William E. Wallace

In this vividly written biography, William E. Wallace offers a substantially new view of Michelangelo.

The Artist, the Man and His Times

Michelangelo

Giovanni Garcia-Fenech 

While I enjoyed this breezy biography, I wish it had been more substantial when it came to describing Michelangelo's art; it's difficult to see what he contributed to the Renaissance from the mostly superficial descriptions of his work in the book. Wallace spends much more time describing contracts, logistics, and Michelangelo's testy relationship with his nephew, which is understandable because the book is based on the artist's correspondence, but it ends up minimizing his achievements. I would have appreciated a more indepth analysis of Michelangelo's feelings towards the art of his peers - particularly Raphael and Da Vinci, who only receive surprisingly brief mentions. 

As for the supposedly important new angle that Michelangelo considered himself an aristocrat, it doesn't affect our view of his work or life substantially, though it does help explain some of his behavior towards his patrons. More interesting was Wallace's debunking of the popular representation of Michelangelo as an antisocial hermit. The book makes clear that he had many significant friendships and that he was gracious and often generous.

I would recommend this biography but would urge readers to supplement it with another book that considers Michelangelo's art more closely, such as Ross King's "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling."

Michelangelo The Artist, the Man and His Times