Michelangelo throughout his life, starting from the earlier Florentine works, had a fruitful relationship with the classical world: unlike Raphael, however, he never felt an artist-archaeologist. Instead, Michelangelo has always felt himself in contention with the ancients, in the constant attempt to overcome their results, even though they were considered perfect.
Prof. Vincenzo Farinella (Professor of History of Modern Art at University of Pisa), through some exemplary cases, will show how freely Michelangelo has moved towards the venerable classical models, interweaving with the ancient masterpieces a competition of continuous emulation.