Michelangelo considered by some art scholars to be the greatest sculptor and draftsman of all time, was one of the leading figures of the Italian Renaissance. Though there are many treasures dating from the sixteenth century that bear evidence to his talent as both artist and architect, Michelangelo is perhaps best known for the series of frescoes executed on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the private chapel of the popes inside the Vatican. His Last Judgment painting for the same chapel's altar wall is also considered one of the High Renaissance's most majestic achievements. A statue of David, completed in 1504 early in his career, quickly became the symbol of Florence's glorious political heritage, while one of his last projects, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, was to be copied by later architects for centuries thereafter. Michelangelo was one of the first artists to attain a...