Michelangelo-1 Part of “Creation of Sun and Moon”Michelangelo-1

Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in Florence in 1475, stands as one of the greatest artists in history, displaying mastery across multiple disciplines including sculpture, painting, architecture, engineering, and poetry. While he began his career primarily as a sculptor, he demonstrated equal brilliance in painting and architecture, showcasing magnificent skill and prodigious originality in each medium. His masterpieces, infused with theological and philosophical inspiration, are profound aesthetic expressions through the medium of the human body.

One striking aspect that sets Michelangelo apart from his contemporaries, such as Raphael, is his propensity to work alone and unaided. Even monumental tasks, like the painting of the entire ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, were undertaken solely by him. These intensely moving and awe-inspiring frescoes, along with the monumental fresco of the Last Judgment completed when he was in his sixties, had an unparalleled and immeasurable influence on the art of his time and subsequent centuries. Every artist attempting to convey heroic expression through the human form has been inspired by Michelangelo’s frescoes and sculptural masterpieces, such as the Pieta, David, Moses, and the statuary groups in the mausoleum of Lorenzo de Medici.

In his later years, Michelangelo’s long-pent emotions found expression in beautiful poetry, reminiscent of Shakespeare’s sonnets. His unconquerable heroic spirit and total dedication to his craft continue to command the admiration and respect of mankind. Michelangelo’s commitment to his work aligns closely with the spiritual values cherished by thinkers in India and the ideals of its ancient civilization.

The Posts & Telegraphs Department considers it a privilege to honor this great artist by issuing a commemorative stamp during 1975, commemorating his 500th birth anniversary.