Greatness of Michelangelo – The Blog of Daksh Pandit

In the room the women come and go, talking of Michelangelo. -T.S. Eliot

He woke up early in the morning as usual before the sun had risen and hurried towards the sculpture he had been working upon. Michelangelo firmly believed that the true glory of a sculpture carved out of white marble can only be noticed when the first rays of sunlight fall upon the sculpture¹. So much was his tryst with perfection.

Beginnings

Michelangelo Buonarroti, mononymously known as Michelangelo, was born 6^th of March 1474, in Caprese, Italy. Contrary to the year of birth shown on Wikipedia as 1475, his biographer, friend and apprentice, Giorgio Vasari in his book titled The lives of the Artists, records that he was born in the year 1474² when in the astrological sky, the planets Mercury and Venus were in the zodiac sign of Sagittarius indicating that one could expect to see among his accomplishments, miraculous and magnificent works created through his hands and his genius. Born to Ludovico Buonarroti, a family of bankers who took an immense pride in the family name and heritage. Art, its significance and importance was an anathema to his father who wanted Michelangelo to continue the family business and refrain from entertaining any thought of being an artist. So much so that when Michelangelo first began to draw, he was quite often beaten by his father who, being impervious to the excellence and nobility of art, detested it and felt that its appearance in their family name was a disgrace³.

The Buonarroti family moved to Florence soon after the birth of Michelangelo wherein they struggled to make ends meet amid growing fascination of Michelangelo to learn Painting. Notwithstanding his father’s aversion to his pursuit of art, Michelangelo, a rebel as he was, remained adamant to become an artist and drew inspiration from his idol, the legendary sculptor Donatello.

The Renaissance (15^th – 16^th Century)

At odds with his father, carrying a heavy burden upon his shoulders to carry forward the family name, painting became his sole retreat to vent his frustration. Childhood for him was difficult and lonely. He struggled to make friends and found himself excluded from games by other children who perceived him as gloomy, small, sickly and devoid of any laughter⁴. Born in the period etched in the history as the Renaissance, saved him from the damned career path his father had laid down for him. In the 15^th Century, Florence, Italy became the flagbearer for the Renaissance movement which later spread throughout Europe. A period marked by vigorous artistic and architectural activities, Florence was inundated with various Painters and Sculptors. Artist, as a profession was encouraged and regarded as highly esteemed. Although his father remained oblivious of his son’s artistic abilities, however, Michelangelo’s only friend and confidante, Franceso Granacci, recognized the artistic genius in him and persuaded him to join the studio of the legendary Painter, Domenico Ghirlandaio in the year 1488, at the age of 14, unbeknownst to his father. Impressed by his dexterity, discipline and dedication, Ghirlandaio decided to pay him for his services a sum of 24 Florins to be paid in a contracted period of three years⁵. It was a rarity for an apprentice to be paid by their masters, however, owing to Michelangelo’s exceptional talent, Ghirlandaio breached the prevalent practice. Michelangelo returned home and broke the news to his father, who, in shock and disbelief, retorted that he does not have the money to pay for his apprenticeship⁶. It was only when Michelangelo informed his father that he is going to be paid for his services by Ghirlandaio, that he realized that his son may truly be a prodigy and ceded way for Michelangelo’s obsession with Art.

Under the apprenticeship of his first master, Ghirlandaio, Michelangelo perfected his hand at drawing. Vasari notes that under Ghirlandaio’s apprenticeship, Michelangelo’s skill and character grew in such a way that it amazed Ghirlandaio, who saw him executing works beyond a young man’s ability, for it seemed that Michelangelo not only surpassed his other students but, on many occasions, equalled works he himself had completed⁷. However, all this while Michelangelo had his mind fixated upon sculpting. Something which Ghirlandaio also acknowledged, noticing the dexterity in his hands and realized that his talents may be best channelized in the art of sculpting.

Lorenzo De Medici

As fate would have it, Florence was contemporaneously being ruled by Lorenzo De Medici, revered as Lorenzo the Magnificent, who bore a great love for the arts of painting and sculpture⁸ and is regarded the most powerful patron of the Renaissance culture in Italy. He lamented the fact that in his day and age no renowned and noble sculptors could be found and therefore decided to found a school in which promising students would be taught the art of sculpting. In his quest for a new prodigy, he asked Ghirlandaio for two of his best apprentices who would be taught sculpting in his school by none other than Bertoldo di Giovanni, who had been a student of the legendary sculptor Donatello. Ghirlandaio duly obliged and sent two of his best apprentices to the school of Lorenzo de Medici viz. Francesco Granacci and Michelangelo in the year 1490.

Thus how, Michelangelo finally came in possession of Hammer and Chisel in his hands, perhaps the two most important tools in his life which propelled him to greatness. His fortunes immediately changed. From sharing a delipidated house with his parents and five brothers, Michelangelo was now having an accommodation in the Medici palace itself. From a life of misfortunes to sitting in the lap of fortunes, life could not be better. Under Bertolodo’s tutelage Michelangelo began his tryst with sculpting and became so natural and deft at it in a short period of time that Lorenzo complimented him that he could become the heir to Donatello himself⁹. Such high praise, coming from none other than Lorenzo De Medici, the connoisseur of Renaissance art, gave him the much needed impetus and fortified his resolve to pursue the art of sculpting.

However, the death of Lorenzo De Medici on 08^th April 1492 reversed Michelangelo’s fortunes. He returned to his father, again burdened with his family responsibilities and exposed to the tribulations of a common man, devoid of care, protection and training offered by Lorenzo De Medici, Michelangelo was again back to square one. However, this time much more matured, learned and determined. In his quest to perfect his art of sculpting, Michelangelo now wanted to learn the anatomy of human body. He could never become a great sculptor he wished to be until he had trained himself through dissection; until he knew the workings of every last component within the human body, precisely what function it served and how it accomplished its end; the interrelations of all the parts, bone, blood, brain, muscle, tendon, skin and guts. A sculptor could not create movement without perceiving what caused the propulsion; could not portray tension, conflict, drama, strain, force, unless he saw every fiber and substance at work within the body that was shaping the power and drive¹⁰. Learn Anatomy, but how? He was not a doctor nor a surgeon and digging up graves and violating human body invited a death penalty in the laws of Florence those days¹¹. However, nothing deterred him in his pursuit. At night he began to sneak into a mortuary to dabble in anatomy.

The Pietà (1498-1499)

In 1494 Charles VIII of France invaded Florence resulting in expulsion of the House of Medici from the city. Due to Michelangelo’s close association with the Medici family, he sensed harm to him and possible danger to his family. Keeping in view of the same, he fled to Bologna and then to Venice¹². He itinerated from place to place during this brief period of his life and carved various sculptures, the chief of them being the life size figure of the sleeping cupid, the magnificence of which was so widely praised that its praises reached Rome, Italy, resulting in a summon for Michelangelo by Cardinal San Girogio from Rome¹³. In Rome, he carved a life size cupid in Marble and then a sculpture of Bacchus. Vasari records that it was such an astounding work that it showed Michelangelo to be more skilled than any other sculptor of that era¹⁴. While staying in Rome, Michelangelo acquired so much skill in his study of art that it was incredible to see his lofty concepts and his difficult style, which he put into practice with such great facility that it terrified people unaccustomed to seeing such works. Basking in the praises showered upon him, Michelangelo was further commissioned to carve a sculpture of the Pietà, a depiction of Jesus and Mary, representing the sixth sorrow of the blessed Virgin Mary.

Thus, for a sum of 450 Ducats in Papal Gold, Michelangelo agreed to carve a sculpture of Pietà¹⁵ and completed it at the age of only 23, which is now regarded as one of the most notable works of Michelangelo. Vasari states that no sculptor could ever reach this level of design and grace , nor could he, even with hard work, ever finish, polish and cut the marble as skilfully as Michelangelo did on the Pieta. The expression on Mary’s face is so gentle and there is such harmony in the joints and the articulations of the arms, torso and legs, with their finely wrought pulses and veins, that, in truth, it is absolutely astonishing that the hand of an artist could have properly executed something so sublime and admirable in a brief time.¹⁶

After completion, the sculpture was placed in the old St. Peter’s for display. One day Michelangelo wandered into the St. Peter’s, seeing that a group of people were standing in front of the Pieta and discussing the sculpture, Michelangelo decided to eavesdrop on them.¹⁷ Michelangelo overheard a person say that it is the work of a sculptor called Cristoforo Solari. None of the members of the group were able to trace the making of Pietà to Michelangelo. Dejected, disappointed and heartbroken Michelangelo did not sleep that night. His years of laborious work, learning the art of sculpting and producing one of his finest works in the Pietà, had not brought him the fame and recognition that he so dearly desired. Past midnight when the city was dead asleep, Michelangelo got up and sneaked into St. Peter’s with his hammer and chisle, approached the Pietà, with his mind throbbing with the thoughts of all the time he had felt inadequate, lonely, a burden upon his family and channelized his indignation into each calculated stroke of hammer and chisel upon the Pietà, resulting into the following words across the sculpture-

MICHÆLANGELVS BONAROTVS FLORENTINVS FACIEBAT

(Michelangelo Buonarroti of Florence made this)

The Sculpture of Pietà, carved by Michelangelo

The signature of Michelangelo across the Pietà

This remains the only work of Michelangelo signed by him.

Next morning he was on his way back to Florence. A city where he had always felt home. The People who took pride and celebrated his genius. The prodigal son had returned.

Leonardo Da Vinci vs Michelangelo

No sooner had Michelangelo returned to Florence than he landed a commission to carve a giant block of Marble that would be a symbol for Florence¹⁸. However, the commission was handed to him by the Government only after it was first rejected by his nemesis and archrival, Leonardo Da Vinci, on the grounds that he considered sculpting as an inferior art. The celebrated rivalry of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci is well recorded in the pages of history. Arguably, the two best artists to walk on the face of Earth, both challenged each other to the best of their abilities. The works of Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci are the highlight of the Renaissance era. Artists par excellence, both put in at least 20 hours a day in their art¹⁹. Michelangelo had not met Leonardo Da Vinci until this time (circa 1500). With the age difference of about 25 years between them, Da Vinci was about 50 years old at this time and at the summit of his powers. A walking embodiment of class and majestic grace displayed in its highest of forms, Da Vinci was famous all over Italy and considered the best authority on art at this period of time. On the other hand, Michelangelo, about 25 years of age, was still in the infancy of his astounding career. When Michelangelo noticed Da Vinci, he felt ugly, malformed, conscious that his clothes were inexpensive, ill fitting and worn. Although Michelangelo did not have a dearth of commissions in later part of his life, however he lived like a poor man as noted by Vasari²⁰. How much ever money he earned from his commissions, most of it was used by Michelangelo to settle down his five brothers who were dependent upon him.

Hearing that Leonardo Da Vinci had rejected the commission of sculpting the Giant deeming sculpting an inferior art, Michelangelo was furious, as all the people in Florence began to take the word of Da Vinci and undermined sculpting as an art. One evening, in a public gathering, in which Michelangelo was also present, Leonardo Da Vinci began to belittle the art of sculpting. “I refuse to carve the Giant because sculpting is a mechanical art. Sculpture is so less intellectual than painting, it lacks so many of its natural aspects. I spent years at it, and I tell you from experience that painting is far more difficult and reaches the greater perfection. I would never carve marble. It causes a man to sweat and wearies his body all over. The marble carver comes out of a day’s work as filthy as a plasterer or baker, his nostrils clogged with dust, his hard and face and legs covered with powder and chips, his clothes stinking. When I paint, I work in my finest clothes. I emerge at the end of a day immaculately clean and refreshed. Friends come in to read poetry to men and play music while I draw. I am a fastidious man. Sculpture is for laborers”²¹. Da Vinci’s words pierced through Michelangelo’s chest. Such damnation and ridicule of his art by a renowned artist was unbearable to Michelangelo. His life thus far had been not only to learn and prefect the art of sculpting but also to dispel the preconceived notions of the society who associated sculpting with work of a laborer, not requiring any intellectual faculty. That night Michelangelo resolved that one day he would make Da Vinci eat those words.²²

The Artistic prowess of both the artists always made them a subject of debate in Italy. Although Michelangelo was not deft at painting as his forte was sculpting, however, amid growing fame and influence of Leonardo Da Vinci all over Italy, Michelangelo wanted to prove that he could execute painting in an equally remarkable and splendid fashion as Da Vinci does. He had briefly taken painting lessons from his first master, Ghirlandaio, however discontinued the same after responding to his calling- sculpting. Nevertheless, Michelangelo was determined to give Da Vinci a challenge at his own craft. As fate would have it, in 1504, Piero Soderini commissioned both the artists to fresco walls of a Hall. One wall was assigned to Da Vinci whereupon he decided to paint the Battle of Anghiari and the opposite wall was assigned to Michelangelo whereupon he decided to paint the Battle of Cascina. Thus how, the two best artists of the Renaissance era were put to test against each other, sending the city of Florence into a frenzy. However, the posterity has been deprived to witness this marvel. No sooner had Michelangelo had begun the work upon the painting, he was summoned by Pope Julius to Rome for carving sculptures for his tomb. On the other hand, Leonardo Da Vinci had to abandon the project due to wrong execution of colours.

Michelangelo’s David (1501-1504)

Michelangelo was now determined to carve a sculpture so gigantic and replete with details that would leave people in awe of it. Da Vinci’s words belittling his art gave him all the more impetus to carve a gigantic biblical figure of David, capturing the moment before his battle with Goliath, exhibiting emotions of grandeur and fearlessness, ready to take on Goliath. This was his most glorious experience in working marble. Never had he had such an expanse of figure, such simplicity of design; never before had he been so possessed by a sense of precision, force, penetration or depth of passion. He could think of nothing else now, could not bring himself to stop for food or change of clothes. He worked on the sculpture twenty hours a day, the acrid dust coagulating in his nostrils, his hair turned white due to marble dust, his body vibrating due to continuous stroke of hammer and chisel upon the sculpture long after he had thrown himself across his bed in exultant exhaustion. His David would be a glorious creation, capable of beauty, strength, courage, wisdom, with a brain and will and inner power to fashion a world filled with the fruit of man’s creative intellect. His David would be Apollo, but considerably more; Hercules, but considerably more; Adam, but considerably more; the most fully realized man the world had yet seen, functioning in a rational and humane world²³.

It took Michelangelo about four years to complete the mammoth sculpture in 1504 and then had it put up for display in Florence. Measuring 17 Ft. in height, there it stood, gleaming white in the moonlight, unfettered in its roped-in security, still facing toward Goliath, the hand reaching for the sling, the profile chiseled and polished to flawless beauty, a symbol of human courage, determination and strength. Vasari states that Michelangelo’s David eclipsed all other statues, both modern and ancient; whether Greek or Roman; and no statue can be compared to this David which Michelangelo completed with so much measure, beauty and panache²⁴. At the age of only 29, Michelangelo was able to achieve such great precision and expertise at the art of sculpting, as displayed in his David, that it terrified people how a man is capable of achieving such a feat in a short period of time. His David made him famous all over Italy, he was finally a force to be reckoned with, the maestro of sculpting, desired by many, loathed by some, Michelangelo Buonarroti had arrived!

Michelangelo’s David with the sling in his hand

The details put in by Michelangelo in the sculpture

The grandiosity of David when compared to human figure

The Ceiling of Sistine Chapel (1508-1512)

Good fortune attracts envy, good skills attract envy, wealth attracts envy and most of all, FAME attracts envy. While Michelangelo was basking in the glory of his newfound fame and Florence was singing the praises of his David, little did Michelangelo know that some forces of nature were assiduously working in the background to malign his image, his art and his career. Michelangelo’s fame had casted a shadow upon the careers of other aspiring artists of the Renaissance era, who envied his success and made a concerted attempt to sabotage his career. Chief of them being Donato Bramante, the Architect. Praises of his impeccable art reached Pope Julius II, in Rome, who summoned him with great courtesy to build his tomb. The tomb to be built by Michelangelo was to be placed at St. Peter’s, for which purpose, Pope Julius had St. Peter’s renovated by Donato Bramante. When summons from Pope Julius arrived, Michelangelo was working upon his painting of battle of Cascina, in competition with Leonardo Da Vinci. However, he had to put the project aside and oblige the wishes of Pope. No sooner had Michelangelo had begun preparations for sculpting giant figures for Pope Julius’ tomb, Bramante, being envious of Michelangelo’s fame and the fact that Pope speaks highly of his art, inviting him in his intimate circles, conspired to make a devious plan. Bramante convinced Pope that it is bad luck to build one’s tomb while they’re alive and that it hastens one’s death. Instead of sculpting giant figures for Pope Julius’ tomb, Bramante persuaded the Pope to have Michelangelo paint the ceiling of Sistine Chapel, with the underlying intention and hope that since painting is not Michelangelo’s forte, he would spectacularly fail at painting the ceiling and his growing fame would receive a blow²⁵.

The Sistine Chapel, built between 1473 and 1481, is a mammoth barrel roofed structure with high windows toward the ceiling and a railed balcony-walk beneath them. It is the Pope’s official residence in Vatican City and serves as a place of both religious and functionary papal activity. The side walls of the Sistine Chapel, by this time had already been painted by Michelangelo’s first master, Ghirlandaio and other renowned artists of the Renaissance era, viz. Rosselli and Botticelli. Pope Julius, now, being persuaded by Bramante, directed Michelangelo to halt progress on his tomb and channelize his craft on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel. Hearing the words sent a reign of terror down Michelangelo’s spine, nausea gripped him. He made a passionate plea to the Pope to allow him to sculpt his tomb as painting is not his area of expertise. “I am a sculptor, not a painter” exclaimed Michelangelo to the Pope²⁶. However, the Pope was having none of it. He reminded Michelangelo that not so long ago he was involved in a painting competition with none other than Leonardo Da Vinci, in Florence. “Are we to understand that you will paint a wall for a Florence Hall, but not a ceiling for a papal chapel?” argued the Pope²⁷. There was no escape. Michelangelo stood stunned, a victim of his own genius and impeccable craft. The Pope directed him to paint the Twelve Apostles on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel and for this purpose he was to be paid three thousand large gold ducats.

Michelangelo stood by the front entrance of Sistine Chapel, his mind aswirl with revulsion and self-incrimination. Bramante had set him up for a colossal failure. How was he going to accomplish this daunting task? Even though painting was not his forte, however, Michelangelo could never produce a work of sub-par quality, it was against his code of conduct, principles and ethos²⁸. Therefore, Michelangelo, assiduously got down to work upon the ceiling. For this purpose, Michelangelo, wrote letters to Florence, assembling a team of painters to assist him. Chief of them being his childhood friend, Granacci. However, eight months into the preparation of painting the twelve Apostles on the ceiling, Michelangelo scrapped the plan. He realized that painting of Twelve Apostles would only cover a small area of the ceiling and bring him no honor, much less the Pope. He wanted to cover the entire vast area of the ceiling and showcase a work of art, befitting of an honorable artist and sanctity of the Sistine Chapel. And Michelangelo knew, just as clearly as he had known anything in his life, that nothing would do justice to this ceiling than the painting of Genesis itself, a re-creation of the Universe. What nobler work of art could there be than God’s own creating of the sun and moon, the water and the earth, the evolving of man and woman? He would create the world in that Sistine ceiling as though it were being created for the first time²⁹. This work would increase Michelangelo’s load of work by six times, but nothing would deter him now. He held a meeting with the Pope and informed him of the change of plans. The Pope, perplexed, asked him “You are a strange one Buonarroti. You screamed that painting was not your profession, and almost knocked me down in your rage. Yet now eight months later, you come back with a plan that will entail infinitely more time and labor. How is one to understand you?” “I don’t know”, Michelangelo replied. “I hardly understand myself. I only know that since I must paint that ceiling, I cannot bring you something mediocre, even if it is all that you have asked for”³⁰. The Pope acquiesced to Michelangelo’s plans with a caveat that he cannot pay him six times more than the original payment of three thousand ducats, however, he would double it to six thousand.

Now, the Pope directed Bramante to build a scaffolding for Michelangelo to paint the ceiling, however the scaffolding built by Bramante was unsatisfactory to Michelangelo who pointed the same to the Pope, who granted liberty to Michelangelo to build a scaffolding for himself as he pleases. Thus, Michelangelo ordered a scaffolding built on poles, without piercing the ceiling unlike the scaffolding made by Bramante. A method which he later also taught to Bramante and other contemporary artists³¹. Michelangelo always believed that a sculptor is also an engineer and to some extent an Architect³². One evening while crossing the construction of St. Peter’s undertaken by Bramante, Michelangelo pointed out to Bramante that he had been using cheap quality of cement and the very foundation of St. Peter’s are feeble which will not be able to withhold the structure. Bramante, refused to take any advice from Michelangelo and castigated him stating he knew nothing about architecture, and he should stick to his art. Michelangelo then approached Pope Julius with his concerns who also advised him to seek refuge in the wisdom of Bramante who is an Architect by Profession³³. Life would come full circle for Michelangelo when he would be appointed the Chief Architect for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica, after the demise of Bramante and rectify the errors of Bramante, but that still lay in the future, however, the seeds had been planted by Michelangelo. Michelangelo then dismissed the team of painters he had assembled to assist him and decided to take on the daunting task of painting the ceiling, all by himself³⁴. Granacci exclaimed that working on top of the scaffolding to re-create the story of genesis, all by himself, would take him forty years to complete it. However, Michelangelo confidently replied that he would take not more than four years³⁵.

With everything in order, now, Michelangelo was determined to get a teeming humanity up on the ceiling, as well as God Almighty who created it; mankind created in its breathless beauty, its weaknesses, its indestructible strengths, God in his ability to make all things possible. He must project a throbbing, meaningful vitality that would invert the universe, the ceiling would become the reality, the world of those looking at it would become illusion. He painted with his head pulled sharply back, his eyes staring straight up. Paint dripped onto his face, the moisture of the wet plaster oozed out and dripped in his eyes. His arms and back tired quickly from the strain of the unnatural position³⁶. Vasari states that Michelangelo painted with so much discomfort that it damaged his eyesight, so much so that he could no longer read or look at drawings if his head was not tilted backwards³⁷. He toiled day and night, despite the extreme weather conditions. The ceiling became the sole focus of his mental and physical faculties. Noticing the physical labour put up by Michelangelo, without a break, cardinal Giovanni invited him for a supper for a diversion and a night of entertainment³⁸. However, Michelangelo, respectfully refused. He simply had no talent for social amenities, nor any liking for society. Hard as he had striven to raise the status of the artist above that of the artisan, he believed that the artist was a man who had to work all the time. The years were so short, the frustrations so numerous, that unless he labored at the top of his capacity, he could never achieve a body of work. “I work from early morning to dark, then by candlelight or oil lamp. Art for me is a torment, grievous when it goes bad, ecstatic when it goes well, but always it possesses me”³⁹.

In the year 1512, Michelangelo completed the painting of Genesis on the Ceiling of Sistine Chapel and unveiled it to the public of Rome who were left in the awe of it. Among the other striking features of the painting, it is the center piece of the ceiling whereupon Michelangelo has depicted the creation of Adam, by the touch of God Almighty. He portrayed Adam and Eve not as tiny, timid, delicate creatures, but powerfully built, alert, handsome, as primordial as the boulders which sheltered them from the serpent-entwined apple tree, taking temptation in calm accepting strength rather than weak stupidity. Vasari notes that when the Chapel was uncovered, people from everywhere rushed to see it and the sight of it alone was sufficient to leave them amazed and speechless. Pope rewarded Michelangelo greatly for accomplishing the painting in a record time⁴⁰.

Thus how, Michelangelo exacted revenge upon his rivals, naysayers, people who envied him, people who wished his downfall. Bramante was left eating a humble pie. His conspiracy to position Michelangelo to paint the ceiling, only proved to be counterproductive as his fame only increased hereon after. No one could match his craft, much less rival him. Robert Green, in his book 48 laws of Power, in law no. 46, extrapolates from this incident between Bramante and his envy of Michelangelo. He states that when People envy you, your skills and good fortune, work harder to sustain all the good fortunes only to rub it in people’s face. Transform your adversities into an opportunity to only improve on yourself. Michelangelo used Bramante’s envy to spur him to greater heights, making Sistine Chapel his most perfect work of all. Today it is famously said that it is only when one visits the Sistine Chapel that one is able to realize what a man is capable of achieving.

The Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo has to his credit the painting of the genesis on the ceiling and the painting of the last judgment on the altar wall of the chapel. The side walls have been painted by other Renaissance era artists.

The painting of the Genesis by Michelangelo on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel. The story of man’s creation and his fall from grace.

Creation of Adam by the touch of God, depicted in the centre of the Ceiling by Michelangelo. Noticeably, the finger of Adam does not touch God’s and remains hanging in a bent position despite God reaching out to Adam with his outstretched finger, which is believed to be signifying the fact that God is always there, we just need to reach out to him.

The Last Judgment (1536-1541)

Michelangelo would return to Sistine Chapel about twenty five years later to paint the Last judgment on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel. Vasari notes that when the last judgment was uncovered, Michelangelo proved not only that he had triumphed over the first artisans who had worked upon the chapel, but he also triumphed over himself, beneath the ceiling that he had made so famous, as the painting of the last judgment was far superior to the ceiling⁴¹. However, the painting was constant subject of criticism, as Michelangelo depicted all the characters in complete nudity. The characters were later on painted upon and covered with cloth. Michelangelo’s work has been a subject of criticism as most of his art projects depict human bodies in the nudes. Contrary to the people’s criticism of the nudity projected by Michelangelo, in his art, he ceded no way to it as he firmly believed that human body, is by far the most beautiful creation of God and one must not feel ashamed of it. However, today, in some countries, his art has been banned deeming it vulgar.

The painting of Last judgment by Michelangelo on the altar wall of Sistine Chapel

St. Peter’s Basilica

Life came full circle for Michelangelo in the year 1547 when Pope Paul III appointed Michelangelo, the chief Architect of the St. Peter’s Basilica, after the demise of Bramante, giving him an opportunity to rectify the errors of Bramante. However, Michelangelo, now, in his seventies, took the job with trepidation as he was no Architect. This was Sistine Chapel all over again for Michelangelo. He was being forced to channelize his craft into something he had no expertise over- Architecture. However, providence would have it no other way. He took the job only for the love of God as he wrote “I undertake this only for the love of God and in honour of the Apostle”⁴². He studied the designs of the previous Architects and concluded that he could finish it with more majesty, grandeur and facility, as well as a superior design, greater beauty and more convenience⁴³. First of all Michelangelo rectified the errors on the building committed by Bramante. He fortified the pillars by adding more cement⁴⁴. Appointment of Michelangelo as the chief Architect was not taken well by the other contemporary Architects, as they believed they deserved the job and created various hurdles in his way to complete the project. In view thereof, Pope Paul issued a motu proprio in favour of Michelangelo, making him the head of the building project with full authority so that he could do and undo what was there, increase, decrease, or vary anything to his liking and all the officials working on the Basilica were to be under Michelangelo’s authority⁴⁵.

Given a free hand to do as he pleases, Michelangelo produced a spectacular piece of Architecture the world had yet seen. He designed the dome of St. Peter’s Basilica which is the tallest dome in the world today, measuring 448.1 ft. Although Michelangelo did not live to see the completion of the dome and the Basilica, however, following his death, Pope Pius IV ordered that the designs, plans and specifications drawn by Michelangelo shall be followed by the newly appointed Architects with no deviation⁴⁶. The St. Peter’s Basilica, as it stands today is a product of Michelangelo’s designs to which he devoted 17 years of his life, carried forward and executed by the other Architects after his demise and brought to completion in the year 1626.

The St. Peter’s Basilica as it stands today in the Vatican City.

The dome of St. Peter’s Basilica designed by Michelangelo. It is the tallest dome in the world today

Growing up, Michelangelo’s sole intent and purpose was to be a sculptor and replicate the works of his idol, Donatello. However, his talent, grit, valour and most of all, his indomitable spirit made him much more than just a sculptor. Today, he is famously known, revered and celebrated as Michelangelo, the Sculptor, Painter and Architect, immortalized forever on the ceiling of Sistine Chapel, in the valorous eyes of his David and on the majestic Dome of St. Peter’s Basilica.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1.The Agony and Ecstacy- Irving Stone

2.The Lives of Artists – Georgio Vasari

3. The Life of Michelangelo- Ascanio Condivi

4. Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling- Ross King

5. Leonardo Da Vinci, the Biography- Walter Isaacson

By Daksh Pandit