Michelangelo Buonarroti is undeniably one of the greatest artists in history. He was born in 1475 and lived until the ripe age of 88. He considered himself primarily a sculptor, but he also produced some of the greatest fresco paintings, architecture, and poetry of the Italian Renaissance. What made Michelangelo great? What was his secret to creating so many great works of art? I’m sure the answer to this question is quite complex, but we will look at an episode from Michelangelo’s life along with his own response to the question. Michelangelo’s Work Ethic Michelangelo is quoted as saying the following about his work ethic: “If people knew how hard I had to work to gain my mastery, it would not seem so wonderful at all. … If you knew how much work went into it, you wouldn’t call it genius.”  Michelangelo suggested that his mastery was not indicative of …