by Tom Gurney
Tom Gurney BSc (Hons) is an art history expert with over 20 years experience
Published on June 19, 2020 / Updated on November 6, 2025
Email: tomgurney1@gmail.com / Phone: +44 7429 011000
A key influence on the life and artistic direction of Michelangelo was fellow Italian Renaissance artist, Sebastiano del Piombo.
These two masters respected each other's work and would frequently consult each other for advice on future artwork.
Their lives and careers would take them to different locations in Italy and in some cases they could only communicate through letters.
Italy itself was a varied country at this time, a combination of contrasting Papal States with different levels of economic strength and political stability.
The significance of the friendship between the two Renaissance masters was captured by a recent 2017 exhibition at the National Gallery in London, UK. Galleries and museums across Europe continue to try to find ways to shed light on Renaissance artists from new angles.