Michelangelo: A Life in Six Masterpieces

While this breezy biography by art historian Unger (Machiavelli: A Biography) contributes little that is new to the subject, the casual reader (or prospective tourist) could do worse than pick up this highly readable book, if only for pleasing explanations of Michelangelo’s well-known works. Consulting the artist’s letters and sonnets, and early biographers Vasari and Ascanio Condivi, Unger weaves a familiar narrative about an ambitious sculptor, painter, and architect who elevated the artist’s status from laborer to demigod, mostly under the patronage of five popes: Julius II, Leo X, Clement VII, Paul III, and Julius III. But the book’s real interest lies in Michelangelo’s art, and six works in particular, including the Pieta, the Sistine Chapel fresco, and St. Peter’s Basilica. Unger, who can be relied upon for illuminating turns of phrase, reminds readers why Michelangelo’s work matters. He explains, for example, how the The Last Judgment was an unconventional subject in the contented era of the Renaissance, and describes how Michelangelo’s version opposes that leisure and optimism, rendering individuals naked and vulnerable to the end of days, while also casting doubt on orthodox institutions as mediators and spiritual guides. Similarly, for those readers who want to know why the Pieta was controversial or the significance of David, Unger’s biography will be delightfully informative. Eight-page, four-color insert, b&w photos. Agent: Alexander Hoyt, Alexander Hoyt Associates. (July)