Still located in the Loggia dei Lanzi where it was installed in 1583, the “Rape of the Sabine” was produced for Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici. While the group of three figures may seem like a fitting representation of …
The dome frescoes of Florence Cathedral cover nearly an acre of dome surface, making it the world’s largest fresco. Begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1572 and completed by Federico Zuccari in 1579, the main subject of the fresco is the …
Commissioned by Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici for the marriage of his son Francesco to Johanna of Austria, the massive fountain occupies the northwestern corner of the Palazzo Vecchio. Portraying the duke as the god of the sea, the fountain …
Although he died in Rome, the nearly-89-year-old Michelangelo was buried in a tomb in the great Franciscan Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence, Italy. Discover the tomb monument that celebrates the genius of the divine artist in this episode.
At about 75 years of age, Michelangelo began carving his second “Pietà” statue. Michelangelo was clearly trying to up his game by carving a group of four figures from a single block of marble. But the most intriguing aspect of …
At about 75 years of age, Michelangelo began carving his second “Pietà” statue. Michelangelo was clearly trying to up his game by carving a group of four figures from a single block of marble. But the most intriguing aspect of …
At the ripe old age of 71, Michelangelo took over the direction of the most important building project in Europe – the Fabbrica of St. Peter’s Basilica. Michelangelo redesigned the great building and saw construction through to the base of the cupola. …
Shortly after completing the “Conversion of St. Paul” fresco in the Pauline Chapel in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, the 70-year-old Michelangelo began his complimentary “Crucifixion of St. Peter.” While the image of St. Peter crucified in an upside-down …
Even before completing “The Last Judgment” in the Sistine Chapel, Pope Paul III had chosen Michelangelo to decorate the walls of his new namesake chapel – the Pauline Chapel. Used as an antechamber to the Sistine Chapel, the Pauline Chapel …
In 1545, the goldsmith Benvenuto Cellini was commissioned by Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici to create a large bronze statue of the Greek hero Perseus and Medusa. The resulting work was one of the most beautiful and famous of the …