Michelangelo Buonarroti was an Italian artist, poet, and sculptor who is widely considered to be one of the greatest artists of all time. Born on March 6, 1475, in Caprese, Italy, Michelangelo showed an early aptitude for art, and by the age of 13, he had become an apprentice to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. Over the course of his long and storied career, Michelangelo produced some of the most iconic and influential works of art in human history. Early Life and Education Michelangelo was born into a family of modest means in the small village of Caprese, Tuscany. His father, Ludovico Buonarroti, was a government official and member of the Florentine Buonarroti family. Michelangelo's mother, Francesca di Neri del Miniato di Siena, died when he was only six years old. After his mother's death, Michelangelo was sent to live with a stonecutter's family in Settignano, where he learned the art of sculpture. At the age of 13, he began an apprenticeship with the painter Domenic...