If you ask a group of people to name the greatest sculptor of all time, at least one of them will mention Michelangelo. This great master of the Renaissance era is rightfully considered one of the most influential artists in the entire history of European art. But what exactly is it that makes him so important?
To this day, Michelangelo is known for his unique approach to carving marble. He saw the block of stone as a living entity that he could coax into revealing the figures that were hidden within it. The master used the natural curves of the marble piece as guidelines, following them closely to create a work of art that seemed like it was always beneath the layers of stone. Michelangelo’s “David” is a perfect example of this approach: the figure of the ancient king steps out of the piece of stone.
While Michelangelo did not create the “non-finito” technique, he certainly was one of its most avid utilizers. Non-finito, which means “unfinished” in Italian, was a sculpting technique that consisted of leaving marble sculptures seemingly incomplete. The limbs were not carved out of marble all the way through, and the silhouettes were not as clear-cut as they would usually be in a finished piece. One of Michelangelo’s most famous pieces in this style is “Atlas Slave.” Knowing that the legendary artist saw sculptures as living beings trapped inside stone, this particular work inspires an almost tragic interpretation.
Before Michelangelo, realism was not a priority in sculpture-making. Besides, the artists of the time had little knowledge of human anatomy, which left them with limited ways in which movement could be depicted. Michelangelo, on the other hand, was one of the first artists of his time to attend cadaver dissections and even conducted his own. The profound understanding of the human body he gained from that experience translated into his art. Michelangelo’s knowledge of anatomy allowed him to create dynamic poses and add details that were never previously seen in sculpture before him, like veins and contracting muscles. The master famously liked depicting figures in a twisting motion, which allowed him to showcase his technique and knowledge of anatomy.
Is Michelangelo the greatest sculptor of all time? The answer to this question might vary from person to person, but it is impossible to deny his tremendous contribution to the world art as we know it today.
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