Introducing Michelangelo

Renaissance Italy unfolds handsomely here in this overview of the artist's life and work. Following a brief prologue printed over snippets from his oeuvre--a manuscript fragment, St. Peter's dome and the head of David all crumbling out of an ancient plaster wall--the master's 89 years are compellingly--if rapidly--presented in a well-chosen assortment of vignettes and historical asides. Groupings of elegant Medicis, stern popes and thriving city-states float across the pages in a glittering display of contemporary local talent, providing a historical context in which to better grasp Michelangelo's times and his influence on them. Richmond's ambitious text explores the influence of classical Greece and Rome, the symbiotic relationship between artists and their wealthy patrons and the Sistine Chapel restoration; only occasionally does her evocation of Michelangelo's world threaten to dwarf the artist. In the two pages devoted to David Michelangelo's light shines the most brightly, with no distractions. A well-done introduction for children and primer for future art appreciation classes. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)