Michelangelo's Rome, 450 Years Later

What better way to celebrate Michelangelo's long life and immense body of work, than spending the 450th anniversary of his death taking a tour of his works. If you're lucky enough to be in his hometown of Florence today, you'll have even more opportunity to do so. But here in Rome, where Michelangelo lived and worked for much of his life, there's still a lot to see.

It is not often that one of an artist's earliest works becomes appreciated as one of his greatest masterpieces, but such is the case with the Pietà, sculpted in the last years of the 15th century, when Michelangelo was barely 25 years old.

Detail of the Pietà, Michelangelo, St. Peter's Basilica, Rome [source]

So much could be––and has been––said about this work, that I can't even scratch the surface in this little post, so I won't try. One curiosity is that it is the only work that Michelangelo ever signed, according to legend because he was frustrated that he was not receiving the proper recognition for the work, as he was new to Rome when he created it, and not yet well known there. He did this in secret, after the work had been completed and presented, and in fact, he was in such a hurry that he made a few mistakes! If you look closely you can see that he even misspelled his own name, leaving out a few letters and inserting them inside of others. I guess no one is perfect, although he came as close as anyone on Earth ever did, I'd wager.

Detail of the Pietà, signature, Michelangelo, St. Peter's Basilica [source]

After a stint in Florence, during which Michelangelo sculpted the David, he was back in Rome and working, against his will, on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, from 1508 to 1512. There are probably close to 7 trillion blog posts about the Sistine Chapel, so I won't bore you with another, but I will post my absolute favorite image from the ceiling. This glorious lady is the Libyan Sybil, called Phemonoe, who foretold of the "coming of the day when that which is hidden will be revealed." I have stood in the Sistine Chapel over one thousand times, and of the some three hundred figures on the ceiling, this is the one that has struck me over and over.

The Libyan Sybil, detail from the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo 

[source]

Sometimes looking at a great artist's plans and sketches is more revealing that looking at the finished version. Here are Michelangelo's studies for the Libyan Sybil.

Studies for the Libyan Sybil, Michelangelo [source]

The great tragedy of Michelangelo's life was that, due to forces beyond his control, he was never given the time and space to complete the tomb of Pope Julius II, the work that he believed was going to make his career and put him on the map. He of course couldn't know that he would one day be remembered as one of the greatest––if not the greatest––artists who ever lived, and he didn't need the tomb to prove that. His only completed figure of the planned tomb is the Moses, and it is only by standing in front it that you can get a true sense of its power and majesty. It is almost unbelievable that Michelangelo made drastic changes to this work, specifically changing the positioning of the left leg.

Moses, Michelangelo, San Pietro in Vincoli church, Rome [source]

I love this whimsical drawing of what it might have been like to witness Michelangelo at work on the Moses. Somehow I doubt he would have had knights and nobles loitering around his studio while he worked, and since the work was sculpted between 1513 and 1515, this image makes the artist look a little old. But it does give you the idea of the size of the great work.

[source]

It's impossible to call any work by Michelangelo "little known," but in Rome, at least this one might come close. After delighting in Gian Lorenzo Bernini's Elefantino in the piazza outside, venture inside the glorious Gothic church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva (with its starry blue ceiling that looks something like what the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel looked like before our hero got his hands on it), to find the Risen Christ, sculpted by Michelangelo between 1519 and 1521.

The Risen Christ, Michelangelo, Santa Maria sopra Minerva church, Rome [source]

From 1536 to 1541, Michelangelo found himself back in the Sistine Chapel frescoing another colossal work of art. The Last Judgement is about as different from the chapel's ceiling as one work can be from another by the same artist. Sadly, by the 1530s, the Renaissance was over, and the Counter Reformation had come to Rome. What did that mean for art? Lots of hell and damnation to scare those naughty Protestants into coming back to the Mother Church. And it also meant that shortly after Michelangelo's death, this work would be vandalized by Daniele da Volterra (but don't blame him; he was forced to do it), who added lots of scarves and other modest coverings to some of the more scandalous figures.

The Last Judgement, Michelangelo, Sistine Chapel [source]

Don't forget that Michelangelo was not only a sculptor and a frescoist; he was an architect too. Talk about a Renaissance man! From 1536 to 1546, more or less the same period he was working on The Last Judgement, Michelangelo was also redesigning the entire Capitoline Area, reversing the orientation of the square so that it turned its back on the ancient ruins of Rome's past, and looked instead toward the Vatican, and providing the Palazzo Senatorio with a new Renaissance facade. He also designed the glorious starburst pavement in the center of the square (which I love so much that I chose it as my wedding symbol), and which was not actually laid out as Michelangelo had desired until 1940.

Piazza del Campidoglio, Michelangelo, Rome [source]

In 1547, Michelangelo began designs for the dome of St. Peter's Basilica. This would be his last major work, and for the twelve years that he worked on it, he refused to receive any payment. He realized that his life was drawing to a close, and he chose to create this masterpiece for the glory of God alone, as a kind of final offering. Although the dome was not completed until after his death, his designs were adhered to with only a few exceptions.

Dome of St. Peter's Basilica, Michelangelo [source]

Michelangelo's very last project, built between 1562 and his death in 1564, is the church of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, an ingenious structure in which he created a Renaissance church out of a section of the ruins of the Roman bath complex, the Terme di Diocleziano. It is a stunning place to visit, however, some unfortunate "restorations" in 1749 by Luigi Vanvitelli take away significantly from the simple harmony of Michelangelo's design.

Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, Michelangelo, Rome [source]

This list is not quite conclusive of the works by Michelangelo in Rome. To be exhaustive, I'd have to add Palazzo Farnese, a project Michelangelo took over after Antonio da Sangallo, the arch of Via Giulia, that was originally meant to be a private bridge across the Tiber, just for the Farnese family, to link their palace with their "country" home, Villa Farnesina, and of course the magnificent frescoes in the Pauline Chapel in the Vatican. The Pauline Chapel is, alas, not open to the public and its unlikely that it ever will be, as it is the pope's private chapel. But we can dream, right?

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Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives reveal 100 priceless documents

Those of you who know me well, know that I like to post about a new exhibit if not the day it opens, then at least that same week. As Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives revealed at the Capitoline Museums was the most highly anticipated exhibition of the year (century?) for me, it might be surprising that I have waited so long to write about it.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

I have been preparing an article on the exhibit for the Traveller, the Sunday travel magazine of both the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age and it has been published this weekend! Here's an excerpt:

Michelangelo's smudged signature, a secret papal messaging code, a 1200-year-old book and myriad blood-red papal seals, excommunication bulls, death warrants of heretics and letters written in desperation by condemned queens - these are some of the most precious documents in the world, kept for the past four centuries in impenetrable vaults in the Vatican. For the first - and perhaps only - time in history, 100 original documents have left the Vatican Secret Archives and been shifted across town for an exhibition that opened a fortnight ago in the Capitoline Museums in central Rome...
read the full article.

I hope you enjoy it! The online version of the article unfortunately has only one photo, so below are some of the best images of the exhibit.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

These red penant seals (tied with red ribbon or "red tape", the origin of that expression) belonged to 81 separate members of the House of Lords. They are attached to a letter from King Henry VIII requesting Pope Clement VII to grant him an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon to enable him to marry his mistress Anne Boleyn.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

Galileo's signature! These are the court proceedings of his trial for heresy following his vocal support for Copernicus' heliocentric theory.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

 A letter from Michelangelo begs the Bishop of Cesena to resume payment of the workers of St. Peter's after the death of Pope Paul III. The builders had remained on site to protect the precious building materials from theivery despite the fact that they were not being paid to do so.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

A letter to the future Pope Celestine V informing him that he had been elected pope after 27 months of conclave at which he wasn't even present. The hermit priest reluctantly accepted, only to abdicate five years later. (During his papacy, he declared it the right of any pope to abdicate.) The letter is dated 11 July 1294.

Photo by Daniele Fregonese

This was one of the most exciting and bone-chilling exhibits: a 60 meter scroll of parchment with the depositions of 231 French Templar knights. During the Council of Vienne in 1311 they were forced to betray the order or face execution.

Photo by Giovanni Ciarlo

What I found so thrilling about this exhibit was that many of the documents on display pertain to events that we have all learned about, events that changed history and changed the world. Seeing the documents up close and personal brings history alive in a whole new way. In my eternal quest to travel in time, this was pretty close.


Visit my Exhibits on Now page for all pertinent information and enjoy! This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime event!

All images are provided courtesy of Zètema Press Office and may not be reproduced.

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Michelangelo's Last Judgment and Marcello Venusti's copy

As if you didn't need another excuse to visit the just-about-to-end Renaissance in Rome exhibit at Palazzo Venezia, here is one more and then I promise never to write about this mostra ever again!

Marcello Venusti created a copy of Michelangelo's epic Last Judgement in the Sistine Chapel before the latter was brutally censored under Pope Pius IV in 1565. It was Daniele da Volterra who was forced to do the dirty work, against his will. He was one of Michelangelo's most devout and adoring followers and he agreed to censor the work only because he was told it would otherwise be destroyed.

Copy of Michelangelo's Last Judgement, Marcello Vanusti, 1549, Museo di Capodimonte, Napoli

The censoring included mostly the addition of cleverly arranged scarves in just the right places to sheild our eyes from the scandalous male frontal nudity that was not tollerated (at least not right over the high altar of the pope's private chapel) during the morally strict counter-reformation. 

One of the most dramatic changes that was made to Michelangelo's original was the position of Saint Blaise in relation to St. Catherine. Here is the censored version in Michelangelo's original:

Detial from The Last Judgement, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1536-1541, Cappella Sistina, Musei Vaticani, Città del Vaticano

Notice that in Venusti's copy above (which we can assume was true to Michelangelo's original before it was censored), not only is a very burly St. Catherine completely nude, but St. Blaise is turned toward her menacingly in an not so decorous position. (These figures are on the right of the fresco, about halfway down.)

Venusti probably had no idea when he was painting his copy (the differs from the original at the top with the addition of God the Father and the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove) that it would become a useful historical record to document what Michelangelo's work looked like before the censoring.

The Last Judgement, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1536-1541, Cappella Sistina, Musei Vaticani, Città del Vaticano

Seeing Venusti's copy up close at the Renaissance in Rome exhibit was for me one of the most interesting parts of the exhibit, and yet another reason to visit it if you haven't already. Below are links to a few more posts I wrote about the exhibit, and you'll find information on visiting at my Exhibits on Now page.

The Renaissance in Rome: in the footsteps of Michelangelo and Raphael

Running into some old friends at an exhibit

Long-lost paintings by Michelangelo and Caravaggio: are they or aren't they?

Photo sources: 1: courtesy of Arthemisia Group Press Office; 2, 3

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Long-lost paintings by Michelangelo and Caravaggio, are they or aren't they?

Two of Rome’s most beautiful exhibits of the moment, The Renaissance in Rome: in the footsteps of Michelangelo and Raphael and Rome in the time of Caravaggio are ending this coming weekend, so if you haven’t had a chance to see them yet, I highly recommend you high-tail it to Via del Corso and Piazza Venezia respectively before all these amazing works get shipped back home. 

Both exhibitions are more in celebration of the works inspired by these three big kahunas of the art world, as opposed to displaying much of their own works. As I’ve talked about before, dropping big names seems to have become the norm in the quest to attract as many visitors to an exhibition as possible. Even so, the exhibits are still wonderful and well worth a visit.

One thing these two shows have in common is that each has a work of art on display that has been recently attributed to one of the two passionately adored Michelangelos. At The Renaissance in Rome, the so-called Pietà of Ragusa, literally discovered behind a couch in a middle-class home in Buffalo, New York, recently restored and on display publicly for the first time, is allegedly a long-lost work by Michelangelo Buonarroti himself. My good friend, Theresa Potenza, a Buffalo-native and art historian, writes about it in the New York Post here and more in-depth in the Buffalo News here.

Pietà di Ragusa, School of Michelangelo (with attribution to Michelangelo himself by some scholars), 1545. Private collection

According to some of the most respected Michelangelo scholars, at least the base sketch of the painting was the work of the master’s hand, if not the entire piece. The painting seems to have passed from Michelangelo's close friend Vittoria Colonna to (centuries later) a German baroness, and was eventually given to the great-great-grandfather of the American owner, whose children affectionately call it the “Mike.” It was relegated to behind the couch when it was hit by a tennis ball. If in time the work proves to be a genuine Michelangelo, it could be worth as much as $300 million dollars.

Saint Augustine in his study, attributed to Caravaggio by some (clueless) scholars

Much less convincing is the painting of Saint Augustine which some are now claiming to be the work of a young Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio. It is on display at the Rome in the time of Caravaggio exhibit at Palazzo Venezia. It was originally part of the art collection of Vincenzo Giustiniani, a well-known collector of Caravaggio's paintings, and a couple of "experts" out there are convinced it is the Lombard master's work. There’s only one problem with it: it doesn’t look like anything Caravaggio ever did. In my very humble opinion, if this were the work of the world’s greatest master of chiaroscuro, my beloved bad-boy Caravaggio, the background would be much darker and sparser. There wouldn't be anything back there besides maybe a window, a curtain or a shaft of light.

The only thing that even comes close to Caravaggio's style is the book that is edging slightly over the end of the table. But everything else, I mean, really? The mitre? The pathetic two-dimensional bookshelf? Please! Even the facial features and hands are way off.

But who am I to judge? I may be an impassioned lover of Caravaggio's work and I may cross borders on occasion in my quest to see his every last painting, but I can hardly be considered an expert. So here's what Maurizio Marini, a real Caravaggio expert, has to say about it: "If that's a Caravaggio, then I'm baby Jesus."

Ouch.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your opinions so feel free to comment! For information on visiting these exhibits (and to decide for yourself if these two works are authentic or not) check out my Exhibits on Now page. And hurry, they both end 18 March!

Photo sources:

1, 3: Courtesy of Arthemisia Press Office

2, 4: Courtesy of Civita Press Office

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Running into some old friends at an exhibit

The most enjoyable thing about taking a long afternoon to visit the Renaissance in Rome exhibit, besides getting the chance to see so much amazing art in one place, was the sensation I kept getting that I was bumping into an old friend.

Portrait of Cardinal Tommaso Inghirami, called "Fedra", Raphael Sanzio

This first one I would never have noticed on my own. The audio-guide informed me that the Cardinal above had also appeared in Raphael's School of Athens, although at the moment I couldn't imagine where.

The School of Athens, Raphael Sanzio, Vatican Museums

I had to look at it up close in a book to find him, and there he was, with a jaunty wreath around his head: Epicurius, looking much more fun-loving than his portrait above.

Detail of School of Athens, Raphael Sanzio, Vatican Museums

This commemorative coin also was too familiar, but much easier to place, given that it was minted on occasion of the laying of the first stone of the new St. Peter's Basilica in 1506.

What St. Peter's would have looked like if Bramante had had his way:

These are all well and good, but the next two works are what really brought a smile to my face:

Portrait of Michelangelo as Moses, Federico Zuccari, 1593

Michelangelo, posing (at least in Zuccari's imagination) as one of his greatest works, Moses, at St. Peter's in Chains. It is unmistakable. But what I really love is Michelangelo's smile. We usually see him wallowing in grief and self-pity in his self-portraits, so it's nice to see another artist capture a lighter side to his personality, whether or not it existed.

Moses, Michelangelo Buonarroti, San Pietro in Vincoli

Curiosity: there is a small flaw on the right knee of the Moses. According to legend, when Michelangelo finished it, he was so struck by how life-like his work was, he hit the statue on the knee with a chisel and yelled, "Now speak!"

Portrait of Raphael as Isaiah, Federico Zuccari, 1593.

Beside Michelangelo as Moses sits Federico Zuccari's similarly styled (but not nearly as moving) Raphael as Isaiah.

Isaiah, Raphael Sanzio. Chiesa Sant'Agostino, Rome.

This small fresco that inspired it can be found on a pillar in Sant'Agostino church, (but is often overlooked by tourists or art-seekers who visit that church to see the Madonna di Loreto by Caravaggio). Wait a minute? Where have I seen that angel before? The one behind Isaiah's right shoulder? Oh, yes! The very same exhibit! Ah, how everything comes full circle...

Photos 1, 4, 6, 10: Courtesy of Arthemesia Group.
Other photo sources: 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9

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The Renaissance in Rome, in the footsteps of Michelangelo and Raphael

If you are in Rome and haven't yet had a chance to visit the wonderful exhibit, Il Rinascimento a Roma, nel segno di Michelangelo e Raffaello, at Palazzo Sciarra, I suggest you high-tail it over there soon, because in just a few weeks it will be over and the amazing works will be shipped back from whence they came. I generally try to post about each exhibit just as they are beginning, but somehow this one got lost in the shuffle for me, and I apologize that I am just getting around to write about it now.

One of the reasons I haven't written about this exhibit yet is the sheer enormity of the subject. Art in the 1500s in Rome. Where does one begin? Mannerism is like God: At first you think you understand it. Then, the more you learn, the more you realize how little you actually know.

It has also come to my attention recently that my blog posts are far too long. So instead of risking writing words no one will ever read, today I will simply give you a preview of the highlights of the exhibit with as little commentary as possible. However, a few of the works I found particularly intriguing and I do want to write about them further, but I will do it one by one in the following days, for your sake, dear bloglings, as well as my own.

There are three versions of the Holy Family by Perin del Vaga presented at the exhibit, but this one is by far the most beautiful in my opinion. This is also the earliest, and therefore the most likely to have been inspired by the artist's mentor, Raphael.

Holy Family, Piero Buonaccorsi, called 'Perin del Vago', 1540. Borghese Gallery, Rome

He looks awfully sad in this self-portrait for someone who had a famously happy life.

Self-Portrait, Raphael Sanzio, 1509. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence

This cherub is a fragment of a fresco that has been removed from its place of origin. I have no information on where it originally lived, but I am guessing a church, since it curves inward toward the top. The fresco has been anchored to a slab of cadorite, and reinforced with aluminum brackets. I always cringe when I see transported frescoes. I am stunned they even attempt it as it seems so risky. Still, as most detailed frescoes are ususually high off the ground, having this at eye level gives you a great opportunity to see the minute details, such as cracks and brushstrokes, of a fresco.

Cherub, Raphael Sanzio, 1511. Accademia Nazionale di San Luca, Rome

Have you seen this face somewhere before? According to the audio-guide at the exhibit, he made an appearance in The School of Athens. Can you find him? As you can see from this portrait, he suffered from astigmatism.

Portrait of Tommaso Inghirami, called 'Fedra', 1513. Galleria Palatina and Palazzo Pitti, Florence

Sebastiano del Piombo adored Michelangelo, as the older artist had befriended him when he first arrived in Rome. Michelangelo, on at least four occasions, provided Sebastiano with designs that the later used for his own works.

Portrait of Michelango indicating his designs, Sebastiano del Piombo (attributed), ca 1520. Galerie Hans, Hamburg

This is one of the highlights of the exhibition. This painting, tempera on wood panel, belongs to a middle class family in upstate New York and apparently lived behind a couch for several years. Is it really the work of Michelangelo? What do you think?

Pietà di Ragusa, School of Michelangelo (with attribution to Michelangelo himself by some scholars), 1545. Private collection

This copy of Michelangelo's Last Judgement shows what the original looked like before Daniele da Volterra (the "breeches painter") was forced to censor it.

Copy of Michelangelo's Last Judgement, Marcello Venusti, 1549. Capodimonte Museum, Naples

This unfinished work is considered by some to be a depiction of David, and by others Apollo. Which do you think? More importantly, have you ever heard of this work before? Or seen an image of it? I know I hadn't and my heart skipped a beat when I saw it.

Apollo/David, Michelangelo Buonarroti, 1530. Museo Nazionale di Bargello, Florence

How would you like to find a coin like this stuck between two cobblestones?

Medal commemorating the placing of the first stone of St. Peter's Basilica, Cristoforo Foppa, called 'il Caradosso', 1506. Rome Foundation Collection, Rome

This was the last work in the exhibit and my favorite. I'll write more about it soon and have purposefully not included a caption. What does it remind you of? Does it make you as happy as it makes me (i.e. a lot)?

See the Exhibits on Now page to find out practical information about visiting this wonderful exhibition.

All images provided courtesy of Arthemesia Group press office

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