Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564), known mononymously as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, and poet. Born in Caprese, Republic of Florence, he was active mainly in Rome from his 30s onward. His work, inspired by classical antiquity, profoundly influenced Western art. Michelangelo's contemporaries admired his terribilità, his ability to inspire awe.
Michelangelo achieved fame early in his career with sculptures like the Pietà and David, both completed before he turned 30. Although he considered himself a sculptor first, he also created two of the most influential frescoes in Western art: the Sistine Chapel ceiling and The Last Judgment. He also took on architectural projects, such as the Laurentian Library. Giorgio Vasari, a biographer, stated Michelangelo's work transcended all other artists and was "supreme in not one art alone but in all three". Michelangelo was the first Western artist to have his biography published during his lifetime.
