Michelangelo Buonarroti was born in the Italian village of Caprese on March 6, 1475.
Michelangelo was an artist, sculptor, poet and architect.
Michelangelo at 23 yrs. old created 1st masterpiece Pieta, a larger than life sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the crucified Jesus.
1501 Michelangelo met Leonardo da Vinci
1505 Michelangelo summoned by Pope Julius II to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. Completed nine scenes from the Old Testament in 1511.
Other work by Michelangelo includes: Moses sculpture and
Vatican frescoes The Crucifixion of Saint Peter and the Conversion of Saint Paul
Michelangelo died in 1564
Leonardo da Vinci born in 1452 in small village of Vinci near Florence in central Italy. Died 1519
Studied anatomy, astronomy, botany, geology, and worked as an engineer, as well as a painter.
Drew devices such as moveable crane, forging machine, and various flying machines. (Weakness of design of flying machines was the lack of a power source strong enough to lift them off the ground.)
As a painter finest work The Last Supper, showing Christ and the 12 apostles. In the painting, each of apostles reacts differently to the news that one of them will betray Christ.
Mona Lisa, known for her natural pose and mysterious smile.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/vasari1.html
http://longman.awl.com/kishlansky/links_11.htm