Michelangelo

Estelle May HurllProject Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 125K words
Chapters: 13

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Michelangelo by Estelle M. HurllAuthor: Hurll, Estelle M. (Estelle May), 1863-1924,Language: English, Class: N: Fine Arts, Release Date: Dec 3, 2005

Editor's review

This is Estelle M. Hurll's introduction to Michelangelo for general readers, a representative example of early art writing for a popular audience. Its value lies not in the latest scholarship but in clear, approachable prose that links Michelangelo's life with his major works, helping readers form a basic understanding of High Renaissance art. Hurll's writing has the warmth of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century popularisation, emphasising how works look and what the artist was like—a first stepping stone into art history. As an English public-domain eBook, it also lets readers encounter an earlier style of art writing. Reading alongside images of the works or a museum visit works best. It is better as a supplementary introduction than as a research reference.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Michelangelo and Renaissance art who want an overall impression first
Students or self-learners needing a concise English introduction to art
Travellers planning museum visits who want advance background on the works
Readers who enjoy the style of earlier popular writing and want English reading practice

Not a good fit for

Professional art historians needing the latest scholarship, notes and image analysis
Readers wanting many high-resolution plates and a detailed catalogue of works
Readers unused to English who expect a Chinese translation

Reading tips

Skim the table of contents, divide the reading into stages of the artist's life, and review images of the relevant works after each chapter.
Prepare a list of Michelangelo's major works and look up images when you reach the relevant passages.
Use the book as background before visiting a museum or church, then review it afterwards through images on site or in online collections.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no art history background?

Yes. Hurll wrote for general readers, in plain language, following the life and works without relying on jargon. Anyone with a basic interest in Michelangelo can read it smoothly; understanding is fuller with images of the works.

Is this a complete biography or a study of the works?

Both, but it leans toward linking the works through the life. It outlines Michelangelo's life stages and main creations with descriptions of how the works look—an introductory overview rather than an in-depth analytical monograph.

What should I keep in mind reading a public-domain eBook?

This is an English public-domain eBook, and the early writing style differs somewhat from today's; some proper-name spellings may vary. Read it for framework and background, and check specific historical details against newer Chinese or English sources.

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About the author

Estelle May Hurll Author · American · 1863–1924

Estelle M. Hurll (1863–1924) was an American writer on art, born in New Bedford, Massachusetts. She graduated from Wellesley College, where she later taught ethics. She then turned to writing about art for a general readership, producing a series of accessible guides to appreciation that discussed artists such as Michelangelo, Raphael, Correggio, Reynolds and Jean-François Millet, and also treated Greek sculpture, child life in art and the Madonna in art. Thirteen of her works are held in this collection, mostly classed under inspirational and personal growth. Her plain, approachable style encourages readers to understand both the form and the feeling of works of art, and her books played a modest part in early twentieth-century American art education.