Da Vinci vs. Michelangelo: The Story of Their Rivalry
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In 1504, a fierce rivalry was beginning to heat up in Florence Italy.
Leonardo Da Vinci had just finished the Mona Lisa and was known as the greatest living artist of his time. He was on top, so its not surprising that he wasn’t very welcoming to his newest competition...
A prodigy artist that was 20 years younger than him started making serious waves in the arts, and wasn’t shy about challenging Da Vinci’s status as the best in Florence: His name was Michealaneglo.
To put it simply: They couldn’t stand each other.
The Competition at Palazzo Vecchio
Tensions peaked after Michelangelo finished the statue of David and was commissioned to paint a wall at the townhall of Florence. Ironically, Da Vinci had also received a commission there, on the opposite wall.
This was a direct competition — and created complete disdain, hatred, and paranoia between the two.
A loss to the world of art
You’d think this rivalry would inspire both artists to bring their best. That these two heavyweight artists would have created one of the greatest art displays in all of history... Unfortunatley, this story has a very anticlimactic ending.
Neither artist ever even finished painting their wall.
Turns out, the two greatest Renaissance artists were normal humans. Petty, insecure, and egotistical when it came to facing competition.