Dante's poetry and Michelangelo's art were defended in very similar terms. At least one of Dante's defenders compared him
explicitly to Michelangelo. For Michelangelo, the body's beauty is the way into the soul. Nature and antiquity were touchstones for Michelangelo. Michelangelo's last
sculpture, his Pieta, has long stood out as his most emotional and ethereal
work. Michelangelo's roughly chiseled last sculpture shows a strong gravitational pull. Furthermore Michelangelo intended the work to be erected on his own tomb. Secrets, dissections, crime, commission, and absolute passion for his work all mark Michelangelo's work.