When it comes to the High Renaissance, Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475-1564) is as high as it gets. A peerless sculptor, expert draftsman, and reluctant but skilled painter, he was not only one of the best-known artists of his day but probably remains one of the best-known artists ever.
He could be a bit of a hot head: His rivalries with Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael are well documented, and he stormed out of the Sistine Chapel in a huff more than once. But he was so good not even this reputation could drag him down. His contemporaries called him Il Divino (“the divine one”) because they deemed his masterful workmanship unparalleled among mere mortals. This nickname inspired the title of the Met's sprawling exhibition devoted to the artist, “Michelangelo: Divine Draftsman and Designer,” opening November 13.
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