"A remarkable inquiry into artistic creation. This revelatory book is a must for art students and those seeking new insights into [Michelangelo's] art." -- Kirkus Reviews "Bernini, Picasso, and Mozart were prodigies; not Michelangelo. He worked hard to become a genius. This wonderfully readable and personal account of Michelangelo's early years reminds us that that becoming a genius requires work and unwavering dedication. Alan Pascuzzi, an accomplished historian and--equally important--a highly successful, sensitive, and insightful artist, combines a rare set of skills that permits him to tell the story of how an unlikely Florentine became the greatest artist of all time. Michelangelo did it. After reading this book, you too might feel the inspiration 'to create masters out of mere mortals like us.

'" --William E. Wallace, Barbara Murphy Bryant Distinguished Professor of Art History, Washington University in St. Louis "This original personal meditation on Michelangelo, audaciously maps out how the artist drew with the diligence of a methodical craftsman and raised his art to the level of genius, all in the grand context of those turbulent times. From the micro to the macro, a wonderful romp through Michelangelo's heart and mind!"--Terence Ward, author of The Guardian of Mercy: How an Extraordinary Painting by Caravaggio Changed an Ordinary Life Today "In our digital age, when many artists dismiss the foundational importance of drawing, Becoming Michelangelo provides a powerful counterpoint. As a college student three decades ago, Alan had one goal: to get inside the head (and hands) of the great Renaissance artists. Now a PhD art historian, and a master painter and sculptor specializing in Renaissance techniques, Alan is in a unique position to provide insights into the physical, conceptual, and aesthetic aspects of some of the greatest art ever produced. Becoming Michelangelo is a riveting account of a process of discovery that no one has ever undertaken before."--Ron Netsky, professor of art, Nazareth College "Alan Pascuzzi tells the fascinating story of what happened when he started copying Michelangelo's drawings and soon found himself virtually apprenticed to the master.

Attempting to 'become' Michelangelo, he developed a unique appreciation of how Michelangelo himself became the graphic artist we recognize and admire today. General readers will appreciate Pascuzzi's fast pace and down-to-earth tone, full of observations and insights that are sure to open the eyes of experts, too."--Gary M. Radke, professor emeritus of art history, Syracuse University.