Michelangelo stands as a unique, almost mythic, presence in the history of art. For many, he embodies the Italian Renaissance and his work stands as its most eloquent expression. Although he was probably the most influential visual artist who ever lived, Michelangelo was as comfortable composing verse as he was sculpting stone, and as meticulous in supervising the details of quarrying the marble for his statues as in crafting the details that adorn his architectural masterpieces. Michelangelo - The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture brings the artist and his remarkable work to life with particular clarity. In a rich weave of images and text, each chapter offers an intimate look at the artist's expression in a different medium. This volume includes beautiful photographs of Michelangelo's works, but here also are never before seen details of his sculpture and architecture that invite us to linger. The black-and-white photographs printed in lush duotones that add depth, show, in the marks of the chisel, the hand of Michelangelo at work - the rough but deliberate strokes of a man struggling to express himself in an unyielding and unforgiving medium. And the smallest detail on his architecture, usually seen only from a distance, is close at hand. Michelangelo's precisely formed cornices, scrolls, capitals, and other embellishments - whether enhancing a small window or a majestic dome - are transformed into miniature sculptures worthy of their own study. Michelangelo never considered himself to be a painter. Here, seen in their fully restored splendor, the Sistine Chapel frescoes and the Last Judgment are magnificent evidence to the contrary. The images of these masterpieces - the great prophets and sages of the Old Testament - are printed on delicate rice paper that simulates the texture of fresco, allowing us to encounter the figures with extraordinary immediacy. William Wallace's text combines biography and commentary in a moving, humanizing portrait of the artist. We come to know Michelangelo as a man who walked the streets of Italy during one of the greatest artistic and scientific eras in history, and whose lifetime, and consequently his output, spanned twice that of most of his contemporaries. We meet the young artist, born to privilege, who argued with his father over his career choice and with some of his most powerful patrons over commissions; whose tremendous successes were matched by repeated frustrations; whose deep religious faith was equaled by his devotion to his friends; and who, although revered as genius during his lifetime, questioned his own ability and subsequently left works unfinished. Michelangelo - The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture is a visual and literary treasure, an opportunity to view Michelangelo's work as never before, and to more fully understand the artist who, through his work, spoke of his life and his times." --