Painter, sculptor and architect of Florence, 1475 - 1564

	Michelangelo left besieged Florence and went to Ferrara, to study its famous fortifications, but "he was strongly urged to return home...and was sent a safe-conduct...He made up his mind to go back, at some risk to himself. He then started work on a marble figure, six feet high, showing Apollo drawing an arrow from his quiver, and he carried it almost to completion." I-372 Apollo (actually a David)
	"At that time Michelangelo was visited by a gentleman from Duke Alfonso of Ferrara, who had heard that Michelangelo had made for him an outstanding work...Michelangelo made him welcome and showed him the picture of Leda embracing the swan, with Castor and Pollux coming forth from the egg. The duke's go-between said to him 'Oh, but this is just a trifle'." I-372 Leda (after Michelangelo - much damaged and possibly by Rosso Fiorentino). The work is lost.
	"...his assistant Antonio Mini asked for the Leda, which Michelangelo readily gave him...[He took it with him to France and] sold it to the king of France, and it is now at Fontainebleau." Study of Antonio Mini for the Leda.
	Leda (engraving by Bos after Michelangelo)
	After the death of Pope Clement and the accession of Pope Paul, Michelangelo finally reached agreement with the executors of Pope Julius and "committed himself to paying for three other statues and having the tomb erected, and for this purpose he deposited 1580 ducats with the Strozzi bank. He now considered he had done enough to rid himself of that tedious and worrisome project." I-376 Tomb of Julius II
	"...in one of the niches he placed a figure of Leah, to represent the Active Life; in one hand she held a looking glass,...and in the other a garland of flowers..In the other niche he placed Leah's sister Rachel, representing the Contemplative Life." I-377 Leah and Rachel
	"Since he could hardly do otherwise, Michelangelo resolved to enter the service of Pope Paul, who wanted him to continue with the [Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel] commissioned by Pope Clement." I-378 The Last Judgement
	"...Pope Paul went to see it and asked his master of cereonies, Biagio da Cesena, what he thought of the painting. Biagio answered that...it was no work for a papal chapel but rather for the public baths and taverns. Michelangelo determined to have his revenge; he drew Biagio's portrait in the figure of Minos, shown with a great serpent curled round his legs, among a heap of demons in hell." I-379 Minos (with the features of Biagio da Cesena)