Secondary sourceBook1912
The Life of Michael Angelo
Romain Rolland · 1912
Romain Rolland's 1912 English-translated biography of Michelangelo, offering a full study of his life and struggles.
A biography that interprets Michelangelo's life and art, useful for understanding how later writers saw him.
About this source
What it is
This is an English translation, published in 1912, of a biography of Michelangelo written by the French author Romain Rolland. It opens by describing one of Michelangelo's sculptures as a symbol for his whole life.
Why it matters
Written centuries after Michelangelo's death, this book is a secondary source that interprets his art and life for readers in the early twentieth century. It shows how later generations understood Michelangelo not just as a skilled artist but as a figure who suffered and struggled, using his statues as evidence of his inner life.
Look closer
- How does Rolland use a single statue to explain Michelangelo's whole character?
- What is the difference between a biography written after someone's death and the person's own words?
- What might Rolland have left out or exaggerated in telling this story?
This book is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Michelangelo Buonarroti on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.
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