Portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti

Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1475 in Caprese near Arezzo, Tuscany, where his father was then working. Shortly, the family returned to Florence, a city which, for a long time, was to become Michelangelo’s home. He received his artistic training in the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio and acquainted himself with ancient sculpture from the rich collections in the de’ Medici Garden of San Marco. The powerful ruler Lorenzo Magnifico soon noticed the young man’s artistic talents and took him under his patronage. Rome was Michelangelo’s second most important place of residence. The papal city offered the artist outstanding commissions, in which he proved himself to an extent that surpassed all expectations. The engraving was made after a painted portrait by Marcello Venusti, which was a copy after an original portrait by Jacopino del Conte (around 1540). The print, however, seems to be made after 1564, the year of Michelangelo’s death.