Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in a small town in Italy in 1475. From the time he was a boy, he wanted to be an artist. But Michelangelo would struggle throughout his life to perfect his skills and realize his artistic vision while being buffeted by the whims of those who would be his patrons, especially leading figures in the Catholic Church. Diane Stanley’s portrait of the artist whose work as painter, sculptor, and architect stands unparalleled in the minds of many reveals Michelangelo’s temperament as well as the parade of political and religious egos that often left him feeling battered. Stanley’s full-color illustrations in watercolor, colored pencil, and gouache have a lush, Renaissance feel. Some contain computer-inserted reproductions of Michalangelo’s art. (Ages 9-14)

When he was born, Michelangelo Buonarroti was put into the care of a stonecutter's family. He often said it was from them that he got his love of sculpture. It certainly didn't come from his own father, a respectable magistrate who beat his son when he asked to become an artists apprentice.

But Michelangelo persevered. His early sculptures caught the attention of Florence's great ruler, Lorenzo de' Medici, who invited the boy to be educated with his own sons. Soon after, Michelangelo was astonishing people with the lifelike creations he wrested from marble--from the heartbreaking Pieta he sculpted when he was only twenty-five to the majestic David that brought him acclaim as the greatest sculptor in Italy.

Michelangelo had a turbulent, quarrelsome life. He was obsessed with perfection and felt that everyone--from family members to his demanding patrons--took advantage and let him down. His long and difficult association with Pope Julius II yielded his greatest masterpiece, the radiant paintings in the Sistine Chapel, and his most disastrous undertaking, the monumental tomb that caused the artist frustration and heartache for forty years.

With her thoroughly researched, lively narrative and superbly detailed illustrations, Diane Stanley has captured the life of an artist who towered above the late Renaissance--and whose brilliance in architecture, painting, and sculpture amazes and moves us to this day.

Children's Books 2000-NY Public Lib., Books for Youth Editor's Choice 2000 (Booklist), Lasting Connections 2000 (Book Links), Best Books 2000 (School Library Journal), Top 10 Youth Art Books 2000 (Booklist), and Notable Children's Trade Books in the Field of Social Studies 2001, National Council for SS & Child. Book Council