Michelangelo: Sculptor, Rebel, Reluctant Painter
Before Banksy or Basquiat, there was Michelangelo—part artist, part engineer, part stubborn workaholic who changed the course of art history while insulting half his peers.
👉 For all show notes & recommendations
Tours mentioned in the podcast:
👉 Pompeii, Positano, Amalfi Coast Day Trip from Rome
👉 Vatican After-Hours Small Group Tour
So who was Michelangelo really?
In this episode, we bust the myths (no, he didn’t paint the Sistine Chapel lying down), explore his rivalries with Leonardo and Raphael, and unpack why the guy who hated painting created two of the most famous paintings in history. From dissecting corpses in secret to carving David out of “useless” marble, this is the life of a man who worked alone, made enemies, and refused to compromise.
Why did he sign only one sculpture? Why was he obsessed with making both sides perfect— even the side no one would see? And what would Michelangelo think about AI art?
This is the episode where Uncle Bob walks away knowing:
Michelangelo considered himself a sculptor, not a painter
The Pietà was made when he was just 24—and it’s the only work he signed
David came from a block of marble other artists rejected
The Sistine Chapel ceiling nearly blinded him after 4 years of work
We also get into:
How illegal dissections gave him unmatched anatomical accuracy
Why the Last Judgment hid a 400-year-old “told you so” to his critics
What it was like to live and work with the Medici family as a teen
Why he had no apprentices—ever—and left no “Michelangelo school” behind
If you think Renaissance art is boring, this episode will change your mind—and maybe make you side-eye every ceiling you walk under.
