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
Author/Illustrator Mike Venezia has been getting to know the world’s greatest artists for as long as he can remember. A graduate of The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Mike believes the best way to introduce children to art and artists is through fun. If children can look at art in a fun way, and think of artists as real people, the exciting world of art will be open to them for the rest of their lives. 
Recounts the life of the famous sculptor, painter, poet, and architect who flourished during the Italian Renaissance.
