CONTENTS I MICHELANGELO'S CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH 6 From the Casentino Valley to the Court of Lorenzo the Magnificent 8 In the Medici Sculpture Garden 15 II THE END OF THE QUATTROCENTO 22 Michelangelo's Flight from Florence 24 The Artistic Breakthrough 34 III.EARLY CREATIVE YEARS IN FLORENCE 40 II Gigante: David-a Commission from the Republic 42 Doni Tondo and other Madonnas 51 FEATURE: DAVID AND ITS CONVOLUTED HISTORY 62 IV.THE FUNERARY MONUMENT FOR POPE JULIUS II 64 The Tragedy of the Tomb-Part One 66 The Tragedy of the Tomb-Part Two: The Long Road to San Pietro in Vincoli 70 V. THE VAULT FRESCOES OF THE SISTINE CHAPEL 82 .. .This is not my art84 FOLD-OUT: THE VAULT FRESCOES IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL FEATURE: THE RESTORATION OF THE VAULT FRESCOES IN THE SISTINE CHAPEL 122 VI.IN THE SERVICE OF THE MEDICI 124 The Medici Tombs in San Lorenzo 126 The Laurentian Library 145 Difficult Years in Florence 148 If I die by burning, I hope to rise again- Michelangelo and Tommaso de' Cavalieri150 VII. THE GREAT PAINTINGS OF THE MATURE YEARS 158 The dead seemed dead, the living seemed alive-The Last Judgment 160 I shall paint ill-content..- The Pauline Chapel Frescoes 180 VIII. THE NEW CONSTRUCTION OF ST. PETER'S IN ROME 186 The Largest Church in Christendom 188 Further Architectural Projects of the Late Period 196 FEATURE: RELIEVED OF A TROUBLESOME AND HEAVY BURDEN.. 202 IX THE LATE WORK 204 The Crucifixion and Lamentation of Christ- The Late Series of Work of the Drawings 206 The Marble Pietas210 Startling Modernity 217 List of Works Illustrated 220 Index of Names 222 Bibliography 223 Picture Credits 224 Fold-out chronology: MICHELANGELO AND HIS TIME