Michelangelo: The Artist, the Man and His Times

Michelangelo is universally recognized to be one of the greatest artists of all time. In this vividly written biography, William E. Wallace offers a substantially new view of the artist. Not only a supremely gifted sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, Michelangelo was also an aristocrat who firmly believed in the ancient and noble origins of his family. The belief in his patrician status fueled his lifelong ambition to improve his family 's financial situation and to raise the social standing of artists. Michelangelo 's ambitions are evident in his writing, dress, and comportment, as well as in his ability to befriend, influence, and occasionally say no to popes, kings, and princes. Written from the words of Michelangelo and his contemporaries, this biography not only tells his own stories but also brings to life the culture and society of Renaissance Florence and Rome. Not since Irving Stone 's novel The Agony and the Ecstasy has there been such a compelling and human portrayal of this remarkable yet credible human individual.

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A visual and literary treasury of the works of a master of the Renaissance and arguably one of the greatest artists of all time.

Michelangelo is inarguably one of the world's premier artists. More people can identify his paintings, sculptures, and architecture than they can any other artist. Here, in this exquisitely illustrated single volume, are the works of his singular genius — from his earliest sculptures, to his ever awe-inspiring paintings, to his classical architectural works.

Magnificent new color and black-and-white photographs, combined with extraordinary details, allow the reader to view Michelangelo's magnificent work as never before. Sculptures, such as the much beloved Rome Pieta, are revealed with such beauty that the reader is tempted to reach out and touch the image. Michelangelo's paintings, in particular the glory of the Sistine chapel ceiling frescoes, are shown in their newly restored brilliance. Finally, the book devotes itself to the architectural accomplishments of this genius who was as comfortable with a pen in his hand as he was with a chisel. A marvelous and engaging text by William Wallace humanizes this larger-than-life artist.