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42 Portrait of Michelangelo

This portrait of the Italian Renaissance master Michelangelo is thought to have been painted by Baccio Bandinelli, a sculptor and contemporary of Michelangelo. Bandinelli is famous for his intense rivalry with Michelangelo, but the inscription at the bottom of the painting tells us that the work was painted when Michelangelo was around forty-seven years old. In other words, the piece dates to a time when the two were still on good terms. Michelangelo’s expression is stern, his penetrating gaze directed toward the viewer, his eyes hinting at his insatiable curiosity. Sculptors of this era sometimes wore turbans when working in order to prevent stone chips and dust from getting in their hair. This portrait evokes the image of a sculptor at work and masterfully captures the personality of Michelangelo, an artist who was a talented painter and architect but saw himself first and foremost as a sculptor.