"Michelangelo lived in interesting times (French invasions; the
Reformation) and Forcellino displays an excellent grasp of the
political and religious turmoil of the period and, as an art
historian-restorer, is as eloquent talking about techniques as he
is about composition and iconography."
The Observer
"What sets this biography apart is that its author is not merely
a historian but an art restorer as well, giving him deep insight
into materials and techniques that were such a major part of
Michelangelo's life. The author is appealingly novelistic in his
portrayal of the artist's quotidian life, lending a three
dimensionality to what could otherwise be a dry recital of dates
and artworks."
History Wire
"A breath-taking and even thrilling story offering much that is
brand new in an obviously crowded field ... these hands-on
descriptions of the colors of the paint, the surfaces, the details
of sculpture help us to see Michelangelo in a new and more informed
manner."
California Literary Review
"Authoritative on the life of Michelangelo."
Irish Examiner
"In this brilliant new biography by art historian and restorer
Antonio Forcellino the facts are disentagled from the myths."
Yorkshire Evening Post
"[Forcellino] succeeds in revealing why Michelangelo still
stands head-and-shoulders above his peers (and certainly his
twenty-first century successors)."
Diplomat
"Antonio Forcellino has written Michelangelo's biography as a
fascinating novel, but at the same time, it is carefully and well
documented by original source material. A thoroughly enjoyable and
recommendable read."
European Reveiw of History
"Combining a biographer's insight with a conservator's knowledge
of materials and techniques, Antonio Forcellino has written an
engaging study of the world's most famous sculptor, painter, and
architect."
William Wallace, Washington University
"Written as fluently as a novel, Forcellino's gripping narrative
combines new research on Michelangelo's life and vivid quotations
from his letters with a sharp sense of the artistic challenges to
which he responded and a restorer's close attention to technical
detail."
Peter Burke, University of Cambridge
"From the very first pages, this fascinating biography draws us
into the heart of the life of the greatest artist of
post-Antiquity, a life of privilege which nevertheless had its
share of burden and tragedy. As an art historian, Antonio
Forcellino is endowed with a fresher, sharper, more professional
and livelier outlook than most learned scholars. From his personal
experience, he knows the work on the scaffolding, regardless of the
height or season, as well as the techniques of the scalpel and the
fresco, the study of the human body and the endless negotiations
with clients of differing temperaments and moods. At the same time,
his fluent and lively account ably evokes Michelangelo's political,
economic and personal background, whilst penetrating the secrets of
Michelangelo's religiousness: this - occasionally desperate -
dialogue with the contradictory thought of contemporary theology
and this passionate search for a direct relationship with God which
are indispensable keys to the understanding of his works."
Christoph Luitpold Frommel, University of Rome
"Based on sources of the highest quality, this portrait of a man
obsessed with art, at once savage and yet fragile, does away with
the cobwebs that have gathered over time. Forcellino - who restored
Michelangelo's Moses - knows every inch of the marble with which
the artist battled."
Corriere della Sera
"With striking literary talent, Antonio Forcellino - one of the
greatest art historians and restorers in Europe - brings the man
and his times to life."
La Gazetta del Mezzogiorno
