An Anniversary: 2 - Esther

Today marks the 546th birthday of the artist Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564). Michelangelo would be quite rightly famous for his great skill & talent alone but the delicacy, detail & sensitivity in his works (particularly in marble) are superhuman to the point of being almost unbelievable. Yet there we are. Whereas the Sistine Chapel fresco might arguably be his most famous work, it already has plenty exposure. All too frequently the word genius is used & all too tediously people complain about that. Because genius exists & Michelangelo is proof. It doesn’t matter what we look at really - it’s all great - but these are some of my favourites in chronological order.

Attributed to Michelangelo: The Torment of St Anthony (1487-8)

Basically a 15th Century Jabberwocky. 

The Virgin & Child with St John & Angels (“The Manchester Madonna”) (c.1497)

Because it’s unfinished, this painting gives us an insight into Michelangelo’s methods & technique. I do also think there’s a contemporary feel to it. The unpainted areas are reminiscent of the image having been over-exposed or having a modern-day filter applied to it & the ghostly figures in the background only contribute to what might today be a stylised approach. If you're familiar with the workings of Photoshop layering, you might see what I mean. Here, Mary & Jesus bump into John the Baptist during their flight to Egypt – not recorded in the Bible, the incident was favoured amongst other Renaissance painters.

Pietà (1498-9) 

For such a beautiful, widely-loved & frankly unsurpassed piece of work the Pietà has had some rotten treatment over the centuries. Mary’s hand was damaged when it was moved & the piece had to be restored in 1736. In 1972 the sculpture was attacked, taking fifteen strikes with a hammer. The restoration of the work is almost miraculous, given that even Mary’s nose was knocked off.

Here is a nice, brief discussion about this piece in situ where some important & interesting details are pointed out & interpreted better than I could manage: https://youtu.be/JbWGusfynCw

David (1501-4)

Alright, so David does tend to get a lot of attention but why? He’s not put on a pedestal for nothing & he’s partly up there because if you look for pictures for him at eye level, he does tend to look a little less impressive. More of the boy we meet in the Bible & less of the heroic man we usually think we’re seeing. Sure he’s lithe & muscular, but viewed a certain way, he’s on the scrawny side & somewhat long in the body. Of course, Michelangelo knew what he was doing. He was meant to be viewed from below; David was originally commissioned for a rooftop but at six tons in weight, it was thought to be unsuitably heavy for such a location. Currently indoors, a replica stands Palazzo Vechio in his place. As late as 1991, the sculpture was still being attacked with hammers. On the upside, this meant the marble could be studied & it was discovered it was not of good quality & had to be better preserved. Leonardo da Vinci was one of several artists consulted at the time about the placement of the sculpture & who thought the marble contained flaws. Of course he was right…

For me, David’s hands are the real masterpieces – the veins & tendons are extraordinary. Also, it has been pointed out that Michelangelo clearly depicts the jugular vein, suggesting he was aware of the specifics of the circulatory system a hundred years before doctors. David’s determined expression shows he’s ready for battle. In the past, David had been depicted as triumphant, having already slain Goliath but Michelangelo finds the young man bracing himself. He has found his humanity.

Moses For the Tomb of Pope Julius II (c.1513-1515)

We’re sticking with the Old Testament figures - here we have Moses. Yes, those are horns & yes, they have been widely debated for centuries. It seems there was a translation from the Hebrew into Latin by Jerome of Stridon (St Jerome) which interpreted Moses’ appearance after chatting with God as having “horns,” although it was more likely it was meant to mean he was radiating light.

In any case, Michelangelo’s action Moses is a magnificent figure, taut & ready for anything. As with David, the hands are immaculate in their detail & tension. His flowing beard (which he is touching) & robes are what we might associate with the mighty Moses but his expression remains mortal - after all, in his past he did commit murder & then covered it up - & very recognisable; it denotes a man knowing he has troubles ahead. We see him here as a strong but mildly anxious figure. He has doubts. He’s like Jesus in that he has a path laid out for him he’s not sure he can live up to. 

On the other hand, wouldn’t you follow this guy anywhere? He’s clinging to the actual word of God there. God trusts him. What more do you want?!

Study for Adam (1510)

A sneaky way to include the Sistine Chapel ceiling perhaps, but this drawing in red chalk shows Michelangelo's journey there - the more completed torso study as well as little outline anatomy sketches & where the hand will be placed. We can see revision of the left thigh as well as that right hand. Even without his head, we recognise him as Adam. One of the two most famous figures in the fresco.

Leda & the Swan (1530)   

An incredibly frank depiction of Leda being seduced by ancient sex pest Zeus who is pretending to be something else, a ghastly, creepy habit & a trick he used when he fancied someone. In this case, he is the swan. This painting was commissioned by the Duke of Ferrera after a natter he & Michelangelo had whilst the latter painted the Sistine Chapel ceiling...

Although a copy of the painting as well as the beautiful head study still exists, the original painting is lost. 

Portrait of Andrea Quaratesi (c.1532)

This, the only portrait drawing remaining, is of one of Michelangelo’s known pupils. Michelangelo was generally reluctant to undertake portrait commissions & usually guarded his drawings fiercely, lest anyone copied his techniques. This drawing shows all the characteristics of the artist’s style of depicting faces – the lips pout, the eyes are prominent with an emphasis on the pupils (see A Grotesque Mask at the top, as well as David & Moses). 

Cleopatra (1533-4)

Michelangelo’s Cleopatra drawing conjures & combines the mythical figures of ancient times: a siren, Helen-esque beauty, the steeliness of Antigone & wearing an almost Medusa-like headdress, her braid clasping her until it metamorphoses into a serpent around her shoulder… It is believed to have been given as a gift as many of his drawings were.

Brutus (1539-40)

Seen as a reflection of Michelangelo’s revolt against all oppression & tyrannical power, his bust of Brutus was created after the fall of the Florentine Republic. This Brutus has been regarded as a symbol of Michelangelo’s political beliefs & he portrays the Roman senator as a gallant & determined agent for change. It is said this sculpture revived interest in the classical bust as an artform.

Happy Birthday, Michelangelo!