Lecture by Dr. Christopher Fulton, Associate Professor; Director of Graduate Studies in Art History at the University of Louisville
This lecture explores the achievement, influence and reputation of Michelangelo Buonarroti, who was called in his day "il divino"—the divine one—for his apparently superhuman capabilities. What is the reality, and what is the myth, behind this giant figure in the history of art? What precisely makes him stand out, and distinguishes him from all artists who preceded or followed. By examining his artistic process, we inquire into the special nature of his "genius"; a critical term that was developed in the sixteenth century around his example. And we ponder the quality of his "greatness"; What does that term mean for us? What sense and value does it have? And on what grounds can we ascribe greatness to a visual artist?