In Vasari 's version of art history, Michelangelo marked the return to the 'perfection' which had been lost as a result of the endless misfortunes which destroyed the art and the artists of Italy.
The most benevolent Ruler of Heaven... decided in order to rid us of so many errors, to send to earth a spirit who, working alone, was able to demonstrate in every art and every profession the meaning of perfection in the art of design, how to give relief in painting by proper drawing, lines, shading and light, how to work with good judgement in sculpture, and how to make buildings comfortable and secure, healthy, cheerful, well-proportioned, and richly adorned with various decorations in architecture. Moreover, He wanted to join to this spirit true moral philosophy and the gift of sweet poetry, so that the world would admire and prefer him for the wholly singular example of his life, his work, the holiness of his habits, and all his human undertakings, and so that we would call him something divine rather than human. ( Vasari, Le Vite, Testo VI.3)
Michelangelo showed himself early on as capable of' a new kind of imitation that derived from the judgement given by heaven' ( Vasari, Le Vite, Testo VI.8).
Vasari stresses the importance of the study of nature for the development of the new style. This is a continuing theme (see Vasari, Le Vite, Testo II.3,), and it includes the detailed study by Michelangelo of the anatomy of flayed corpses ( Vasari, Le Vite, Testo VI.13).
However, achieving perfection also required study by Michelangelo of the great works of the past.
The result was that Michelangelo was able to surpass the ancients (See Vasari, Le Vite, Testo IV.11, and Vasari, Le Vite, Testo VI.21 on the David which was better than anything produced by the Greeks or the Romans). Moreover he was able to surpass nature itself ( Vasari, Le Vite, Testo IV.11, and compare Ruskin on Raphael).
The views of Reynolds's account of Michelangelo Reynolds's account of Michelangelo Reynolds's account of Michelangelo do not differ from Vasari in underlying assumptions. In Modern Painters I Ruskin appears to accept the consensus view of the greatness of Michelangelo, but it is a consensus which in his later writing Ruskin seeks to question (see Ruskin on Michelangelo).