Few realize that the seeds of a legendary artist’s greatness can be traced back to his childhood—at just 12 years old, Michelangelo Buonarroti was already creating works that hinted at the genius he would become. But here’s where it gets controversial: many of these early pieces are still shrouded in mystery, debated among experts, and sometimes attributed to larger workshop projects rather than himself.
Before Michelangelo transformed the world of Renaissance art into a timeless legacy, he was a young boy with an extraordinary passion for drawing and painting—an interest that set him apart from most children of his age today. At age 12, he didn't just dabble in art; he boldly attempted to recreate masterpieces, drawing inspiration from existing works of the period. One notable example is his dedication to reproducing the engraving titled "Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons," crafted by the 15th-century German artist Martin Schongauer.
What makes this early work remarkable isn't just the effort but the evident precocious talent Michelangelo displayed. He worked in tempera—an intricate painting medium—on a wooden panel, emphasizing his advanced understanding of artistic techniques far beyond his years. This piece is recognized as Michelangelo’s earliest surviving painting, known as "The Torment of Saint Anthony," created approximately between 1487 and 1488 when he was only 12 or 13 years old. Interestingly, it remained officially unrecognized as his work until a significant discovery in 2008.
That year, the piece was put up for auction, and after a thorough investigation by conservation experts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the layers of yellowed varnish and earlier overpaintings were carefully removed. This revealed a striking palette and a mastery of depth that are rare for such a young artist. Art historians like Everett Fahy, a senior curator at The Met, insisted that the painting was indeed made by Michelangelo himself. However, when the work first appeared on the market, it was broadly attributed to the workshop of Domenico Ghirlandaio—an influential Florentine painter and Michelangelo’s mentor and apprentice master.
Further evidence supporting Michelangelo’s authorship was bolstered after a meticulous restoration led by conservator Michael Gallagher. Restorers like Giorgio Bonsanti provided expert opinion, reinforcing the idea that this was a genuine work by the young artist. Since no definitive proof has surfaced to disprove this attribution, the work was acquired by the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas. Today, it remains the only Michelangelo painting available in a public collection on the North American continent.
The subject of this artwork isn’t random; it is rooted in the compelling biblical story of Saint Anthony the Great, documented by Athanasius of Alexandria in the 4th century. The story recounts the hermit’s mystical vision of levitation and his confrontation with demons—visions that Michelangelo found so vivid that he portrayed them with intense emotion and detail. Historians like Ascanio Condivi and Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo’s contemporaries, have written about how he studied the vibrant, shimmering scales of fish and other natural elements—possibly from fish markets—to add realism to his depiction of demonic creatures.
Given Michelangelo’s famously exacting standards and perfectionism, it’s likely he wouldn’t have approved of this early work being labeled as a purely personal masterpiece. Many believe it was created within Ghirlandaio’s workshop, possibly as a learning piece, rather than a fully confident statement of his solo artistry. Nevertheless, for art enthusiasts and scholars, this small yet powerful painting offers a rare glimpse into Michelangelo’s childhood creative journey—a window into the very beginning of a career that would shape art history for centuries.
Below, explore a detailed discussion from art historian Erick Giraldo, who runs the YouTube channel Inspiraggio, for further insights into this fascinating chapter of Michelangelo’s early life.
