30
31
The Diamond Awards were presented to the
girls by Dame Helen Hyde in recognition of
special or outstanding achievements; these
ranged from pieces of work to service to the
school.
March 2016-July 2016
Zulekha
Thilojiga
Kitty
Keshini
Emily
Charlotte
Maya
Praveenaa
Monica
Sophie
Amjad
Arulsikamani
D’Almaine
Emmanuel
Eraneva-Dibb
Grayson
Harji
Kathirvasan
Leitao
Maclean
10D
10E
13G
7D
10C
13A
9A
13D
8A
13G
14th July 2016
21st March 2016
23rd March 2016
21st April 2016
6th July 2016
18th March 2016
23rd March 2016
18th March 2016
9th March 2016
18th March 2016
Diamond
Awards
Anisha
Aasiya
Emily
Megan
Rutu
Mikhela
Taia
Vislesha
Jessica
Marella
Mehta
Merali
Nicolas
Reynolds
Shah
Treon
Tunstall
Vinjamuri
Wang
Whitfield
9A
10E
7D
9A
9C
10F
9F
10F
13A
12J
23rd March 2016
6th July 2016
21st April 2016
27th May 2016
6th May 2016
6th July 2016
17th June 2016
6th July 2016
18th March 2016
17th June 2016
M
ichelangelo (1475 – 1564)was perhaps the most
significant artist of the Renaissance period – and
certainly one of the most talented – earning him the
nickname ‘Il Divino’ meaning ‘The Divine One’.
Born in Caprese and raised in Florence, Michelangelo
became an apprentice to a painter at the age of
thirteen. He travelled to Bologna and then to Rome.
Here, he was commissioned by the French cardinal
Jean Lagraulas to create his 'Pietà' in 1497, making his
name as a talented sculptor. Upon his return to Florence,
he sculpted his ‘David’ for the city’s cathedral. Next,
in 1508 he began work on the ceiling of the Sistine
Chapel in the Vatican, after which he was known as
Italy’s greatest living artist at the time.
Whilst also being a development of medieval art,
Michelangelo’s sculptures were a development of the
medieval way of thinking too. They display humanism,
the belief that humankind should be at the centre of
religion, which began in the Renaissance period. An
increasing number of people asked questions about
God, the hierarchy of the Church and the power of its
leaders. Perhaps Michelangelo was influenced by the
Humanist philosophers he heard debating whilst he
stayed with Lorenzo de Medici, who was a patron of
the arts, as a young man. His ‘David’ is one of the clear
examples of this belief. The statue is large and every
muscle carefully carved, making it an almost ‘perfect’
image of man. Previously nobody would have done this
as they believed that only God should be presented as
flawless, but Michelangelo was unafraid to craft man so
immaculately.
Humanism in theRenaissance is important todevelopments
in art as well as society and science. It led to the Pope
and Church losing complete dominance over everything,
a new age of exploration and eventually to the
Reformation in England. From David to Pietà (currently
displayed in the Accademia Gallery in Florence and St
Peter’s Basilica in Rome) to the Sistine Chapel ceiling, the
works of Michelangelo continue to awe us.
And finally, I would like to mention another inspiration
that we can take from Michelangelo - his ambition
and readiness for a challenge. This resulted in many
incomplete pieces which were either too difficult or time
consuming but, as Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti
Simoni said himself, ‘Lord, grant that I may always desire
more that I can accomplish’.
Anisha Mehta 10A
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