In this episode, we examine the life of Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, the archetype of the "Renaissance man" and a figure whose influence on Western art is unparalleled. Known to his contemporaries as Il Divino ("the divine one"), Michelangelo achieved fame early, sculpting two of the world’s most renowned masterpieces, the Pietà and David, before the age of thirty. We trace his journey from the Medici gardens in Florence to the heart of the Vatican, exploring how a man who claimed to live "like a poor man" despite his vast wealth created works of overwhelming grandeur .

Join us as we discuss:

• The Reluctant Painter: How Michelangelo, identifying primarily as a sculptor, was maneuvered by rivals into painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling—a task intended to ensure his failure tha ...