Raphael and Michelangelo

Introduction

The Renaissance period refers to years between 1400 and around 1600 that saw the revival of literacy and growth of knowledge. There was a tremendous growth of the art and the period saw emergence of various artists with Raphael and Michelangelo taking the center stage in terms of artistic skills due to their exemplary and unique pieces of art. There is a scholarly consensus that artistic works of these two artists have significantly contributed to the substitution of the savagery world with the modern civilization, as well as to the replacement of despair with a new breath of happiness. The artists used art as a key communication means to great effect.

Michelangelo

The artist remains the undisputed Renaissance legend owing to his unique ability to communicate human emotions through art. He is credited with carving the biggest sculpture in Italy. He greatly transformed the Renaissance societies in Rome by promoting knowledge with a bid to eradicate ignorance. He also stands out due to his effort to liberate the society through art. He advocated for liberty through art, challenging tyrannical leadership of the day. Michelangelo’s art placed high significance on celebrating the love for humanity. His art promoted the glory of a human body. He also made a remarkable contribution to the spread of religion through art, which made him the Renaissance art legend.

Michelangelo received credit for the exemplary work he did in coming up with the pieta that showed Mary the mother of Jesus holding her dead son in her arms. He achieved this when he was only 24 years old. His unique artistic skills earned him admiration of government officials who in turn tasked him to curve the sculpture of David, a task that he accomplished with great ease. He presented the biblical picture of David before he faced Goliath (Della Mirandola, Miller, and Wallis 68).

This kind of contributions to the religion during the Renaissance period helped to shape the legendary status of the artist. He generally made other significant contributions to the society that went straight to the national archives for preservation. Scholars agree that much of what individuals study today in art traces its origin to Michelangelo who is the Renaissance legend. The artist gave art a unique role in the Renaissance society as the medium of communication considering the fact that the media were not fully developed then as they are today.

Raphael

Raphael is another Renaissance legend owing to his unique abilities. Born from a painter in 1483, he began painting at a very tender age with his first task involving painting of startling Madonna and her entire royal family. He stands out as a Renaissance artist due to his unique ability of combining both color and modeling. He learnt this unique composition skill from Perugino. He used various landscapes in his works, which revealed his talent and exceptional abilities in the field of art.

Raphael’s popularity grew rapidly, which even saw him being summoned by the government that entrusted him with a papal commission holding much significance in the Renaissance period due to the influence that the Church had on the society (Jacoby and Sonnabend 22). Raphael also had a duty to present at least ten significant scenes from the New Testament. Though it posed a great challenge to the young artist, he eventually delivered quality work that shocked the entire world. Raphael perfected his skills in presenting a large narrative essay.

The artist was employed by big painting companies such as Papestry factory owned by Charles I. His paintings involved inclusion of a soft play of surrounding and illumination that reflected flesh and fabric. He also relied mostly on a neutral background that enabled individuals to make human characters the center of focus. Raphael painted the portrait of Castiglione, which earned him a name in the field of painting. Raphael earned his legendary status in the Renaissance period because he developed his skills from observation. There were no specialized classes that taught art and individuals merely learned everything from observation or apprenticeship (Goffen 12)

Conclusion

Michelangelo and Raphael stand out as Renaissance artists due to their great contributions to the field. The use of depth in the art works traces its origin back to these two artists. The use of a neutral background as portrayed by Raphael gave painting a new life altogether. The artists facilitated communication of emotions through painting, which is something that was very difficult at the time. The ruling class also used the artists to promote civilization in the Renaissance society. The two artists promoted civilization as it is today by painting innovation that was to come in the future. Their artistic works not only facilitated the spread of the Christianity, but also motivated non-believers to join the Church as biblical concepts could now be visualized by the faithful.

It explains why churches used paintings to add beauty to church walls. In brief, the two artists stand out as Renaissance artists due to their success in the field despite working under very difficult conditions. The works of the artists still have a place in the contemporary world proving that their paintings have stood the test of time. Their contribution to the art has transformed the society into what it is today. The two artists are cerebrated to this day as they established basic principles that even the modern art relies upon. It is upon this background that Michelangelo and Raphael take credit and title of Renaissance legends.