Michelangelo - 'The true work of art is but a shadow of the divine perfection.'

Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Michelangelo Buonarroti was born on 6th March 1475 in Caprese, Italy. A few weeks after his birth his family moved to Florence.

In 1488 he became an apprentice to the painter Domenico Ghirlandaio. He then lived in the household of Lorenzo de' Medici, the leading patron of the arts and ruler of Florence. In 1496, the Medici were expelled from Florence, Michelangelo then travelled to Bologna and then Rome.In 1497, he was able to make a name for himself after his 'Pieta'. He then returned to Florence. Here produced one of his most famous pieces, 'David' 1501-1504.

He was recalled to Rome in 1505 by Pope Julius II to design Julius' tomb. However, the project was never completed because of quarrels between Julius and Michelangelo, and other projects he had going on at the sametime. Michelangelo was later commissioned to do the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican (1508-1512).

The new Pope, Leo X, commissioned Michelangelo to rebuild the facade of the church of San Lorenzo in Florence. However, it was later abandoned, but it was the beginning of Michelangelo's activities as a architect. Michelangelo also designed monuments to Giuliano and Lorenzo de Medici in the Medici Chapel in San Lorenzo. 

Michelangelo making
'David' 1501-1504

In 1534, Michelangelo returned to Rome, he was then commissioned to paint 'The Last Judgement' on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel (1537-1541). In 1546 he worked on the great church of St. Peter's.

He the died in Rome on 18th February 1564.

Lord Kitchener - Your Country Needs You!

Lord Kitchener
(1850-1916)

Horatio Kitchener was born on the 24th June 1850 in County Kerry, Ireland. He was educated in Switzerland and at the Royal Military Academy in Woolwich. 

In 1871 he joined the Royal Engineers. Between 1884-1885 he took part in a unsuccessful operation to relieve General Charles Gordon at Khartoum. In 1898 he was appointed Governor General of eastern Sudan. In 1898 he was made Governor of Sudan after he succeed in the reoccupation of Khartoum.

In 1900 he was appointed chief of staff to Lord Roberts, the commander of the Boer War. Kitchener later had to deal with the Boer resistance after Roberts was recalled back to England. The one of the measures he put in place was the use of a civilian prison camp - the first ever use of the term 'Concentration Camp'.

Lego Lord Kitchener's
enlistment poster.

In 1902 after he returned to England, he was made Viscount and Commander-In-Chief of India. In 1911 he became proconsul of Egypt, served there and in Sudan until 1914. In 1914 he was appointed Earl, before war broke out. He was then made Secretary of State for War. Unlike many others, Kitchener saw that the war was likely to last for years, so he started to enlist and train huge numbers of volunteers. 

As many of his cabinet colleagues did not share is warship ideas, he was relieved of his responsibilities. He later lost further reputation over his support of the failed Dardanelles operation and the 'Shell Crisis' of 1915. 

On the 5th June 1916 he drowned, when his ship, HMS Hampshire was sunk by a mine near the Orkney Islands, on his way to Russia on a mission.