Italian culture, language, nature have long attracted tourists. But this country is famous not only for its landscapes and sonorous serenades. Today we will talk about one of the most famous sons of Italy. Also in this article will be a series of descriptions of sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarotti.
Read carefully and you will learn a lot of new and interesting information from the field of Italian culture of the Renaissance.
short biography
The future brilliant artist and sculptor was born in the family of an impoverished nobleman in 1475 in the city of Caprese. Due to a lack of finance, his father gives him upbringing to the Topolino family, where the boy gets acquainted with clay and begins to learn how to sculpt figures.
Over time, he was sent to the workshop of a local artist, and later to the school of the sculptor Giovanni. There he is noticed by Lorenzo Medici.
It was this man who gave Michelangelo the opportunity to open up. He patronizes his studies, and then, until his death, helps with the receipt of expensive orders.
During his life, Buonarotti managed to work in Rome, Florence and Bologna.
Let’s now talk about his work in more detail.
General characteristics of creativity
In this article, we will touch upon only one of the facets of Michelangelo's work - sculpture. Description of the most famous of them you can read below.
The genius of this man is best expressed in sculpture. Even in his painting, he transfers the plasticity of forms and the position of figures, characteristic only of voluminous things.
It is noteworthy that the main achievement of Michelangelo Buonarotti is innovation. It is because of actions contrary to the canons that he has become famous for centuries. His statue “David” became the standard of the High Renaissance, and “Pieta” became the best embodiment of the body of a dead man in sculptural execution.
Let's get to know more about the works of this Renaissance genius.
"Moses"
One of the most famous works is “Moses” by Michelangelo. We will give a description of the sculpture a little later. Now let's talk about the place where it was erected.
This statue is part of the complex of the sculptural tomb of Pope Julius II, which is located in San Pietro in Vincoli, the Roman basilica.
Work on this sculpture continued for two years, starting in 1513. In addition, on the sides are statues created by students of Michelangelo.
The original plan of Pope Julius II was very tendentious and grandiose. He wanted to build his masterpiece tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. Her project included many statues and other decorations. But the plans did not materialize due to lack of finance from his heirs.
Thus, we are presented with a "budget" version of the initial project.
So, “Moses” is a sculpture of Michelangelo, which glorified its creator for centuries. Today it is considered one of the most famous statues. What is it remarkable for?
The height of the statue is 235 centimeters, but the power that lurks in its outlines is truly colossal. The sculptor depicted the leader of the Jewish people at the time of his return after a conversation with God, when Moses saw fellow tribesmen worshiping the golden calf.
The figure is very dynamic and filled with internal energy. We see swollen veins and a hurricane of passions on the leader’s face. In his right hand he holds the tablets, and his leg is advanced by a sharp and short movement forward, as if he was going to jump up and begin to act.
The skillful work of the Michelangelo cutter was compared by contemporaries with the sable brush of the painter. The finest hairs of the beard look soft and silky, in addition, there is not a single millimeter of raw marble in the statue. The composition is fully completed and expresses all the expressiveness of human genius.
"Moses", a sculpture by Michelangelo, does not leave anyone indifferent. Powerful strong-willed pressure fascinates, and sometimes frightens the audience. As Stendhal said, if you have not seen this statue, you have no idea about the possibilities of sculpture.
"David"
In our article we will try to highlight the most famous sculptures of Michelangelo. The second one, along with the previous one, is “David”. This five-meter statue became a symbol of the Florentine Republic almost immediately after its creation.
Today it is located at the Academy of Arts in Florence and is intended for all-round visibility. The statue depicts a young Jewish king, David, who is preparing for battle with giant Goliath. He is focused and a little tense, since the enemy is clearly superior to him in physical qualities. At the same time, David’s gaze shows unshakable confidence in victory.
Who was the customer of the masterpiece? Back in the middle of the fifteenth century, in Florence, people started talking about decorating Santa Maria del Fiore. This is a cathedral Florentine temple. It was planned to surround him with twelve statues of the most famous biblical characters from the Old Testament.
Donatello began his work on the project with his apprentice, but he managed to create only one sculpture.
After his death, the project was suspended, and a block of marble (popularly nicknamed the "Giant"), intended for the statue of David, gradually crumbled under the influence of erosion.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century, a commission was convened, which included Leonardo da Vinci, who decided to sign a contract with twenty-six-year-old sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti. He began work in September 1501.
The struggle with the marble block took him more than two years. It is to this sculpture that the statement refers that to create a masterpiece you just need to cut off everything unnecessary.
However, in 1504, when the work was completed, the astounded Florentines decided to place David in the loggia of Lanzi, the place where the city council meetings were held.
Now the struggle for freedom was personified by the masterpiece of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptures of Donatello were moved to another place from the council hall.
There are several interesting facts related to this work. "David" is the most copied sculpture of the Renaissance. Its duplicates are in Moscow, London and in different areas of his native city.
It is also noteworthy that the London copy is equipped with a fig leaf, in case the Queen arrives. And in the twentieth century, Jerusalem refused to host a copy of the statue of a “naked Italian of the fifteenth century,” since Michelangelo's David was uncircumcised.
Allegory of the day
The Medici Tomb in Florence contains many sculptures of Michelangelo. We will separately talk about two compositions.
The first of them depicts the involvement of the celestial elements in the genus of "the greatest Florentine ruler." This sculptural group consists of four figures standing in pairs on two sarcophagi.
The master’s idea was to show the severity of mortal existence, inconceivable even for celestials. They are depicted in uncomfortable poses on the lids of the sarcophagi, in an effort to slip faster down.
Allegories of different times of the day are depicted in the form of figures of young men and women. The natural antique beauty and ideality of the proportions contrast with the medieval Christian image of the “excruciating sensation of sorrow” due to the perishability of existence.
The composition consists of Night, Day, Morning and Evening. The first two sculptures are located on the tombstone of Giuliano, and the second - on the sarcophagus of Lorenzo Medici.
The project was commissioned by Clement VII, who decided to perpetuate his relatives who died young.
Work on the statues was completed in 1534, but not all were installed in the planned places. Today, the terracotta model of the Day statue, for example, is in Houston, and Morning in London. The Evenings model was lost, some collector bought it, and the tracks have disappeared from that time.
The most beautiful part of the composition is the sculpture “Night”. Michelangelo, as contemporaries said, portrayed in her "a sleeping stone angel in which breathing is felt."
Thus, the sculptures of Michelangelo, despite some of the shortcomings, which we will discuss later, are genuine masterpieces of human genius.
Medici Statues
This is the second part of the composition of the famous chapel in the crypt of the rulers of Florence. It consists of two sculptures, one of which depicts Giuliano, who bore the title of Duke of Nemur, and the other - Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbinsky. They became famous for being the first in the history of the Medici clan to receive such high titles.
It is important to mention here the main flaw of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptures of this master have no portrait resemblance to their prototypes. He hated portraits and said that no one needed such a trifle, since no one would notice it in a thousand years.
The image, similar to the statue of Lorenzo, expresses the Rodin sculpture “The Thinker”. Michelangelo created this statue in the image of a Roman commander in a pose of deep thought. Zoomorphic helmet hides most of the face in the shade. It is on this occasion that there is still debate among researchers.
Some say that the great master hinted that Lorenzo suffered insanity before his death. Others argue that this is just an allegorical image of the severity of thoughts.
One way or another, but Giuliano's face is better designed. It is depicted as an antique effective principle. He is young, without a helmet, full of energy, but his eyes are completely blank. Thus, he personifies the very concept of the idea of ​​wise government.
Together with the allegorical figures of the time of day, Lorenzo and Giuliano form a complete composition. It takes viewers to the Renaissance, when the formation of modern states took place. A period of intrigue, political struggle and an excessive amount of comfort.
Slaves
Next, we will consider one of the most successful examples of Michelangelo's sculpture. With the names "Moses" and "David" we have already met. That composition, which we will talk about now, was conceived as part of the mausoleum of Julius II.
It consists of two figures - slaves, a dying and a rebel. Since the master rarely attached importance to the portrait resemblance and allegorical meaning of his creations, we can say nothing about the exact meaning, nor about the prototypes.
If the question of the latter is unlikely to be resolved ever, then there is still debate about the meaning embedded in these dynamic images.
Some say that this is an image of the arts favored by the Pope, others say that it is an allegory of the provinces conquered during the reign of Julius II.
The statues of slaves depict two young and strong young men who are in bonds. One of them is trying by inhuman effort to break the shackles, while the second hangs helplessly, surrendering.
These figures, like many other famous sculptures by Michelangelo, seem to be "released" on their own from the block.
They have an interesting fate. When the statues were finished, the design of the tombstone changed. Therefore, Buonarotti gives them to his friend Stozzi for hospitality, and the latter presents them to Francis I. Thus, samples of Michelangelo's sculptures ended up in the Louvre.
Bacchus
“Drunken Bacchus” is considered the first successful work of the young master. He created it at twenty-two by order of Raphael Riario, the Italian cardinal.
An interesting fact is that the cardinal with her help just wanted to expand his collection of antique sculptures. But when he saw the final version of the statue, Signor Riario categorically refused to take it. The sculpture was acquired by the banker Galli, who lived near the Palace of Cancellaria. After almost a hundred years, it was bought by the Medici and transported to Florence.
Today, the sculpture is an exhibit in the Florentine Bargello Museum .
Some researchers of the work of Michelangelo Buonarotti, for example Victor Lazarev, consider this work a direct imitation of antique plastic. They say that in this first independent creation there is absolutely no personality of the author.
"Bacchus" depicts the Roman god of winemaking, which corresponded to the Greek Dionysos, accompanied by a small satyr. This couple is in a relaxed state, defeated by the influence of a hoppy drink.
Bacchus looks at the cup of wine, his face expresses a rush of love for his creation. The muscles of the thighs and abdomen are relaxed. Some researchers say that this indicates his spiritual and physical weakness, a tendency to addictions. Others justify the ancient god by the fact that he is simply in a significant stage of intoxication. This is evidenced by his posture. He leans forward as if falling, but his back muscles are tense to maintain balance.
Mourning of Christ
The only work on which there is an autograph of the author is a sculpture by Michelangelo “Pieta”. Its name comes from the Italian word, which means "grief, pity." The main plot of this scene is the mourning of the Virgin Mary of the deceased son, Jesus Christ.
Michelangelo's sculpture “Pieta” is considered by art critics as one of the few surviving works of the transitional period from the Early Renaissance of the fifteenth century to the high period of this era.
Gothic characterizes the image of the dead Savior in the arms of the Virgin Mary, but in his work Buonarotti completely reinterprets it. Here the Virgin is depicted in the form of a young girl who mourns for the lost loved one.
If you look closely at the composition, you can see that there is a sharp division between the living and the dead. The first includes attributes such as feminine, dressed and vertical, their antonyms are symbols of the dead in "Drink".
According to experts, this sculpture has become a standard among all kinds of images of this biblical scene.
Piccolomini Altar
Today we know many sculptures of Michelangelo with names in the form of names of Catholic saints. Most of them are on the altar of Piccolomini in Siena Cathedral. This also includes the "Pieta", which we spoke about earlier.
The contract for this order was signed in the early years of the sixteenth century by Cardinal Piccolomini. According to his conditions, the artist was to create fifteen sculptures in three years. As a reward, he received five hundred ducats, which was a significant amount for that time.
But due to the fact that soon an order for David was also taken, Michelangelo managed to make only four sculptures.
So, what saints statues were included in the composition of this monument of Gothic architecture?
The upper part of the lower tier is decorated with sculptures of St. Pius I (the original name is Augustine) and St. Gregory, the sixty-fourth Pope.
In the lower part are saints Peter and Paul. Despite the open hostility of the master to portraits, the facial features of the latter, many researchers consider the self-portrait of a young artist.
So our brief acquaintance with such a wonderful personality as the artist, thinker and sculptor Michelangelo ended. The sculptures of this master adorn not only the most beautiful architectural monuments in Italy, but also are in the famous museums of different countries.
Travel, dear readers. Good luck and the most vivid impressions!