Michelangelo's Tormented Genius

Michelangelo carved the Pietà at twenty-three and the David at twenty-six — two of the most celebrated sculptures in history before his thirtieth birthday. He viewed himself primarily as a sculptor, and resented being forced to paint the Sistine ceiling, writing bitter poetry about the physical agony the project caused.

He spent four years (1508-1512) standing on scaffolding, head tilted back to reach the curved ceiling. The strain was real — his eyes and neck ached, and he poured the misery into bitter poetry — though the eye trouble faded once the work was finished. Contrary to legend, he did not paint lying on his back. The result justified the suffering.