Michelangelo – Hero of the Art World and his Arthritis.

Michelangelo – 1475 – 1564 was so addicted to his work that the onset of arthritis did not deter him.  As many do he had arthritis but some art experts think his constant use of his hands led them to be useful and operative longer than those of many less active. The Renaissance sculptor and painter in three pictures of him aged between 60 and 65 display evidence of the disease affecting the small joints of his left hand when earlier portraits don’t show this.

Dr Davide Lazzeri who is a plastic surgery specialist at the Villa Salaria Clinic in Rome, said that literature made it clear Michelangelo did suffer from an illness involving his joints. This could have been gout, but in his case it was not.

He did not have inflamed legions nor lumps of uric acid under the skin known as tofi.  Before his death in 1564 – literally days before, he was seen working – “hammering”.

Dr Lazzari’s findings appear in the Journal of The Royal Society of Medicine and he said, “The continuous and intense work could have helped Michelangelo to keep the use of his hands for as long as possible”.

Penny Nair Price