Michelangelo's World

VOYA

Michelangelo was among the world's most famous artists of sculpture, painting, and architecture. He also penned hundreds of poems and sonnets. This homage in sonnets to Michelangelo speaks of his childhood, his works, and the people who influenced his life. His apprenticeship in painting landed him an invitation to live with Lorenzo de' Medici in his family palace where Michelangelo established notoriety as a sculptor. He would later create one of the greatest artistic masterpieces when commissioned by the pope to paint the Sistine Chapel. There were many obstacles faced by Michelangelo in painting the chapel. Sonnets describe the weather conditions and the toll to Michelangelo's well being and also touch on the creation of his other notable works, from the sculptures David and Moses to the architecture of St. Peter's Basilica. A tribute to the artistry of Michelangelo, this book is a depiction of his illustrious life through Lewis's poetry. The language of the poetry, however, is stagnant, with little creativity to hold reader attention. Sidebars reiterate each sonnet's content into factual detail, but the information is sparingly brief and can not be used for extensive research. With its elaborate illustrations of artwork and drawings, at first glance this book appears to be written for children, but the language and content is more suitable for high school readers. Most readers would skim the facts, finding some interest in the illustrations, but the images are better seen in an art book on Michelangelo's works. The rich detailed pictures are the only noteworthy portion of the book. Reviewer: Laura Panter

Children's Literature - Barbara L. Talcroft

Painter, sculptor and architect Michelangelo (1475—1564) also wrote poetry, including sonnets. To acquaint young art lovers with this High Renaissance artist, poet Lewis offers, in his words, "a small homage in sonnets to Michelangelo's world," accompanied by notes and illustrated with photographs of Michelangelo's most famous works. A lovely map in pastels identifies significant places in Tuscany, while Lewis traces Michelangelo's life from his birth near Florence, through his studies with Ghirlandaio and the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici to his later career in Rome as a painter of frescoes and architect of the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. Large, clear reproductions and photos will acquaint viewers with a number of magnificent works: sculptures like the Pieta, David, and Moses; the Doni Tondo; scenes from the ceiling of the Sistine chapel, including the interior and exterior of the dome, finished after Michelangelo's death; and several drawings like Study of Warrior's Head and Ideal Head (red chalk). To give an idea of Michelangelo's world and relationships with contemporaries, Lewis includes notes and engravings or paintings of figures like Savonarola, Pope Julius II, Vittoria Colonna, and Pope Paul III. While Lewis's sonnets may not appeal to all (their quality is uneven, though sometimes felicitous), the poems will introduce readers to the sonnet in several forms. For example, On Love is written in the traditional abab, cdcd, efef, gg scheme. The beautifully-produced volume is a labor of love, making it a most attractive introduction to the life and work of this Renaissance genius. Reviewer: Barbara L. Talcroft

School Library Journal

Gr 7 Up
Lewis's effort to elucidate the life and times of Michelangelo through original sonnets is not entirely successful. This adulatory tribute encompasses the artist's birth and death, apprenticeship to Ghirlandaio, relationship to the Medici family and assorted popes and cardinals, major works, and love poems to two friends: one male, one female. The format is too brief to present much information, so sidebars-which block some of the art and prove redundant-attempt to fill the gaps. Most teens will not have the patience to work through the iambic pentameter, and considering the opacity of some of the references, comprehension will be compromised. While much of the art is handsomely reproduced, other pages suffer from lack of focus or poor color editing. Images are identified with a phrase, but novices will not know which art is actually by Michelangelo unless they search the fine print on the copyright page. A penetrating portrait by Etienne Delessert graces the cover, and a brief bibliography completes the volume. Several of Michelangelo's own poems and letters appear in Adele Richardson's Michelangelo (Creative Co., 2006); it has a stronger narrative and design, reference aids, and crisp illustrations. In both volumes, however, some Sistine Chapel details are devoid of their post-restoration vibrancy, depriving viewers of Michelangelo's marvelous palette.
—Wendy LukehartCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.