Casa Buonarroti
Florence, Italy
Artworks
Madonna of the Stairs
An early relief sculpture by Michelangelo, created when he was about 16 years old. Notable for the extraordinary muscular back and right arm of the Christ Child, foreshadowing Michelangelo's later mastery of the human form. The technique shows the influence of Donatello's schiacciato (very shallow relief), which Michelangelo studied during his time in the Medici garden. Despite its small size (55.5 x 40 cm), the composition feels monumental, with the Virgin's powerful, muscular arms and contemplative pose anticipating Michelangelo's mature style. Children play on stairs in the background—hence the name.
Battle of the Centaurs
A marble relief depicting the mythological battle between the Lapiths and Centaurs, created when Michelangelo was about 17 and living in the household of Lorenzo de' Medici. The dynamic composition of intertwined nude figures demonstrates his early interest in the human form in motion. This was the last work Michelangelo created while under the patronage of Lorenzo de' Medici, who died shortly after its completion. The subject was suggested to Michelangelo by the classical scholar and poet Poliziano, inspired by a classical relief created by Bertoldo di Giovanni. Though unfinished, it demonstrates Michelangelo's fascination with movement and human anatomy that would characterize his mature work.
