Classical Humanism In The Age Of The Renaissance
Michelangelo Di Lodovico Bounarroti Simoni was a renowned artist and established sculptor, who lived between 1475 and 1574. In facts the latter is perhaps the greatest and the most famous sculpture that the world of art has seen (Schiller, 1972:3). As a leader of the Italian high renaissance, his contribution on the development of the western art is immense due to his prowess and the great influence he exerted on the same. This renowned artist and the most famous sculptor in the history of art, was born in 1475 in Florence Italy. During his boyish age, Simoni served as an apprentice to the historical Italian painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Furthermore, he later during his teenage graduated to studying the art of sculpture at the school of the Medici Gardens. Upon his graduation, he was absolved by the rich and powerful Medici family: a move that further rooted Michelangelo’s career in art and sculpture. Under the mentorship of Lorenzo Medici, Simoni was able to make two historical sculptures at the age of sixteen years (Schiller, 1972:4)
One of the most famous sculptures that Michelangelo did during his time was the pieta. Pieta is a sculpture that Simoni Michelangelo made in the year 1499 and which occupies perhaps the highest stage in the world of art even to date. Indeed, the pieta is a work of art or rather a renaissance sculpture, which Michelangelo made for the St. Peters Basilica in the Vatican City. The famous sculpture measures 174 by 195 centimeters in size and it’s made by marble. Furthermore, it is currently located at the St Peters Basilica in Vatican. Its formation shows the mother of Jesus (Mary) holding the body of her son Jesus on her laps upon crucifixion. The theme of this masterpiece however was of the northern origin; mainly in France and which had not reached in Italy at the time of its creation (Schiller, 1972:2). The significance of this piece of work as asserted by Emison (2004:7) is that it provided a balance between regeneration ideals of the conventional beauties at the time with aspects of naturalism. In facts, its creator (Michelangelo’s) interpretation of the masterpiece is distinctive compared to other similar sculptors that were made before it. Furthermore, pieta is one of the best finished Michelangelo pieces of work.
Irrespective of his low opinion about paintings (Schiller, 1972), Simoni Michelangelo was also a renowned painter of his time. The various famous painting, that he did, saw him become a legend in painting just like in sculpture. Among the earliest paintings that Michelangelo did was the famous torments of Saint Anthony. In fact, this is the earliest known Michelangelo’s piece of painting. According to Emison (2004), the later did this painting after being provided with a design by his mentor Martin Schngauer at the tender age of 12 and which has today become a permanent collection in the Fort Worth Texas Kimbell art museum in the United States of America. This Michelangelo’s painting shows the common medieval subject, which is incorporated in the Golden Legend among other sources of Saint Anthony while he was being assault in the desert by mischievous sprites. It also depicts how Saint Anthony consistently resisted the temptations of the demands thus the famous description of the painting as the temptations or the trials of st. Anthony. However, the painting later depicts how later on st Anthony was flown in the desert supported by angels and was ensnared in the middles of the flight by the demons. Ideally therefore, both the sculptures and paintings by Michelangelo mainly depict the prehistoric Christian culture among the classical Italy. In this painting, Michelangelo utilized short and parallel notches in teeth to describe the tormentors of st. Anthony (demons) (Emison, 2004).
Classical humanism is an aspect of conventional ideology that is exclusive and unique in that it is emphatic on conventional way of life, written codes of intrinsic worth and ethic historical to the society (Warren, 2008:27). Also, it is exclusive in its great emphases on the creation of bodies of literature and art. In fact, classical humanism tends to over and over again revisit the historical or past ages of heroism especially by referring to the past occurrences that still make impact on certain aspects of the current society; either by influencing the current way of life or having made such great impact in the books of history (Warren, 2008:21). By looking at the history of renowned sculpture and a painter Michelangelo Simoni and how his famous pieces of work influences faired in the history of art as well as its immense influence in the world of art, classical humanism is at the helm. Both classical humanism and renaissance humanism are closely related. However, unlike classical humanism, renaissance humanism fails to concern itself more with philosophy. Instead, it looks into production of famous arts, music and theatrical as well as incorporation of scientific developments in the same.
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