7 Chapter 6 The Battle of the Artists

Chapter 6 The Battle of the Artists Leonardo was one the greatest artists of the Renaissance. But he was not alone. The Renaissance in Italy was such a special time because it produced so many talented artists.

Besides Leonardo, the two other greatest names belong to Raphael and Michelangelo. RAPHAEL RAPHAEL SANZIO WAS BORN IN URBINO, ITALY, ON APRIL 6, 1483. HE FIRST LEARNED TO DRAW FROM HIS ARTIST FATHER. WHEN HE WAS TWENTY-ONE, HE WENT TO FLORENCE, WHERE HE STUDIED THE WORKS OF LEONARDO AND MICHELANGELO. IN HIS DAY, RAPHAEL WAS THE MOST POPULAR PAINTER. HIS LOVELY PICTURES OF MARY

AND THE BABY JESUS HAVE A SPECIAL SWEETNESS AND HARMONY. HIS COLORS ARE STRONG AND PURE, NEVER JARRING. EVERYTHING IN A RAPHAEL PAINTING SEEMS TO BE EXACTLY WHERE IT BELONGS. LATER IN HIS CAREER, HE WORKED IN ROME FOR THE SAME POPE AS MICHELANGELO. RAPHAEL PAINTED TWO GIANT FRESCOES. ONE IS CALLED THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS, WHICH PORTRAYS THE GREAT THINKERS OF ANCIENT GREECE. PLATO AND ARISTOTLE STAND IN THE CENTER. SADLY, RAPHAEL DIED YOUNG, ON HIS THIRTYSEVENTH BIRTHDAY.

MICHELANGELO MICHELANGELO'S FULL NAME WAS MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI. HE WAS BORN IN CAPRESE, ITALY, IN 1475. HE HAD A LONG AND SUCCESSFUL CAREER. BUT HE DIDN'T CONSIDER PAINTING HIS TRUE CALLING. HE THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS A SCULPTOR FIRST. HE LOVED WORKING IN

BEAUTIFUL ITALIAN MARBLE. BESIDES HIS FAMOUS STATUE, DAVID, IN FLORENCE, ANOTHER OF HIS GREAT WORKS IS ONE OF MARY HOLDING THE BODY OF JESUS. IT IS CALLED THE PIETà AND WAS COMPLETED WHEN HE WAS ONLY TWENTY-THREE. THE PIETà IS FILLED WITH A SAD TENDERNESS, BUT MICHELANGELO IS MAINLY KNOWN FOR CREATING STRONG, MUSCULAR FIGURES.

FOR A SCULPTOR, HOWEVER, HE IS MOST FAMOUS FOR PAINTING THE ENTIRE CEILING OF A CHAPEL FOR THE POPE IN ROME: THE CEILING OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL. IT TOOK HIM FOUR YEARS, WORKING ON A SCAFFOLD SIXTY FEET IN THE AIR. THE FRESCO COVERS THE STORIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT