Sir Anthony Blunt: Michelangelo vs. Leonardo

Sir Anthony Blunt writes about the fundamental differences between Michelangelo and Leonardo. He uses writings from each of the artists to compare their painting styles.

Leonardo was fascinated with science and nature. His interests reflected in his paintings. Studies of the water and how it moved, mimicked the curls of his subjects which he painted. His backgrounds were given as much detail and consideration as his subjects. Leonardo wrote, "The good painter must paint principally two things, which are man and the ideas in the man's mind." His subjects were all painted with such skill and detail but all shared the same thing. He had a hard time trying to portray the ideas in the man's mind. Even with his struggles, he created some of the greatest paintings known to us today.

Michelangelo thought that the male form was divine beauty. He worked his entire life to perfect the male form. He drew and sculpted the form in every pose imaginable. Where Leonardo would fill the background with dramatic scenery, Michelangelo used the space to fill it with nude figures, which were actually angels, his divine beauty.