The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti

Disputed family traditions and a father's birth record open John Addington Symonds's account of Michelangelo. Symonds examines the Buonarroti name, questions a claim of noble ancestry and places the artist's birth at Caprese. The biography follows his life through Florence, Bologna and Rome, with chapters on sculpture, painting, architecture and poetry. The David and the Sistine vault appear within a chronology that connects artistic work with patrons, commissions and changes of residence.

The account also shows how difficult a life can be to reconstruct from surviving documents. Discussing Michelangelo's flight from Florence to Venice, Symonds compares historians' reports with letters and an expense note whose date presents a problem. Payments for rent, furniture, shoes and board bring everyday needs into the historical account. Readers interested in art history can follow both the range of Michelangelo's work and the evidence used to explain his circumstances.