How did Michelangelo fit into his time period?

Answer 1

Michelangelo really didn't fit in his time. First, he was a Neoplatonic and his paintings reflect that philosophy. The idea that man and God could meet as shown on the Sistine chapel ceiling is Neoplatonic philosophy in a time when the church taught that they were the only communication with God. Second, he lived alone and from all I have read was not social with others. He was rather complicated and preferred to be left alone. He seems to be oppressive about his art no matter what he was doing. While working on the Sistine he would redo a section if it didn't meet his standards and when the Pieta was placed in St. Peter's he hadn't signed it, but people speculated who did it. He went in at night and signed the sash cross Mary's dress. All of his life he lived very poorly and was often depressed. He died in 1564 just before his 89th birthday.