Michelangelo ⁽⁴⁾

Michelangelo Buonarroti, the ultimate Renaissance rockstar (minus the leather jacket), was an Italian sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, born in 1475. If there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that he was a man of many talents—but it’s his mastery of marble that really made him a legend. Michelangelo could carve figures out of stone like he was unveiling them from within, as if the marble itself was just waiting to be released.

His most famous work? David, the towering marble statue of the biblical hero that stands as a symbol of both athleticism and human perfection. People flock to see it in Florence like it’s the art equivalent of a rock concert. The detail in David’s muscles is so precise you could almost hear the marble flexing.

But let’s not forget the Sistine Chapel, the ceiling of which Michelangelo painted between 1508 and 1512. (We’re talking back-breaking, neck-craning, don’t-look-down work.) He painted over 300 figures, including the iconic Creation of Adam where God and Adam’s fingers are just about to touch—a moment so perfect, it’s as if they’re about to high-five. The Sistine Chapel ceiling didn’t just define a generation of artists; it redefined what could be done with a paintbrush and a prayer.

Despite all his accomplishments, Michelangelo was famously a bit of a perfectionist—possibly even an artistic drama queen. He fought with patrons, including Pope Julius II, about artistic direction, and he rarely took on commissions unless he was absolutely certain he’d have creative control. Still, his passion and relentless pursuit of perfection are exactly what elevated him to the status of a true artistic titan.

In short, Michelangelo wasn’t just a great artist—he was a legend whose work continues to inspire awe centuries later. If there were an artistic Hall of Fame, he’d be the first to get inducted, and probably still argue about where his statue should go.