Michelangelo (Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists)

Rating:
Summary: The young have a grand time with Michelangelo's grand scale
Review: "One of the things that made Michelangelo such a great artist was his ability to give a special energy and strength to the people he painted and sculpted," p.29

The young reader will learn about Michelangelo's beginnings in a city near Florence, the brief time he spent as a baby with a family of stonecutters, his years of study at the workshop of Ghirlandaio, his years under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici and his years working for Pope Julius II.

Michelangelo did things on a grand scale. His "David" of Goliath fame is 16 ft., 10 in. in height and took 2.5 years to complete. His "Ceiling of the Sistine Chapel" is 5800 sq. ft. in area and took 4 years to complete. The young when doing an art piece are frequently never able to complete it within the allotted time, regardless of the length of the allotted time. It seems there is a reluctance on the young's part to feel it is complete, because it seems there is always some additional work required. They share Michelangelo's art ethic and will appreciate his dedication.

My favorite sculpture in the book is Michelangelo's "Pieta," sculpted in 1498-1499. There is both an expressed fragility to Jesus' body and an overwhelming gentle strength in Mary's holding of him. It gives testimony to Michelangelo's complete oneness with the roughness and hardness of marble. The marble was putty in his hands.

Venezia's illustrations are humorous. His narrative is delightfully entertaining. His approach brings the artist within reach of the young. His portrayal of Pope Julius II in the Sistine Chapel offering unsolicited comments on Michelangelo's work jokingly brings to the fore the conflict that existed between the two.

The size of the book is perfect for smaller hands. It enables the young to have art within their grasp. Venezia gives the locations of the paintings and as result if the child lives near one of the museums or will be near one on vacation, she/he would be able to see the original.

This is the 11th in Venezia's "Getting to know the World's Greatest Artist" series. He also has a similar series on composers. Venezia's back cover illustration ties back to the subject. "Mike found it easy to relate to Michelangelo's painting the Sistine Chapel ...".

The price of the book is well worth paying. The book contains the following: Michelangelo's sculptures (5), chapel ceiling fresco (1), chapel wall fresco (1), marble relief (1), dome from building plan (1), and sculptures unfinished (2), Venezia's illustrations (7), Others' sculptures (2), frescoes (2) and gilt bronze panel (1).

Rating:
Summary: Spring board to introduce classic artists
Review: A book intended for ages 4-10, the book attempts to introduce the artist and his paintings. A very dry attempt at that, but it is a great spring board to start. A very simple book with cartoons to atract young readers. Samples paints with breif explainations of each work. I have used this book only as an introduction. I do follow up with more books that give a deep explaination. This book is an inexpesive way for children to experience various paintings and engage their natural curiosity to investigate further. To introduce the artists and his works of art this is an average book for the young.

Rating:
Summary: A basic introduction to the life and art of Michelagnelo
Review: I have read enough volumes in Mike Venezia's "Getting to Know the World's Greatest Artists" series to know that the best volumes are those that combine biography with elementary art appreciation. Unfortunately, in this volume on Michelangelo the emphasis is almost entirely on the former. This might have something to do with the fact that the subject this time around was both a painter and a sculptor (not to mention architect), but for the most part Venezia labels these statues and paintings as great art without giving us an idea of how Michelangelo worked his magic (the exception that proves the point is when he talks about how the sculptor left chisel marks to create an effect when viewed from a distance).

Several of Michelangelo's most famous statues (David, Moses, the Pieta, etc.) are shown as is the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (along with some closer views). Those who have seen the film "The Agony and the Ecstasy" will love Venezia's cartoon reflecting the tensions between the artist and Pope Julius II. Young readers will have to look elsewhere to find out more about the technique of Michelangelo (e.g., how he was different from his contemporaries in that he worked from the front of a piece of marble on a statue rather than attacking it from all sides), but this book will certainly introduce him to the statues and paintings that made him famous. Note: although Venezia talks about the restoration of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel, the photographs are taken prior to that monumental accomplishment.