Michelangelo 500th Anniversary of Birth - International Society of Postmasters, Series 1975, Silver proof medallion, Franklin Mint. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti, commonly known as Michelangelo, was an Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet. His artistic versatility was of such a high order that he is often considered a contender for the title of the archetypal Renaissance man, along with his rival and fellow Florentine Leonardo da Vinci.