Comparison and Contrast between Michelangelo and Picasso - Term Paper Example

ID No. Comparison and Contrast Between Michelangelo and Picasso Introduction Michelangelo and Picasso are two of the most popular artists in the world who belong to two different periods. Michelangelo’s works of art delve more of realism and tends to capture the form of the object. He even studied anatomy to attain the perfection in form which is manifested in many of his art works. He lived during the Renaissance period, the dawning of a new cultural movement, and had produced many works. Picasso was born during the 19th century and passed away just in the 20th century. He is one of the pioneers of an art form called Cubism. Having lived in the modern times, his form and style has the influence of modernism. Michelangelo The famous Michelangelo of the Renaissance period is actually Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni. He was born during the 15th century (March 6, 1475) in Tiber valley (Michelangelo par. 1), Caprese, a village Florence in Italy (Kren and Marx par. 1). His father, Ludovico Buonarroti Simoni, was a resident magistrate (par. 1) while his mother was Francesca who passed away when he was 6 years old (Michelangelo par. 1). Many would know him as a great painter who adorned the ceiling of the Sistene Chapel. He was multi-talented, and wanted to be an engineer, builder of churches and palaces, sculptor (who would find suitable stones himself in the quarries) (Michelangelo par. 3). His devotion to his art works can be considered as extreme. While sculpting the statue for Julio II, he slept with his working clothes and boots that caused his legs to swell and had to be cut together with his flesh (par. 3). He is very proud of this family and blood lineage, and his family devotion can be compared to that of a religion (par. 2). Although his family had wealth, he would live and eat as if impoverished that his father warned him to take care of his health (par. 3). Michelangelo: Apprentice and Artist Michelangelo received apprenticeship in art early in life (year 1488) (Michelangelo 1475 1). He first studied literature but later shifted to the study of the arts, and at 13 years old apprenticed under to Domenico Ghirlandaio for three years (Michelangelo par. 1). Domenico was highly impressed with the performance of Michelangelo, and thus recommended him for tutorship under Lorenzo the Magnificent (par. 1). When he later frequented the San Marcos of Lorenze where antique statues are found, he met Pico della Mirandola (par. 1). He then studied sculptor under Donatello’s disciple, Bertoldo (par. 1). He sculpted two famous works, “The Virgin on the Stairs” and “The Battle of the Centaurs” (par. 2). He would make study drawings before sculpting the medium (Michelangelo par. 2). Although he made earlier works, such as those from Giotto and Masaccio, as his models, his art works manifested more idealism and strong vision (par.2). In 1494, he met Aldrovandi when he moved to Bologna, and sculpted for him “Angel” for Noah`s Ark in Santo Domingo (Michelangelo par. 2). He completed the unfinished works of the early Renaissance sculptor Niccolo dell'Arca (par. 2). Going to Rome, he initially made the sculpture “Young Bacchus” (par. 2). He traveled between Florence (due to nostalgic predisposition) and Rome a number of times (par. 2). In 1501, while in Rome, banker Jacopo Galloi purchased his painting “Young Bacchus” which Cardinal S. Dionigi commissioned Michelangelo to do (par. 2). His objects traversed between profanity and sacredness which duality is manifested in his works “Bacchus” and “The Centaurs” on the one hand, and the “Pieta” and “Virgin of the Stairs” on the other (par. 2). He did “Pieta” (the only one that he affixed his signature) in 1498 from the request of French Cardinal Jean de Lagraulas (par. 2). Back in Florence (between 1501 and 1504), Michelangelo met Leonardo da Vinci where he got some inspiration (par. 2). He was not inclined to scientific inquiry like Leonardo but engaged in the study of anatomy to attain perfection in artistry (Michelangelo in Florence par. 1). He also learned from the cartoon of Leonardo for St. Anne that had made an imprint upon his profession (par. 1). It was said that Leonardo tutored Michelangelo on proper organization of forms into a cohesive structure as seen in Tondo Doni, formally ordered motifs in Tondo Taddei that showed emotional turmoil in the goldfinch, and the “indefinable spatial and atmospheric qualities of the background” manifested in the experiment in Tondo Pitti (par. 1). During the period between 1501 and 1504, had had made great accomplishments where he painted Tondo Doni and Sacred family (located at Uffizi), crafted the two sculptures of the Virgin (located at Bargallo and Royal Academy of London), David made of bronze (lost) and the David made of marble (adopted as emblem of Florence for expressing fortitude, anger, vigilance and determination) (Michelangelo par. 2). Michelangelo also accepted work that would take decades to complete such as the sepulcher commissioned by Julius II in 1505 (par. 2). As recommended by the Vatican architect Giuliano Sangallo to Julius, Michelangelo was summoned to Rome to make Julius’ own sepulcher that was completed in 40 years (par. 2). Michelangelo can be said to be a perfectionist. To attain this, he would make drawings of the figures he would want to create. Ninety of his drawings can be found in the British Museum (Michelangelo par. 3). His preparatory work is exhaustive so that every detail would be considered in the drawings, and that the final output is already visualized on the paper (par. 3). He taught this approach to his students and exhorted them to draw, draw and waste not time (par. 3). Michelangelo learnt of this technique from the workshops he had years before from the brothers Domenico and Davide Ghirlandaio (Michelangelo par. 3). Pablo Picasso: Overview Pablo Ruiz Picasso, commonly known as Picasso, was born in Malaga, Spain on October 25, 1881 (Pablo Picasso Biography par. 2) and died on April 8, 1973. His parents were Jose Ruiz Blasco (a School of Arts and Crafts professor) and Maria Ruiz Picasso (par. 2). Even as a child, he would draw bullfight scenes he got inspired from the bullfights his father would bring him. When his family transferred to La Coruna, he was able to study at the School of Fine Art at age 14 (Pablo Picasso Biography par. 3). His father also gave him academic instructions that facilitated development of his skills in the arts (par. 3). In Barcelona (Spain, 1896), he entered the School of Fine Arts, and Royal Academy of San Fernando (Madrid) a year after as an advanced student (par. 4). He was able to complete the entrance examination in one day which was supposed to be completed in one month (par. 4). Upon his return to Barcelona, he studied historical and contemporary art on his own (par. 5). In Barcelona, an important cultural center of Spain that time, Picasso became acquainted with the other artists, poets and writers who frequent the Els Quatre Gats (The Four Cats) cafe (par. 5). He would move to Paris, Barcelona and France alternately from 1900 to 1903 (par. 5). It was only in 1901 that he was able to organize his first one-man exhibit. Cubism has been credited to Georges Braque and him during the early part of the 20th century (Picasso 2; Goetz, The Cubist par. 1), but Picasso has been credited as the primary proponent of the painting style. Cubism portrays the object of the art as fragments that show several angles at the same time (Pablo Picasso Biography par. 2). The image produced does not portray a pictorial image. Thus, the style laid the foundation for the abstract painting. Cubism came later in his life. He used different styles during the early part of his career. Nevertheless, he still explored other types of media which he incorporated in his canvass, such as the newspaper cuttings added into his collages (Picasso 3). The clippings contain the current news as was done in Bottle of Suze (1912) where the plight of soldiers in the Balkan Wars was featured (3). Political Leaning and Viewpoint Picasso considered paintings not as decorative pieces but as a media to reflect social conditions. He said in 1945 that “No, painting is not made to decorate apartments. It is an offensive and defensive instrument of war against the enemy” (Picasso 4). When commissioned in 1937 to paint a mural at the Spanish Pavilion for the World Trade Fair in Paris to be held that year, he had yet no object (4). The Nazis then bombed Guernica (town in Spain) that killed and wounded around 1,600 civilians (4). In response, he made the mural “Guernica” as a political statement against the war (4). He had socialist leanings and became a member of the Communist Party after World War II (1). He was a staunch supporter of the peace efforts (1). His painting Dove of Peace was adopted by the Peace Movement and became its emblem, and which also became the universal symbol of hope (1). Art Style Picasso also manifested variation in styles in the 1920s, which are: Blue Period (1901-1904), Pink Period (1904-1906), Iberian Period (1904-1907), African Period (1907), Analytic Cubism (1907-1912), Synthetic Cubism (1912-1921) and Neo-Classicism (1918-1924) (Goetz par. 4). He again painted using Cubism in 1924 that first focus on decorative form that became a violent expressionist later (par. 4). And the following year, his works manifested traces of Surrealism (par. 4). Cubism is a departure from the traditional approach existing at that time. Cubism is a distortion of reality and redefines form in a manner that depicts “three dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface” (Picasso 2). Thus, a form may not be portrayed as it is but only suggested by forms and lines. This is done by Picasso in Ma Jolie (painted in 1911-1912) where a musical instrument is depicted by curves and lines, as well as musical signs (2). The style, referred to as Analytical Cubism, became more complex and abstract that the signs and symbols are no longer easy to read and see (2). The figures became more fragmented, too. The style fragments the object into smaller geometric forms that were rearranged to show the many aspects of the character in a single visual form (Goetz, The Cubist par. 1). The predominant theme of Picasso revolves around sex, violence and death (Goetz, A Personal par. 1). But according to Goetz, the “true subject is always his own feelings, his passions about his themes” (A Personal par. 1). Cubism then provided him with a means to express his reaction to the situation around him and the world without restraint (par. 1). Conclusion Michelangelo and Picasso were artists who lived decades apart. The former would shift from painting to sculpting throughout his life while the latter focused on painting. Michelangelo had many art works which was commissioned for him to do. Picasso was likewise commissioned to do a few paintings that include the famous Guernica, commissioned by the Spanish government. These two artists had made great impact upon the development and history of painting. They studied at the school of arts and manifested unusual talents at a young age. While Michelangelo sought to attain perfection of form which was enhanced by his study in anatomy, Picasso tried to distort form to a degree that others not trained to see details might find difficulty to interpret. The perfection in detail in the works of Michelangelo can be seen in the muscular depiction in both painting and sculpture. In Picasso’s work, the audience can view the form at different angles, making the subject three-dimensional. Since his art works were his mode of release of personal tension. His Cubism also hides at first glance the deeper emotion portrayed which can be perceived only if analyzed thoroughly. In sum, their contribution to the evolution of art has enriched the world’s artistic culture. Works Cited Goetz, Ronald. The Passion of Picasso. 1980. 4 October 2011. Christian Century. pp. 906-909. . Kren, Emil and Daniel Marx. Michelangelo Buonarroti. n.d. 8 October 2011. . Michelangelo. Style and Art. n.d. 1 October 2011. . Michelangelo (1475-1564). n.d. 2 October 2011. . Michelangelo in Florence. n.d. 2 October 2011. . Pablo Picasso Biography. 2011. 3 October 2011. . Picasso: Peace and Freedom. 2010. 3 October 2011. . Read More