How did the bible influence Michelangelo’s work?

Lexxi: How did the bible influence Michelangelo’s work?
I have to do an essay on how the bible influenced Michelangelo’s work, and i know he did the Sistine Chapel and what not, but does anyone have a good link that expands about the bible influencing him? Can’t find anything on Google… thanks :]

Answers and Views:

Answer by JG
look up his ties to the catholic church…..i think his work was more based on the church holding great power at the time

Answer by Mr. Man
Michaelangelo was well-paid, one of the most expensive artists around — and somebody had to pay him!

The people who paid him were very rich, and wanted to influence public opinion to help make sure they would keep their power and influence in public life. (Check out the Medici family on Wikipedia.) Michaelangelo lived in a time and place where Catholicism was the unchallenged religion of the people, and the Medici family was always trying to rise in power within the church… for them, patronizing Michaelangelo was almost like owning MTV — people loved to see his stuff and he was incredibly popular.

Michaelangelo created art using biblical subjects mainly because he was paid to do so. And it’s a good thing he did — otherwise he would never have been able to buy all the marble and other materials for his art — and we wouldn’t be able to experience his heartbreaking genius.

Answer by Giacommo P
Well you are not going to find a website that says “michelangelo was influenced by the following verse and we ca see it in this painting.” Michelangelo was largely superstitious, if he were alive today he would say he is not influenced but rather inspired by god. He felt that god had given him the ability to create art, so Michelangelo returned the favor and dedicated his work to god. Unlike his contemporary Leonardo, Michelangelo was far less analytical of nature and only really cared about representing the human figure. This again occurs to manifest and exalt the main creation of god which is man. The David for example, is a very stylized view on man. Michelangelo sculpted him not young as was the convention but already in adult form. He makes him in this form because he represent not only the Italian state but the contemporary perspective of man in relation to god. Here man is tall, big, in beautful proportions ready and determined to take on any challenge.
If you are looking for something in specific where Michelangelo interprets the bible we have to digg a little more. In the Moses for example
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we can see that he has horns. This was from an erroneous mistranslation of the bible where it says that Moses had rays of light coming of from his head. However on a latin translation the word cornuta is used which means horned. Here Michelangelo used the literal translation and gives Moses horns, whereas a halo would have been more appropriate.
Michelangelo was inspired by god, and if you read a biography on him on the net you will find how this inspiraton lead to sculpt the pieta, moses, the christ, as well as paint the ceiling of the sistine chapel and the last judgement.