Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

Numerous drawings with good clarity
What can I say about this GIANT demonstrating with such tour de force, the lost art of classical drawing. Chapman gives us an extraordinarily comprehensive view of his work and helps prove thatMichelangelowill always be our best teacher in drawing the figure - his system, despite it complexity, provides the most clarity. I don't necessarily agree with the other reviewers comment thatreproductions here are mediocre. True many are sadly too small - in order to fit in lots of written documentation but also copyright/legality issues often prohibits better pics. (And I imagine Euro publications maintain better focus on quality then here.) There are actually a few larger studies ie. single poses devoted to whole pages. Its a impressive collection and of descent clarity (for book standards) so I think its a must have for artists interested in traditional figure work. No single/ideal book exists on such a prolific draftsman and I think their isolation was a wise choice by the author in that it separates two different stages of leaning: the abc's of drawing from matters of secondary importance (tone and color). Interestingly enough M preferred simple black chalk on light paper vs. the popular addition of white on toned paper - used by so many as a crutch (and is therefore a tip from him per understanding basics of drawing). So this format allows for an in depth analysis of history and introduction to techniques pertaining to chalk and paper (which you'll probably gain more from reading than from the best attempted 'how to' of today since most author/artists are more concerned with their own work than they are in learning about the artform itself).

Its not absent however of rather misguided statements regarding process which writers typically stab at with plastic swords of speculation.Ie. statements Chapman makes such as, "...here, M's main focus was the study of light...". This is false in a misleading way - since classical artists were primarily focused on analyzing and manipulating form. That they used lighting as a tool to help `sculpt' form is obvious but all the while the main intent was in understanding and extracting shapes (from interior outward). The surface/shadow/lighting infatuation so common with amateurs today is a modern method which in fact contradicts what traditional artist were trying to do. Look at M's (Exh.No.76 Recto) - shadows are practically non existent - much of it is mid-tones only. Or look at the left side rib contour (of Exh.No.30) following shapes - which is practically void of tone. This visual concept can hardly be explained using words. (They'rs a Mengs hanging today at our National Gallery (DC) in the 2010 German show which is a fine example of this subtle restraint. And our Met. has Mich's Sybl (Fig.51)but alas she's allowed to breath in public rarely).

Most all bk repros are too dark/overly contrasted with subtle half tones being knocked out - which invites faulty, exaggeratedremarks particularly about their shading/lighting issues - the quickest, most superficial one to address for those untrained. If you are lucky enough to see the few originals museums pull out of hiding now and then, I guarantee you'll be continuously astounded by how light in tone, how soft of touch they are and how lacking of harsh contrast (so rampant in modern work unaccustomed to a traditional approach that works so hard to maintain transparency/depth).What this book displays is the often misunderstood dimensional concept of simply drawing through forms, which empowered M to see through them - manipulate their relationships etc.(vs. the flat-2D,shadow approach so popular today with many so called 'realists' handicapped by their photo-sightedness). We see hints of this under-drawingframework in(Exh.No.19 Recto) or (Exh.No.85 Recto.) which enliven even his restfull figures.

We artists ooh and ah over the anatomy which is the easier discipline to learn, compared to what is perhaps the more important lesson M offers - that being his dynamic understanding of inner structure. Think of the geometric box for the pelvis as referenced by the R.B.Hale books (in a sadly diluted manner) and you'll be on the right track. The untrained eye however will not see the structure imbedded in many of M's finished drawings (those basics are put on auto-pilot as M's imagination hurls him into the more important realm of ideal design) but it should not stop one from trying - even if you have to pull out a magnifying lens to see some of the faint lines disguised hear and there (rarely reproducible). That many of them are hidden by `stylus', as Chapman notes, helps explain their elusive nature.

M was exceptional of course yet trained in a time when sculpture was a standard part of training for artists who, more enlightened than we, saw the world as round and three dimensional as apposed to the flat consensus perpetuated by schools today. A misnomer is that simply by playing with clay you will learn form butit all comes down to HOW you see and interpret form - hence the virtually lost and highly misunderstood issues pertaining to it. To this I'd add the fluid rhythm apparent in Italian disegno as well as the ability to concept designs from the imagination (a skill hardly extanttoday with the odd exception of those still doing hand drawn animation). Much he learned from copying Greek sculpture (as indicated by Fig.17) while fusing that knowledge with his own intense study of nature. The documentation here is fascinating and exhaustive and admittedly I've only skimmed some sections of historic info so I may revise my review in the future.

Michelangelo Drawings
This is a really fine book. It's great to have all of these drawings together in one book. The drawings have a life of their own. As a bonus I was surprised to find here some of the best shots of the Sistine Chapel post-restoration. Amazing!

The exhibition Hugo, the exhibition...
It seems that Mr. Chapman set out to survey the life of Michelangelo, which is frustrating, as this book is the sole document to 'catalog' what is the largest exhibition of Michelangelo's drawing in modern times.

Also unnerving is that while being a $50 paperback, the British Museum did not license decent prints to accompany a book about M's life, so the reader must suffer black and white, grainy photographs of 'Battle of the Centaurs' and other pivotal works, reproduced with the quality of a cheap high school art survey text.

The pictures from the Exhibition itself are severely scaled and butchered, many only given half to a fourth of a page. The delightful 'Study of Infants' is included at barely 3" across, the result of which are sub 1" inch figures. Let me reiterate that this figure study was in the exhibition that Mr. Chapman's book is supposed to catalog and accompany!

Works such as St. Matthew, the Bruges Madonna, the Dying Slave, etc.. are just crammed in postage stamp, sub 1.5" thumbnails and confined to the edges, as if warring with the text itself. If this metaphor was to be taken literally, I would say Mr. Chapman's text was actually the victor. For a book about M's drawings to have the Gardner Pieta scaled to a size of 1.5" or the Studies for the Libyan Sibyl at 2", both black and white; is pretty inexcusable.

Mr. Chapman however, does a decent job of digesting most contemporary knowledge about the man and regurgitating it in a somewhat interesting and easily re-digestible text. It is unfortunate that this book is one of the only places you can see these drawings, and this alone is a reason to own it. However, in the end, this was a book about the drawings, and those who bought this book surely wanted to gaze, not squint, upon the work of the most masterful artist that has ever lived. ... Read more

Product Description
It is with diffidence that I offer a translation of Michael Angelo's sonnets, for the first time completely rendered into English rhyme, and that I venture on a version of Campanella's philosophical poems. My excuse, if I can plead any for so bold an attempt, may be found in this--that, so far as I am aware, no other English writer has dealt with Michael Angelo's verses since the publication of his autograph; while Campanella's sonnets have hitherto been almost utterly unknown.

Something must be said to justify the issue of poems so dissimilar in a single volume. Michael Angelo and Campanella represent widely sundered, though almost contemporaneous, moments in the evolution of the Italian genius. Michael Angelo was essentially an artist, living in the prime of the Renaissance. Campanella was a philosopher, born when the Counter-Reformation was doing all it could to blight the free thought of the sixteenth century; and when the modern spirit of exact enquiry, in a few philosophical martyrs, was opening a new stage for European science. The one devoted all his mental energies to the realisation of beauty: the other strove to ascertain truth. The one clung to Ficino's dream of Platonising Christianity: ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

MICHELANGELO, DRAWING, and the INVENTION of ARCHITECTURE

This new book by Cammy Brothers, associate professor of architectural history at the University of Virginia School of Architecture, is an original, meticulous, creative and outstandingnew look at Michelangelo.The author writes about her complex research so clearly that it's fascinating for laypeople, while being informative for scholars at the same time. Already well-reviewed in England, and sold out this week at the Metropolitan Museum bookstore, it will become one of the most important new scholarly books of 2008. ... Read more

Product Description
With an engaging text by renowned Michelangelo scholar William E. Wallace, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture brings together in one exquisite volume the powerful sculptures, the awe-inspiring paintings, and the classical architectural works of one of the greatest artists of all time. Including everything from his sculptures Pietàs and David to his beautiful paintings of the Sistine Chapel and the Doni Tondo, the book provides an opportunity to view Michelangelo’s work as never before, and to more fully understand the artist who, through his work, spoke of his life and times. The frescoes are specially printed on onion skin paper to recreate the actual appearance of light reflecting off of the plaster walls. The stunning black-and-white photography of the sculptures is printed in four colors to bring out the rich details of the marble. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

fantastic
My husband really enjoyed this item for his birthday.The pictures are vibrant and clear in color as if you were standing in front it at the museum.

Worth every cent
If your a fan of the work of Michelango buy this. Your money will be very well spent.

WOW
WOW, this book is amazing, I just recieved it and let me say that again WOW!!!!!!!!Full color plates and details of all his work.There were other reviews saying that this book was impossible to find however rfw1926, an amazon authorized dealer sold this book to me.He shipped it immediatly as well as informed me of reciept of the order.

By Dumb Luck...
This is a magnificent book about Michelangelo Buonarotti. As one reviewer said Mr. Wallace's text is a bit sparse, but afterall: it is an art book! It's my opinion that a book about an art/artists should contain more pictures than text, unless it is SPECIFICALLY a biography or the history of a certain work, era, etc. But I digress...!
I especially like the photos of the restored Cistine Chapel ceiling. Cleared from the 'fog' of dirt, dust, etc., one can see Michelangelo's incredible skill as a painter. The sculpture section is wonderful too, of course! I don't know what else to say.
For those who can't find this book: Before this week, I didn't even know it existed. I found it in the bargain section of BORDERS (I don't think Amazon will mind, as they're 'teamed' with Borders!). Check them out, as I got it for 1/5th the published price. I decided to treat myself to an early Christmas present and am glad I did! If you see it, buy it -When I returned the next day all copies were gone. I am very happy with this book and recommend it highly!

Beautiful book, and I know where to buy it!
I was discouraged to read such amazing reviews of the book, but to also hear of the difficulties in getting it.I found it at the Metropolitan Museum Online Store for $35, and it is perhaps the most beautiful, well-done art book I've ever seen.The reproductions are gorgeous, and the commentary is excellent.You won't do better with anything else, especially if you want a single volume overview of all of his works. ... Read more

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This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ... Read more

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Truly in a class of its own, Young Michelangelo is the most definitive and eye-opening study of the artist’s early life to come along in a generation.

In this compelling account, renowned art historian John Spike paints a vivid portrait of one of the world’s greatest artists and the places and people—Lorenzo de’ Medici, Leonardo, Machiavelli—that inspired and defined his early life and career. Spike’s masterful text probes the thinking, evolution, and desires of a young man whose awareness of his exceptional talent never wavered. Michelangelo’s complex personality is revealed through lively examinations of the Pietà, the David, and all other major works. Drawing on a rich background of Italian Renaissance politics and culture, Spike deftly navigates the fiery Florentine master’s struggle to surpass da Vinci’s artistic mastery, and his troubled relationships with Julius II and other key figures of the era.

Praise for Young Michelangelo:

“Making the most of Michelangelo’s ample correspondence and the recently published records of his extensive banking transactions, Spike has drawn an astonishingly vivid portrait of the artist’s first 33 years. It's the best life of Michelangelo I've read, and it leaves one wishing the author would complete Michelangelo’s life with his wonderful grasp of the artist’s tenacious personality and Herculean achievement.” ~ Everett Fahy, John Pope-Hennessy Chairman of the Department of European Paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

“Tense and agile as an early sculpture, Young Michelangelo is a compelling portrait of the artist as a young man in a dangerous time.” ~ Peter Robb, Author of M: The Man Who Became Caravaggio

 "Spike crystallizes historical detail into vivid, memorable imagery. . . . Alternating between accounts of the turbulent political atmosphere and details of Michelangelo’s most private moments in the sculpture studio, Spike creates a rich narrative that promises more intrigue than the best adventure novel."—Publishers Weekly

"Spike's original and valuable approach to studying [Michelangelo's] childhood, development, and reputation as one of the greats of the Renaissance provides a deeper understanding of such a wondrous, almost mythic figure. An essential book for Renaissance collections and devotees." —Library Journal 

“This erudite but immensely readable account is essential for anyone who desires to know more about Michelangelo’s formation.” ~ David Alan Brown, National Gallery of Art

“Spike is a masterful weaver of disparate information into a synthetic narrative. He provides a rich web of the political, social, and personal contexts against which Michelangelo's early career unfolded.” ~ John Hunisak, Professor of Art & Architecture, Middlebury College

Customer Reviews (3)

Spiking Mikey
Did Michelangelo ever shudder with the feeling that future art historians were searching through his bank statements? The amount of scholarship and speculation regarding his life story was made possible in part by his own attention to hand written communications, and of course by the work itself, both paper and marble being cherished and preserved more than five centuries now. Author John T Spike lives and breathes Italian Renaissance art and his grasp of local history lends a familiarity to the gossipy name-dropping art historians enjoy and which can sometimes baffle innocent readers.Young Michelangelo is a verbal more than a visual book, smaller and without the plush full color illustrations characteristic of his earlier publications. It isn't especially plodding, seems to be fairly thin regarding Michelangelo's adolescent encounters with persons of the opposite sex, a bit short regarding the influence of Lorenzo di Medici, informative about Michelangelo's business sense and the practicalities of cutting blocks of stone. Then, just as the reader is starting to get caught up in the boring details, the prose ends abruptly and the last third of the book is notes on the first two thirds.

Spike doesn't speculate nor does he divulge everything he has learned, and his Harvardian observations are sometimes winsomely acerbic. Never fear, future art historians, there are tomes still to be written about Michelangelo.The more the marble wastes, the more the statue grows.

"Young Michelangelo"
In "Young Michelangelo,"Dr. John Spike provides the most realistic and convincing portrait of the formation of the artist that's yet been written.It's a must read for every aspiring artist and anyone seeking knowledge of the origins of Western culture and consciousness. Dr. Spike has committed his life to understanding Michelangelo and his art.He writes authoritatively and precisely.This is the first of several projected volumes, herald as the biography of this generation.

Big Boy Back on Top! --

Recent news from Italy is that Caravaggio has surpassed Michelangelo as most
talked about or popularized master on the Roma-Firenze Inter-City express.
With the latest out of J.T. Spike's fertile imagination, he steps up to the
plate on Michelangelo - -after disclosing many unknown facts in his landmark
exploration of Caravaggio.Now he has "all bases covered" -- double-take!
YOUNG MICHELANGELO - Spike's richly informative text uncovers still new
insights about a very old subject. Freshly imagined, newly conceptualized,
one might feel a new level of intimacy with this material reflecting
the author's seasoned eye.To some degree, Spike is a far more reliable
Vasari for our time, and holds a special place for his discrete empathy and
intuitive understanding of the pulse of artworks made 500 years ago. A sensible
reading on Michelangelo's early years will enable college students and general
readers of the"C.S.I.", "Boston Legal", or "Girl with the Dragon Tatoo" generation to
put the pieces of this puzzle together towards a fuller picture of "The David" + "Sistine."
When the practice of Art History is this good - we should award it 'Three Forks'
in the Michelin Guide - and twirl our fettucine with extra gusto --"Buon appetito!" ... Read more

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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

Diane Stanley's well-researched, vivid narrative captures the life of the creator of some of the world's most beautiful, heart-wrenching works of art. Her illustrations are fantastically elaborate and include details of many of Michelangelo's sculptures and paintings. Michelangelo is a perfect introduction to art and art history, with plenty of compelling background information about the Renaissance and life in 15th and 16th century Italy. Stanley has written many other award-winning picture-book biographies, including Leonardo da Vinci and Cleopatra. (Ages 9 to 12) --Emilie Coulter ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent Book
This book provides an excellent overview of Michelangelo's life.The writing is fabulous, but it's the pictures that make the book great.The illustrations are amazing.

Not the Real Thing
I thought the reproductions would be of real Michelangelo paintings; however they appear to be amateur copies of the original, a frustrating outcome to my expectations. I did enjoy the biographical story told and the interesting revelations about his life. I guess this book is more for youngsters, but that should be made clear to the purchaser.

easy to read biography for kids and adults alike
Michelangelo is an interesting look into the life of Renaissance superstar artist, Michelangelo Buonarroti from birth to death. Born in Italy March 6, 1475, Michelangelo was destined to become an artist and knew this is what he wanted from a young age.He was raised in various homes, by a nurse in the village of stonecutters and later in the home of the ruler of Venice, Lorenzo Medici who recognized his talent and brought him to live with him as his own sons. At the age of thirteen he begged his father to become a lowly artist's apprentice working in fresco for the time of three years.His true love was though not painting, but sculpture. Michelangelo eventually created some of the worlds' most famous art artworks including the sculpture of David and the painting inside the Sistine Chapel and worked on countless commissions for several popes and rulers trough out Italy.Many interesting facts that children will be sure to pick up on, including Michelangelo's work with corpses to study the human form and his feud with another Renaissance superstar Leonardo Da Vinci, keep this book interesting and exciting.
Stanley's interesting illustrations are unique.She combines photographs of true artwork (it is hard to copy a master!) with her own paintings to create a visually stimulating illustration.This book would be good for any adult that is wanting a "more than basic" but easy reading book about the life of Michelangelo.

Entertaining for my five-year-old daughter
With popular culture grabbing my daughter's attention so powerfully, it was nice to have some high brow material that could compete with the Disney genre.My favorite part was when my girl asked, "Why doesn't God just stretch his finger a little more like this [stretched her finger] to touch Adam?"The whole book is a single bed time reading for a parent to a child.It reads a bit like a cliff hanger with the reader along for the ride through Michaelangelo's challenges and accomplishments.

The Life and Times of Michelangelo.....
Born March 6, 1475 in the little stonecutter's village of Caprese, about fifty miles east of Florence, and left in the care of a nurse, Michelangelo "fell asleep to the odd lullaby of chisel striking stone.Years later he remarked that his love of sculpture must have come to him along with his foster mother's milk."From an early age, Michelangelo wanted to become an artist.His father, ashamed that his son wanted to enter such a lowly profession, tried to literally beat the idea out of him, but the headstrong and determined child would not give in, and in 1488 was apprenticed to the famous painter, Domenico Ghirlandaio.After only one year his unrivaled talent was noticed by Lorenzo de'Medici, a great and generous art lover and patron.He brought Michelangelo into his palace and treated him as one of his sons, encouraging his art.But upon Lorenzo's untimely death, Michelangelo was sent back to his father's house, and cast in the role of family breadwinner, "a role he would play for the rest of his life."And so it was that the difficult and disagreeable, perfectionist Michelangelo's greatest masterpieces, The Pieta, David, and the paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, were commissioned works by patrons and popes.....Diane Stanley's intriguing biography takes the reader on a compelling and suspenseful journey as she details the life and times of the greatest artist of the Renaissance.Her easy to read and engaging text is rich in history, art, drama, and anecdotes, and complemented by her ingeniously creative and innovative illustrations.Together word and art captures the essence of the arrogant and tormented artist, and brings Michelangelo and the Renaissance to life on the page.Perfect for youngsters 9-12, Michelangelo is a well researched and spellbinding introductory biography, and another marvelous addition to Ms Stanley's superb series. ... Read more

Product Description
This volume includes all of Michelangelo's paintings, as well as a selection of his work in sculpture and architecture. Numerous full-color details capture the works' staggering depth of meaning and magnificent beauty. Frederick Hartt, the great scholar of Italian Renaissance art, provides a fascinating account of Michelangelo's titanic genius. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Excellent text and detailed descriptions for each image
Hartt is an interesting writer and points out details that other writers don't.The quality of the color printing and of the paper itself is high.Since I bought this at Amazon marketplace, I consider it a great value.

However, this is the 'concise' edition (in 1984) of the 1964 book.And the reason the colors are not as bright as another reviewer remembers them is that the book's pictures were taken before the somewhat controversial cleaning and restoration of the paintings in the Sistine Chapel.They were brownish after centuries of accumulations (smoke and 'protective' applications of varnish), and the project to clean them and restore the colors took place from '81 to '94.

To see what the paintings look like nowadays, color-wise, see _MichelangeloThe Frescoes of the Sistine Chapel_ with text by Marcia Hall (Temple University) and photographs by Takashi Okamura, who was the first photographer given the opportunity to photograph the Chapel after the restoration project was completed. [...]

Nice book, colors could be a tad brighter
I purchased this book recently after having come back from Italy and having seen some of these works of art in person. The books is very nicely put together, a great coffee table piece. The large, thick pages really make the book feel sturdy. The only thing that I found a minor issue with is that the color plates of the paintings should be brighter. An example, the painting of the Doni Madonna was much more bright and colorful than is depicted in the book. In real life even the old paintings in the Sistine Chapel pop out at you (see the Delphic Sybil for another example).
... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more