Michelangelo, an Italian renaissance artist who was the creator of many beautiful pieces that are still of renown today, has further inspired my interest in illustration and in anatomy.

Michelangelo developed his artistry and skills first through becoming an apprentice of another artist. He also had the opportunity to experiment with many different types of mediums. This helped him discover his natural talent for sculpting. Like Michelangelo I learned and have pushed myself to become a better artist by seeking opportunities to develop my artistic skills and learn more about various art mediums. I have already done this by taking art courses in high school and I have explored the use of several different illustration mediums. Recently I tried painting with makeup for the first time! I plan to continue my studies of illustration and hopefully sculpture as well at Loyola Chicago this fall.

But Michelangelo wasn’t just known for his art. He was a very intelligent anatomist among other things. Michelangelo’s vast knowledge of human anatomy influenced me to pursue the study of human anatomy in the Biomedical Program which is offered at Bel Air High School. Michelangelo’s detailed and very anatomically proportional sketches of the human body were due to his hands-on experience with the human body. He would analyze the human body through the dissection of human cadavers in science labs. At Loyola Chicago, I will be studying to become a nurse. This program will allow me to gain hands on experience like Michelangelo and to further develop my skills as an artist.

Michelangelo, although very talented, was very critical of his own work so he would destroy his work that he wasn’t satisfied with. Through his mistakes, I have learned to not destroy my artwork because it may become important to me or others in the future. I will also learn from Michelangelo’s failure to accept help when he needed it. Michelangelo could have created much more art but he refused the help of assistants.

Michelangelo is especially inspiring to me because he was able to find success in all of his passions. By learning from his life, I hope to find success and make a living through both art and science. Maybe you will see my illustrations in an anatomy book one day!