Michelangelo: The Achievement of Fame, 1475-1534

by Michael Hirst

This remarkable book is the first of two volumes in what will be the definitive modern biography of Michelangelo. An illuminating study of Michelangelo's extraordinary career, it follows the artist from his apprenticeship in Ghirlandaio's workshop to his final move to Rome in 1534, when, at the age of 59, he left behind his native Florence, never to return. During these years he created such outstanding works as the marble Pietà, the giant marble David, commissioned for the cathedral in Florence, the Sistine Ceiling frescoes, and the new sacristy and library for the Medici family at San Lorenzo. He began the monumental tomb for Pope Julius II in Rome, and he became one of the most sought-after artists of the early 16th century.Written by the leading Michelangelo scholar, this prodigiously informative account benefits from recent archival discoveries and restorations, and is enriched by material from the long-awaited editions of the artist's correspondence and artistic contracts. The wealth of new information enables light to be shed on the genesis of Michelangelo's works in sculpture, painting, and architecture, and on his complex psychological relations with his family, friends, and powerful patrons.

Genres: Biography, Art History, Art, History

416 pages, Hardcover

First published March 6, 2012

About the author

Michael Hirst is an Art historian and an international expert on Italian Renaissance art.

Lecturer, Reader and Professor Emeritus of Courtauld Institute of Art, University of London, and a Fellow of the Academy since 1983, Hirst is one of the foremost living specialists on the drawings of Michelangelo. Indeed, such is his international standing in the world of Michelangelo studies that he was made a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Restoration of the Sistine Chapel's ceiling in 1987, and the following year curated an exhibition on Michelangelo as Draftsman for the National Gallery of Art in Washington.

He has made a signal contribution to knowledge and understanding of one of the greatest periods of Italian art. Among his publications on the subject are the standard monograph on Sebastiano del Piombo, on Michelangelo and His Drawing and The Sistine Chapel: A Glorious Restoration.

Reviews

[Anubhav · Rating 2 out of 5]

Detailed account of Michelangelo’s personal life though after a point I did find it a bit too tedious. Anybody looking to read up on the artist, would anyway recommend Agony and the ecstasy over this one.

[Arjen Taselaar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael Hirst, one of the greatest Michelangelo specialists alive, has written the first volume of a biography that is very strong on facts, but from which the art is almost absent. This book is no easy read, and often not a very good one either, being rather dry. Still, I think this is a very good book, as by focusing on what can be established as facts, Hirst shows an immense grasp of the available sources which he has sifted like a detective. The strongest parts of the book are on Michelangelo's work for the Medici popes Leo X and Clement VII, that is on the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo and the Laurentian Library. They give a very clear view of the commissions, the problems faced by the artist and the politics involved. The book's part on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, however, I found rather disappointing. It is to be hoped that the author will soon finish his second volume. For the art and the poetry, we will have to look elsewhere, but for the hard facts we can turn to Hirst.

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

received from NetGalley for review

I have long been a fan of Michelangelo. I've read Vasari's review of his life and Irving Stone's Agony and Ecstacy. I've read Buonoratti's letters and admired his work.

This is an amazing biography of a portion of the artist's life. The author has done an immense amount of research, that much is obvious. He has presented the information in an informative and objective manner.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I am grateful for the opportunity to read more about my favorite artist.

This is part one of a two part bio of the great artist.