Italian culture, language, nature has long beenattract tourists. But this country is famous not only for its landscapes and loud serenades. Today we will talk about one of the most famous sons of Italy. Also in this article will be a number of descriptions of sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarotti.
Read carefully and you will learn a lot of new and interesting things for yourself from the area of the Italian culture of the Renaissance.
Born a future brilliant painter and sculptor inthe family of an impoverished nobleman in 1475 in the city of Caprese. Due to the lack of finances, his father gives him upbringing to the Topolino family, where the boy meets 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 sculptor Giovanni. Lorenzo de Medici notices him there.
It was this man who gave Michelangelo the opportunity to open up. He patronizes his studies, and after, until his death, he helps with obtaining expensive orders.
During his life Buonarotti managed to work in Rome, Florence and Bologna.
Let's now talk about his work in more detail.
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, peculiar only to volumetric things.
It is noteworthy that the main achievementMichelangelo Buonarotti is an innovation. It is because of the actions contrary to the canons, he became famous for centuries. His statue "David" became the standard of the High Renaissance, and "Pieta" - the best incarnation of the body of a dead man in sculptural execution.
Let's take a closer look at the works of this genius of the Renaissance.
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 sculpture 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 lasted for two years, starting in 1513. In addition, on the sides are statues created by students of Michelangelo.
Pope Julius II’s original intent was verytendentious and grand. 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 funds from his heirs.
Thus, we are presented with a “budget” version of the original project.
So, "Moses" is a sculpture by Michelangelo, who glorified her creator through the ages. Today it is considered one of the most famous sculptures. What is it remarkable?
The height of the statue is 235 centimeters, but the power thatlurking in its outlines is truly colossal. The sculptor depicted the leader of the Jewish people at the moment of returning after a conversation with God, when Moses saw his fellow tribesmen worshiping the golden calf.
The shape is very dynamic and filled with innerenergy. We see swollen veins and a hurricane of passion on the face of the leader. In his right hand he holds the tables, and his leg is extended with a sharp and short movement forward, as if he is about to leap up and begin to act.
Michelangelo's skillful cutter job comparedcontemporaries with the sable brush painter. The thinnest hairs of the beard look soft and silky, except that there is not a single millimeter of raw marble in the sculpture. The composition is fully completed and expresses all the expressiveness of the human genius.
"Moses", a sculpture by Michelangelo, does not leaveindifferent anyone. Powerful volitional pressure charms, and sometimes scares the audience. As Stendal said, if you have not seen this sculpture, you have no idea about the possibilities of sculpture.
In our article we will try to highlight the mostfamous sculptures by Michelangelo. The second such, on a par 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 inFlorence and is intended for a circular view. The statue depicts a young Jewish king, David, who is preparing for battle with the giant Goliath. He is focused and a bit tense, as the enemy is clearly superior to his physical qualities. At the same time, David’s unshakable confidence in victory is visible in David’s view.
Who was the masterpiece customer?In the middle of the fifteenth century, in Florence, they started talking about decorating Santa Maria del Fiore. This is the cathedral of Florence. It was planned to surround it with twelve statues of the most famous biblical characters from the Old Testament.
Work on the project began with Donatello his apprentice, but he managed to create only one sculpture.
After his death, the project was suspended, and a block of marble (popularly known as the “Giant”), intended for the statue of David, gradually crumbled under the influence of erosion.
At the beginning of the sixteenth century was convenedthe commission, which included Leonardo da Vinci, who decided to sign a contract with twenty-six 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 applies the statement that to create a masterpiece you just need to cut off all unnecessary.
However, in 1504, when the work was completed, the astonished Florentines decided to place David in the Lanzi Loggia, the place where the city council meetings were held.
Now, the struggle for freedom was personified by Michelangelo Buonarroti's masterpiece. The sculptures of Donatello were moved to another place from the council hall.
There are several interesting facts related to this work. "David" - the most copied sculpture of the Renaissance. Its duplicates are in Moscow, London and in different areas of her native city.
It is also noteworthy that the London copyequipped with a fig leaf, in case of the arrival of the queen. And in the twentieth century, Jerusalem refused to accept a copy of the statue of the “naked Italian of the fifteenth century”, since Michelangelo’s David was uncircumcised.
The tomb of the Medici in Florence keeps many sculptures of Michelangelo. We will separately talk about two compositions.
The first one depicts the participation of the heavenly elements in the genus of the "greatest Florentine ruler." This sculptural group consists of four figures standing in pairs on two sarcophagi.
The idea of the master was to showunthinkable even for the gods, the weight of mortal existence. They are depicted in uncomfortable positions on the covers of sarcophagi, in an effort to slide down faster.
Allegories of different times of day are depicted asfigures of young men and women. The natural antique beauty and ideality of proportions contrasts with the medieval Christian image of the “painful feeling of grief” due to frail 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 created by order of Clement VII, who decided to immortalize their relatives who died young.
Work on the statues was completed in 1534, butnot all were installed on the planned sites. Today, the terracotta model of the Day statue, for example, is in Houston, Morning is in London. The “Evenings” model was lost, some collector bought it, and the tracks from that time disappeared.
The sculpture “Night” is considered to be the most beautiful part of the composition. Michelangelo, as contemporaries said, depicted in her "a sleeping stone angel, in which breath is felt."
Thus, the sculptures of Michelangelo, despite some shortcomings, which we will discuss later, are genuine masterpieces of human genius.
This is the second part of the composition of the famous chapel incrypt lords of Florence. It consists of two sculptures, one of which depicts Giuliano, who bore the title of Duke of Nemours, and the other - Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbina. They became famous for being the first in the entire history of the Medici family to receive such high titles.
It is important to mention the main drawbackMichelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptures of this master have no portrait likeness with their prototypes. He hated portraits and said that no one needed such a trifle, as no one would notice after a thousand years.
An image similar to the statue of Lorenzo expressesRoden's sculpture "The Thinker". Michelangelo created this statue in the form of a Roman commander in a pose of deep thought. The zoomorphic helmet hides most of the face in the shade. It is about this that disputes among researchers are still going on.
Some say that by this the great master hinted that Lorenzo suffered madness before his death. Others argue that this is just an allegorical image of the gravity of thoughts.
One way or another, but Giuliano's face is worked out.it is better. He is depicted in the form of the ancient effective beginning. He is young, without a helmet, full of energy, but his eyes are completely indifferent. Thus, he personifies the very concept of the idea of wise government.
Together with the allegorical figures of timedays, Lorenzo and Giuliano form a complete composition. It takes viewers to the Renaissance, when the formation of modern states. A period of intrigue, political struggle and an inordinate amount of comfort.
Next we look at one of the most successful.examples of sculptures by Michelangelo. With the names of "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.
Она состоит из двух фигур – рабов, умирающего и rebellious. Since the master rarely attached importance to the portrait likeness and the allegorical meaning of his creations, we cannot say anything either about the exact meaning or about the prototypes.
If the question of the latter is unlikely to be resolved ever, then there is still controversy about the meaning embedded in these dynamic images.
Some say that this is an image of the arts, which the Pope favored, others say that this 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 fetters. One of them is trying to break the shackles with an inhuman effort, while the other hangs helplessly surrendering.
These figures, like many other famous sculptures of Michelangelo, as if "released" independently from the boulder.
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.
Drunk Bacchus is considered the first successful work of a young master. He created it at twenty-two years by order of Rafael Riario, the Italian Cardinal.
An interesting fact is that the cardinal with herI just wanted to expand my collection of ancient 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 not far from the Palace of Cancellaria. After almost a hundred years, it is bought by the Medici and transported to Florence.
Today, the sculpture is an exhibit in the Bargello Museum in Florence.
Some researchers of Michelangelo's creativityBuonarotti, for example, Viktor Lazarev, consider this work a direct imitation of ancient plastic. They say that in this first independent creation there is absolutely no personality of the author.
"Bacchus" depicts the Roman god of winemaking,to which corresponded the Greek Dionysus, accompanied by a little satyr. This couple is in a relaxed state, defeated by the impact of the intoxicating drink.
Bahus looks at the wine cup, his face expressesimpulse 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 at 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.
Единственным произведением, на котором есть autograph of the author, is a sculpture by Michelangelo "Pieta". Its name comes from the Italian word, which means "sorrow, pity." The main plot of this scene is the mourning of the lost son, Jesus Christ, by the Virgin Mary.
Michelangelo's Pieta is considered by art critics to be one of the few surviving works of transition from the early Renaissance of the fifteenth century to the high period of this era.
Для готики характерен образ мертвого Спасителя на hands 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 at the composition, you canto see that there is a sharp division between the living and the dead. The first includes attributes such as feminine, clothed 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.
Today we know many sculpturesMichelangelo 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 talked about earlier.
The contract for this order was signed in the early yearssixteenth century 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.
Вот и закончилось наше краткое знакомство с такой a remarkable personality, as an artist, thinker and sculptor Michelangelo. 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!
