Straight out of the rennaisance era

                     

                             FLORENTINE IN UNISON WITH STONE



                                              Michelangelo : a personification of art



It has been 5 centuries since Michelangelo Buonarroti [1475-1564] or Michelagnolo (addressed by the latter endearing term by those who were closest to him) passed on.A great artist responsible for one of the most remarkable sculpture of all time,namely ,the David. Testimony to the high value and reverence that Italians have attached to the masterpiece is its relocation from a public square/piazza in 1873 to Galleria dell'Accademia.
                                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                                              
The Florentine sculptor, painter and poet has been absent from the realm of mortals for hundreds of years now but the sculptures he crafted still stand erect to this day. Amongst his notable pieces is his Moses, Bacchus and the pieta of Mary with Jesus just to name a few. His works appear to carry a palpable force about them.




   
Michelangelo's Moses

Recently there has been two items that have been linked to the man. These are two bronze figures depicting two nude lads on panthers with their hands raised in fist form. The statues are well known as the Rothschild bronzes. There is a strong claim that these are his creations.

Rothschild bronzes acclaimed to be his creations
  "Michelangelo is still pulsating with life"

In essence one may zealously say Michelangelo is still pulsating with life through one of his conspicuous piece being that of the youthful, heroic and brave Biblical David who defeated Goliath in battle with a sling shot.
Works like the statue of David as well as the Creation of Adam fresco on the Sistine chapel have immortalised the Italian Sculptor. His name has been etched permanently in history books.
           
Creation of Adam fresco on the Sistine chapel

T.S Eliot might have had Michelangelo in mind when he composed the following passage taken from his 'Choruses from the rock' ; 'The soul of man must quicken to creation. out of the formless stone,when the artist unites himself with stone, Spring always new forms of life, from the soul of man that is joined to the soul of stone- Out of meaningless practical shapes of all that is living or lifeless. Joined with the artists eye,new life,new form,new colour'.

 "hailed as the quintessential renaissance man"
Michelangelo has been hailed as the quintessential renaissance man. The man was at the forefront of the rebirth of art between the 14th and 15th centuries. Surely an artist of Buonarroti's stature deserves all the posthumous recognition he can get. It is not by default that a famous square in Italy was named after him. The square is known as Piazzale Michelangelo and is situated in Florence. Closer to home here in South Africa we have an extravagant hotel named after him namely; the Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, Johannesburg.


Michelangelo Towers in Sandton, Johannesburg.
"sculpture gave precedence to painting"
The great sculptors name must almost exist in parallel with that of Leonardo Da Vinci. Both artist are prominent figures in the art history of Italy. They lived round about the same era and were peers.
Da Vinci and Michelangelo were adversaries to a certain degree . The former preferred and favoured painting. He regarded sculpture as an inferior art. On the other hand Michelangelo was in favour of sculpture and deemed it the principal art-form which gave precedence to painting.


Going back to Michelangelo's David, as you stand before the live force figure meditating on it, your ruminations might take you along this route of self-inspection ; As I stand here occupying space temporarily as a mortal force across a figure of equal force(if not more)also occupying space but the latter doing more than that, the latter immortalizing its creator will my passion,discipline and dedication towards anything meaningful also immortalize me?

Statue of David at Galleria dell'Accademia


Sources consulted

More Michelangelos.2015.Sunday Times Travel weekly 8 February :17.

Stone,I.2004.The agony and the ecstasy.New York :New American Library

Welsh,F.2011. The history of the world.London:Querus.

David (Michelangelo).[o]. Available:http://www.wikipedia.com.
Accessed on 2015/05/26

Eliot,T.S. Choruses from the rock.


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