Reflections on Michaelangelo

---

Well its late now and I thought I would blog a little takeaway from class today. We actually met twice, once in the morning and another time at 4 to watch a video on Michaelangelo. In the morning, Tony had maps of Florence printed out for us and told us a bit about the highlights of what we'd see there. It was pretty informative and I have a better idea of what I want to see, however I think for that trip much of our itinerary is planned out already as Martin will be taking us around. We have an assignment due tomorrow and I've been up late working on it (it took longer than i thought it would) but one of the chapters I had to read was about young michaelangelo. He was born into a family that used to be kind of wealthy but they were experiencing tough financial times when he was born. His dad worried alot about money and always badgered Michaelangelo about his poor decision of choosing art as a career... even when he was in the peak of his success and making more money than I can possibly imagine, his dad didn't see the practicality of his son being an artist. Regardless of this badgering, Michaelangelo respected, loved, and cared for his father and helped contribute to his family's financial needs when he could, and when he couldn't, he expressed his concern and did whatever he could to help. But Michaelangelo was recognized for his talents at a very young age and got to sculpt with other young prodigies in the Medici palace gardens. He apprenticed a famous artist at the time and eventually studied at the Platonic academy. The philosophy of Plato which many say is the crux of all modern philosophers today (basically, you can trace just about any philosopher's ideas and theories today back to what Plato said) can in a nutshell be stated that there is a separation of body and soul and that the soul is being weighed down by the body. Ultimately, it wants to be free of the body, to escape. Michaelangelo attempted to portray this philosophy in some of his art, particularly his later works of these prisoners. (see picture) What he is trying to show here is that the soul is held captive, trying to break free from the baggage and heavy burden (the chunks of unsculpted marble) that the body places on it. Some speculate that Michaelangelo just never finished sculpting these statues seeing as they were made towards the end of his life; but according to Tony, this is likely not the case. Several of these works now line the corridor of the gallery where the statue of David is portrayed. Michealangelo completed David earlier in his career, and chiseling away at a gigantic block of marble that a sculptor had started a work on seventy years prior but ended up never finishing. Standing 17 ft tall, the statue represented to the city a hero, the triumph over struggle through courage, determination, and human will power. I think thats kind of ironic. I mean David was an amazing guy and all, he fought in some incredible battles and was a man's man. I mean the dude killed lions with his bare hands. If that doesn't qualify you as a man, I don't know what does. But anyways... reading his writings in the Psalms and his words when he goes to fight his fight against Goliath, he was never really about himself. He never boasted in the victories as if he was the one responsible for them. He never talked about his amazing will power and determination and courage as if that was what made Israel prosper. Rather, he always gave the credit to the Lord because it was him who gave David the strength and skill to do the things he did in the first place. David understood that. Regardless, he was inspiring, and an incredible king, I'm sure the Florentines saw that as well. Its fascinating hearing about the history and just the huge transition from faith to secularism that the renaissance brought about. Politics, architecture, art, literature, philosophy, theology, were all affected during the transition and Tony is very gung ho about pointing this out. Cathedrals such as the Notre Dame and the famous one in Milan are all pointed and sharp edged ... the spiked edges almost resemble arrows directing ones gaze upward. "Look up to the heavens, look to the skies," they say. On the contrary, Renaissance architecture shows the emergence of domes and more rounded architecture... almost retorting "no stay here, remember the physical, your humanity is important too." Well... those are my takeaway's of the day. Its kinda nice learning about this stuff before hand because it makes me that much more excited to going to see Florence. Headed to Siena tomorrow and another hill town of the Tuscan region called Cortona... perhaps Pisa or Lucca on the return trip... we will see. Buana Notte!

---

Comments

[David]

learning with you
JB, I feel you are teaching mom and me so much. I love your blogs...so many great details. we miss you but we are so glad you are liking/loving Italy. love dad