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Michelangelo's budding genius. |
| Florence was an obscure republic surrounded by powerful monarchies during the High Middle Ages (1,000 to 1,300 A.D.). It rose to prominence through trade, despite internal and external conflicts. Although nobility and high birth guaranteed prestige and influence, the families who managed the sources of capital held positions of power in government. The de Medici family effectively ruled the city in the 13th and 14th centuries, and their power and influence peaked under Lorenzo de Medici (born 1449), whose son and nephew went on to become Popes. Lorenzo de Medici, also called Lorenzo the Magnificent, was a patron of literature and the arts, as well as a poet. He surrounded himself with artists, poets, and philosophers, and also supported those who were the products of 'humanistic' studies, which were an integral part of the ongoing Renaissance. Renowned artists, architects, and thinkers flocked to Florence, and the city became a vibrant center of art and culture. Lorenzo the Magnificent was also recognized as the Duke of Urbino. The Universal Judgement by Renaissance artist Michelangelo inside the Sistine Chapel, Vatican City. The painting was created between 1536 and 1541. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vatican-italy-october-6-2016-detail-580... Bertoldo di Giovanni, a master sculptor, was among Lorenzo's household members. Legend has it that in 1490, Lorenzo came across Giovanni's pupil, a 13-year-old boy learning to carve marble in the form of a satyr (woodland deity of classical Greece and Rome). The boy's creation amazed Lorenzo, but he pointed out that an elderly creature wouldn't have a full set of teeth. The perfectionist student quickly removed a tooth after realizing the logic. The child impressed Lorenzo, who encouraged him to remain and study in his house. Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni was the name of the child sculptor. Humanist and Neoplatonic ideas had a significant impact on Michelangelo as he grew up in the Medici household. The one universal truth, which may be conveyed in several ways, was the view of Greek philosophers. This concept led artists to incorporate Christian and traditional secular themes in their creations. Sandro Botticelli, a painter who Michelangelo met, had a significant influence on the style of the nascent artist. Michelangelo's intermittent education was informally carried on by the poet Angelo Poliziano and the historian Cristoforo Landino. Michelangelo's Moses at San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome, Italy. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/roma-romaitaly09192015-michelangelos-mo... Lorenzo was the last great scion of the Medici dynasty. Political and religious upheavals in Europe undermined the power of his successors after his death in 1492. Michelangelo briefly left the Medici palace to study anatomy at a hospital of the church of Santo Spirito. Michelangelo received several commissions during his time in Florence and neighboring Venice, which served as precursors to his mastery of marble and canvas. Michelangelo made his first trip to Rome at the age of 21 to study some ancient statues. These naked and massive classical sculptures celebrated the ancient ideals of virtue, physical beauty, and truth. They reflected the early Renaissance's inspired sculpture, and stood in stark contrast to conservative, merely decorative Gothic works of the Middle Ages. The budding maestro would be given a commission that would cement his reputation as the greatest sculptor of his generation, if not all time. In 1498, a French cardinal named Jean de Billheres, who was serving in the Eternal City, decided that he wanted to be remembered long after he died. The cardinal commissioned Michelangelo to immortalize a scene popular in Northern European art but not in Italy: the poignant vision of the Virgin Mary lowering Jesus from the Cross and holding him in her arms. The theme was Pieta, one of the sacred milestones in the life of the Virgin, mourned in prayer as the Seven Sorrows of Mary. De Billhere's formal request was that the sculpture be "the most beautiful work of marble in Rome, one that no living artist could better." One of the Seven Sorrows of Mary, the Pieta (Depostition of the cross) by unknown Venetian painter of 17th century in the church Santa Maria del Torresino, Padua, Veneto, Italy. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/padua-italy-september-10-2014-paint-369... So, it came to be that a young artist only entering his twenties had been given such a promising project. For its period, the sculptor's rendition of the Pieta was exceptional. The masterpiece evoked the Renaissance ideal of physical beauty while balancing it with naturalism. Furthermore, multi-figure sculptures were uncommon even during the Renaissance period. The two figures are joined to create a pyramidal effect favored by other artists of the time, including Leonardo da Vinci. For the memorial, Michelangelo used a single block of white and blue-grey Carrara (Italy) marble. He later stated that it was the most 'perfect' block of marble he had ever worked with. Because of its white smoothness and relative softness, marble has long been a favorite of sculptors. Michelangelo famously stated that he could see the sculpture within the block of marble; all that remained was to remove the extra stone and free the image within. The Pietà by Michelangelo at St. Peter's Basilica, Vatican City, Rome. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vatican-october-2022-pieta-mother-mary-... The master's first challenge was probably to 'balance' a man's body on a woman's lap. Despite the fact that both heads are proportional, Michelangelo made the Virgin's body larger than Christ's in order to achieve the grace with which the Saviour rests in his mother's lap. Mary's larger stature is achieved through monumental drapery that conceals much of her body. Michelangelo piled the garments on her lap beneath Christ's body. This allows the figure to widen towards the end of her dress until it touches the rock of Golgotha, from the site near Jesus' crucifixion; the rock of Golgotha serves as the sculpture's base. The robes' multiple, natural-looking folds, curves, and deep recesses make them appear more like cloth and less like stone. The numerous folds demonstrate Michelangelo's craftsmanship and technical mastery in carving deep contours into marble. His skill in carving drapery and folds is matched by his treatment of human forms and facial expressions. The emphasis is on presenting a tender image in the face of a tragic loss. Neither Mary's nor Jesus' faces show signs of sadness or pain. Despite her grief, Mary appears resigned to her son's grueling death; her face reflects graceful acceptance of what has occurred. Christ, too, is depicted in peaceful slumber rather than as someone who has endured hours of torture. This was meant to represent Christ's sanctification. Close-up of The Pieta showing the serenity on Mary’s face and the sanctification of Christ. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/italy-rome-circa-1499-first-masterpiece... Overall, the two figures were meant to appear beautifully idealized despite their recent suffering. This stems from the High Renaissance belief in Neoplatonism, which held that all of earth's beauty is a reflection of God's magnificence; the elegant figures were sculpted to reflect divine splendor. The youth of Mary's face was another ground-breaking originality by Michelangelo. When the statue was first unveiled, some observers mentioned that she appeared too young to be the mother of a 33-year-old son. According to his biographer Ascanio Condivi, Michelangelo's response was: "Do you not know that chaste women stay fresh much more than unchaste women? How much more so in the case of the Virgin, who had never experienced even the most lascivious desire that could change her body”? However, some scholars speculate that Mary's face represents the serene aspect of a young Mary as she cradles the child Jesus. The Pieta was produced between 1498 and 1500 and was an instant success, launching Michelangelo's celebrated career at the age of 24. One day, he went to the location where the statue was placed and found a large crowd admiring and praising it. When one of them inquired about the sculptor, a man by his side replied, "Our Gobbo from Milan." Michelangelo was stunned; he couldn't believe his talent and labors had been attributed to someone else. He entered the chapel one night with a light and some chisels and locked himself up. Then he proceeded to etch his name on the diagonal band across Mary's torso. St. Peter's Square, Piazza San Pietro in Vatican City. Italy. from St. Peter's Basilica’s dome. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/st-peters-square-piazza-san-pietro-4873... The signing saga then took an unusual turn. Michelangelo's signature was similar to that of Polykleitos and Apelles, two famous Greek artists. Most visitors, according to historians, still thought the statue was the work of other artists. Michelangelo regretted carving his name on the Pieta and vowed never to do so again on any of his creations. Thus, the Pieta is Michelangelo's only signed work in his illustrious and extensive portfolio. Michelangelo lived for another six decades after completing the Pieta, and he had the satisfaction of inspiring artists of many generations throughout the majority of the sixteenth century. The statue was one of the most revered works of art of the Italian High Renaissance, and is still considered one of the best sculptures of all time. Indeed, it ranks among the top five on all of the Internet's 'Best Sculpture' lists. Due to its location at the Santa Petronilla Chapel, a Roman mausoleum, it can be assumed that the statue fulfilled its intended function as the grave marker of Cardinal de Billheres. The chapel was destroyed during the reconstruction of St. Peter's Basilica, and The Pieta was added to the first chapel to the right of the basilica's entrance. Four of the Virgin's fingers on her left hand were damaged when the Pieta was moved to St. Peter's. The responsibility of renovating the statue was given to an artist by the name of Giuseppe Lirioni. However, some academics claim that the refurbishment was really a "gesture quite rhetorical." People who are creative are known to be moody and whimsical. When a piece did not go as planned, Michelangelo would frequently yell at the stone images, whipping the stone limbs. It could be argued that he would never do such a thing to images of Jesus and his mother, but the Pieta was once the target of a deliberate attack. On Pentecost Sunday, 1972, a mentally ill geologist named Laszlo Toth stormed into the chapel with a hammer and thrashed the statue. Tourists outside The Pieta exhibit at the St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vatican-rome-italy-june-9-2019-16591023... He yelled and ranted that he was Jesus Christ, as he continued to hit. The Virgin's left arm was severed, and her nose and part of her left eye were broken. Several spectators salvaged the broken pieces, some of which were eventually reattached to the statue; other pieces had to be recreated. Toth was committed to a mental institution for two years, but Pieta's continued rehabilitation became debatable. Some experts believed that a damaged piece of original art should not be tampered with, as the mutilation would become part of its current meaning. Others suggested that the Pieta be repaired with visible seams as a reminder of the assault. The Vatican authorities ultimately decided on a seamless restoration, so that no one could see that anyone had even touched the masterpiece. It is currently displayed behind bullet-proof glass. The Pieta is not on display in a formal museum; however, St. Peter's Basilica is both a major pilgrimage site and a popular tourist destination. The cultural heritage of the Basilica, as well as its breathtaking architecture and statuary, make St. Peter's a living museum of Christendom, art, and history. |
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