor Bertoldo di Giovanni. He had a remarkable career as an artist in the Italian Renaissance. His works include the “David” and “Pieta” statues, as well as the paintings on the ceiling of Rome's Sistine Chapel, including the “Last Judgment” above the chapel’s altar. After falling ill, Michelangelo died at his home in Rome. A nephew of his took his body to Florence, where he was named by the people the "Father and Master of all Arts".
Even nowadays he is considered to be a Great Utopian because his work is still exhibited, studied and appreciated by many people across the world, who still consider him “the Father of the Arts”.