If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all.
~ Michelangelo
Michelangelo di Lodovico Bonarroti more commonly known as Michelangelo was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect, poet and engineer. He was the typical Renaissance man. He was considered the greatest living artist in his lifetime and has also been hailed as one of the greatest artists of all time.
The Renaissance period spanned from the 14th to the 17th century. It was a cultural movement that meant "to be reborn" in Italian. This was because the movement embraced a revival of learning, helped with the development of linear perspective in painting and started educational reform. The Renaissance period is best known for it's artistic developments and contributions by men such as Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
Here's a little fun fact: Before Michelangelo died, he attempted to have all his drawings burned. He considered them as inferior and produced them solely for the purpose of preparing his sculptures and paintings.
This piece is of Andrea Quaratesi and is the only known "portrait drawing" of Michelangelo's to have survived.
"Portrait Drawing" of Andrea Quaratesi
Here are some other famous pieces by Michelangelo:
Sculptor of David
Close-up of Sistine ceiling