(B)Michelangelo was a younger contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci andlike da Vinci, was a genius. Although his range of talents wasn't aswide as da Vinci's (he focused only on painting and sculpture), thework that he produced was certainly the equal of the older man's. Heis probably best known for two works: the fresco on the ceiling ofthe Sistine Chapel and his sculpture entitled simply David. 

      AlthoughMichelangelo was born into a noble family, he spent his early life ina small town where his father owned a marble quarry and a farm. Herehe lived with a sculptor and his wife who influenced the youngMichelangelo greatly. He later told his biographer that any skill hehad as a sculptor came about because he "sucked in chisels andhammers with my mother's milk."

    Bythe time Michelangelo was 15, he had already come to the attention ofLorenzo de Medici, the famous patron of the arts and ruler of theItalian city of Florence. Lorenzo paid Michelangelo to producesculptures for him and the young man'sreputation quickly spread. In 1500, a group in Florence suggestedthat he might be the man to finish a project started 40 years beforeby another sculptor. Michelangelo accepted and in 1504 he completedwhat is probably his most famous piece: David. This statue stillstands in Florence.

     However,at the same time that Michelangelo was carving David from a block ofmarble, he was also working for Pope Julius II in Rome. Havingcommissioned Michelangelo to build his tomb, Pope Julius constantlyinterrupted this work by asking Michelangelo to sculpt or paint otherthings for him. One of these side-projects became the second mostfamous of Michelangelo's works─the incredible frescoes on theceiling of the Sistine Chapel─which took four years to complete.

     Michelangelodied in 1564, before the Pope's tomb was finished, but not beforeproducing works of such great quality that they inspire awe, even 500years later.