Michelangelo's artwork consisted of paintings and sculptures that showed humanity in it's natural state. Michelangelo Buonarroti was called to Rome in 1505 by Pope Julius II to create for him a monumental tomb. We have no clear sense of what the tomb was to look like, since over the years it went through at least five conceptual revisions. The tomb was to have three levels; the bottom level was to have sculpted figures representing Victory and bond slaves. The second level was to have statues of Moses and Saint Paul

Michelangelo portrayed both optimism and pessimism. Sculptures was where he wanted his heart dedicated. Michelangelo gave up painting apprenticeship to take up a new career in sculpture. Michelangelo then went to Rome, where he was able to examine many newly unearthed classical statues and ruins. He soon produced his first large-scale sculpture, the over-life-size Bacchus (1496-98, Bargello, Florence). One of the few works of pagan rather than Christian subject matter made by the master, it rivaled ancient statuary, the highest mark of admiration in Renaissance Rome. At about the same time, Michelangelo also did the marble Pieta (1498-1500), still in its original place in Saint Peter's Basilica. One of the most famous works of art, the Pieta was probably finished before Michelangelo was 25 years old, and it is the only work he ever signed. The youthful Mary is shown seated majestically, holding the dead Christ across her lap, a theme borrowed from northern European art. Instead of revealing extreme grief, Mary is restrained, and her expression is one of resignation. In this work, Michelangelo summarizes the sculptural innovations of his 15th-century predecessors such as Donatello, while ushering in the new monumentality of the High Renaissance style of the 16th century.

Michelangelo embodied many characteristic qualities of the Renaissance. An individualistic, highly competitive genius (sometimes to the point of eccentricity). Michelangelo was not afraid to show humanity in it's natural state - nakedness; even in front of the Pope and the other religious leaders. Michelangelo portrayed life as it is, even with it's troubles. Michelangelo wanted to express his own artistic ideas. The most puzzling thing about Michelangelo's ceiling design is the great number of seemingly irrelevant nude figures that he included in his gigantic fresco. Four youths frame most of the Genesis scenes. We know from historical records that various church officials objected to the many nudes, but Pope Julius gave Michelangelo artistic freedom, and eventually ruled the chapel off limits to anyone save himself, until the painting was completed. The many nude figures are referred to as Ignudi. They

Some common words found in the essay are:
Sistine Chapel, Italian Renaissance, Julius II, Peter's Basilica, Greek Roman, Day Christ, Sixtus IV, Christ Michelangelo, Strazzi Strazzi, Michelangelo Michelangelo, humanity it's, it's natural, pope julius, humanity it's natural, sistine chapel, michelangelo portrayed, pope julius ii, julius ii, michelangelo pessimistic, sculptures humanity it's, response strazzi, strazzi complementing, tomb pope, paintings sculptures humanity, it's natural michelangelo's,
Approximate Word count = 1474
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)