Final answer:
The 'Michelangelo Phenomenon' embodies the exceptional artistry and impact of Michelangelo during the High Renaissance, recognized for his super-human artistic abilities that conveyed profound beauty and emotional intensity in sculptures and paintings.
Step-by-step explanation:
The 'Michelangelo Phenomenon' refers to the powerful impact Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni, commonly known as Michelangelo, had on the arts during the High Renaissance. He made significant contributions as a sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, and his works are considered super-human in their representation of the human form.
By dissecting cadavers, Michelangelo, like Leonardo before him, gained a profound understanding of the human body, which he transferred into his sculpture with unparalleled grace and skill. Notable works of Michelangelo include the sculptures of David and the Pieta, as well as the monumental paintings in the Sistine Chapel such as The Last Judgment. His works exhibit both High Renaissance ideals and early tendencies toward Mannerism with their complex figures and emotional intensity.
Renaissance contemporaries like Giorgio Vasari recognized Michelangelo's genius as being divinely inspired, further cementing his legacy in art history and attributing to what we call today the 'Michelangelo Phenomenon'—the embodiment of artistic genius that is both inspired and inspirational, bringing marble to life and guiding viewers toward a contemplation of beauty and divinity.