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Monday, June 23, 2008

Who was Michelangelo?


Who was Michelangelo?

Michelangelo (1475 – 1564) is responsible for the beautiful paintings the vault on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. The painting, consisting of scenes from the Bible, covers an area of 1500 square metres. Michelangelo started its work in 1508. It is said that he suffered pain in his neck, from bending his head back, for years after he had finished it.


Michelangelo was not only the greatest artist, but also an architect, poet and a sculptor. One of his most famous sculptures is the Virgin Mary holding the body of Jesus. Pieta and the statue of David are great works of art.


It is said that Michelangelo’s genius is not just great natural talent, but also a supernatural ability to work towards perfection. He spent forty years on the tomb of his patron Pope Julius II, and never finished it to his satisfaction

Who painted the Mona Lisa?


Who painted the Mona Lisa?

The most famous painting in the world – the Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci. It is housed in the Louvre Museum, Paris (France). It is the picture of a young woman with a mysterious smile. Leonardo da Vinci had painted the portrait on a flat surface but it is almost as if the young woman were alive.


Leonardo da Vinci was a true Renaissance man, some say, because he was always experimenting with things. In painting, he always experimented with new materials and because he did this, he left a lot of work unfinished. His mind was brimming over with new ideas and he carried a notebook with him where he drew pictures of machines and engines of war. Leonardo even designed a submarine and a flying machine. Many of these remained on paper and were never built, but this proves fact remains his mind was far ahead of his time.

Why was Vasco da Gama’s journey to India so important?


Why was Vasco da Gama’s journey to India so important?

Spices and other valuable goods from India reached Europe from very ancient times. However, goods from India had to travel a long way through sea and land to reach Europe. Trading merchants had to cross the Arabian and Red Sea, and also an overland route through Central Asia. This took a lot of time and effort, making goods from India highly expensive and rare. When the Turks captured Constantinople in 1453, the excluded the Europeans from the trade with the East, by closing the old link between Europe and Asia.


Europeans were keen to find an alternate route to India. In 1488 Bartolemeu Diaz, a Portuguese explorer sailed round the Cape of Good Hope, the southern tip of Africa. This important achievement helped in finding a sea-route to India.


In 1497, Vasco da Gama, a Portuguese sailor was chosen by King Manuel I of Portugal to lead an expedition to find a sea route to India. In July 1497, Gama left Lisbon with four ships. He rounded the Cape of Good Hope, and sailed up to Kenya. From there, he crossed the Indian Ocean, and in April 1498, he landed in India at Calicut, Kerala.


Gama’s new trade route helped open trade between Europe and Asia. It also made Portugal a great power in the 16th century.


Many explorers followed the route that Vasco da Gama had discovered. Portuguese trading posts were established in East Africa and on the west coast of India. Goa was Portugalis chief colony in India, and it remained under Portuguese control till the Indian Government took it over in 1961