Study & Essay
Study Questions
How did Michelangelo's religious beliefs
influence his work? Discuss his religious life in relation to his
work, particularly his later work, with specific reference to the impact
of the Counter-Reformation.
Discuss the intellectual and spiritual
conflicts evident in Michelangelo's work, and how these relate
to High Renaissance ideals, particularly those of Neoplatonism.
Essay Topics
How did Michelangelo's homosexuality affect his art,
his poetry, and his psychological understanding of himself?
Discuss Michelangelo's long and complicated relationship
to the Medici family. Did they play a positive or negative role
in his career?
How are Michelangelo's architectural achievements similar
to his sculpture? How are they different?
What is the relationship between the Sistine Chapel
ceiling and the Last Judgment altarpiece? How
does the latter represent a change in Michelangelo's spiritual
perspective, and how is that change communicated?
What is meant by High Renaissance? Discuss this style's
departure from and similarities to the Early Renaissance, as well
as its effect on the artist's social and cultural role.
