Michelangelo
Michelangelo Buonarroti, one of the greatest artists of all time, was  not exactly a noble and humble man. Irritable, arrogant, and impatient, his  perfectionism and expectations drove away many potential friends, and even  provoked one would-be friend to hit him in the nose, crushing it "like a  biscuit." However, what's truly important for us today is that this man  ultimately became an artistic genius, mastering the three arts of the  Renaissance: sculpture, painting, and architecture. From his early years, when  he created thePieta(at age 25), to his 40 years of tormented work on a  monumental tomb for Pope Julius II, to his greatest masterpiece, the paintings  in the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo astounded people with his almost  otherworldly talent.Diane Stanley's well-researched, vivid narrative captures the life of the  creator of some of the world's most beautiful, heart-wrenching works of art. Her  illustrations are fantastically elaborate and include details of many of  Michelangelo's sculptures and paintings.Michelangelois a perfect  introduction to art and art history, with plenty of compelling background  information about the Renaissance and life in 15th and 16th century Italy.  Stanley has written many other award-winning picture-book biographies, includingLeonardo da VinciandCleopatra. (Ages 9 to 12)--Emilie Coulter--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.