Michelangelo is considered by many art experts to be the greatest Renaissance artist, surpassing even Leonardo da Vinci. Not only was he an exceptional sculptor but also a formidable painter, architect, and poet. Michelangelo's primary material was marble and the results of his talent and work speak for themselves: Can anything compare to his statue of David or the Pietà he carved at the age of 24? Michelangelo lived to be 88 years old, and he worked until the very end of his life. His last project, inspired by the success of his fresco paintings on the ceiling and walls of the Sistine Chapel.