Michelangelo Buonarroti drinks the Lamentation of Christ. Divine Michelangelo

Almost everyone had to deal with, if not the biography, then at least the name of the outstanding master Michelangelo. Let's take a look at the description of the life and skill of the great genius.

Who is Michelangelo?

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475‒1564) is one of the greatest luminaries in several artistic fields at the same time. He is considered a great master of the High and Late Renaissance, because it was this person who was able to demonstrate his versatility in architecture, painting, poetry, and sculpture. Throughout his life, he repeatedly took on grandiose artistic tasks and walked firmly towards his goal, while completely ignoring obstacles. It can be said that Michelangelo was a solitary thinker, since he waged a constant struggle with the world around him, while feeling very alienated and unsettled. But, despite all the obstacles, this personality ascended to a new level in the history of art.

The genius of the sculptor

Along with such famous artistic figures as Leonardo da Vinci and Raphael, Michelangelo gained unfading fame. For him, the fundamental principle was knowledge of the surrounding world, and it is he who is elevated to the ranks of the first sculptors of his time. Why? The fact is that it was Michelangelo who learned in detail the structure of the human body, while showing the elegance and splendor of the body. Despite the fact that he often had to submit to the whims of the rulers, he could easily move on to new transformations in architecture, in the creation of frescoes, in painting. The ease of performing the work emphasizes the uniqueness of this man, whose works can still be seen in museums today.

Michelangelo's famous sculpture "Pieta"

Michelangelo worked very hard as a sculptor, and now we will get acquainted with the peak of his creativity. The sculpture “Pieta” by Michelangelo Buonarroti is the first of the total number of works that glorified the great Italian throughout the country. At the moment, this marble sculptural composition, which is also called “Lamentation of Christ,” is located in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. It is an indicator of the unshakable faith of the creator himself, the depth and drama of Biblical history, which emphasizes the humanistic ideals of the Renaissance.

Briefly about the history of creation

Michelangelo's Pietà sculpture was created for the French cardinal Jean Billaire de Lagrol back in 1496. Already at such a young age (he was only 21 years old at the time), Michelangelo entered into a contract with the cardinal to create a funeral Pieta. The topic was very important, but the time allotted for the creation of the sculptural composition was very short - only a year. However, Michelangelo worked for about two years. Perhaps this is why the work was so masterfully done, because the sculptor detailed the volumes so accurately and academically, and it was simply impossible to create everything quickly. This fact emphasizes his hard work and ability to bring his works to perfection.

The interesting thing is that this is the only sculpture of his that was signed. The fact is that upon completion of the work, she put it up for public contemplation. Boundless delight flowed from the lips of the spectators, some of them read prayers and swore at such a magnificent creation. The reaction of the people was amazing, and one day at a late hour Michelangelo secretly made his way into the cathedral with instruments and pointed out the dignified inscription on the Madonna’s belt: “Michelangelo Buonarroti, Florentine.” From now on, the sculptor became a recognizable genius.

Tragic theme in the Pietà sculpture by Michelangelo. Description

At that time, the topic of the Biblical motif was simply unacceptable for masters. Fearlessly breaking with tradition, he recreated the image of the young Mary, a grieving mother, with her sensuality, love, and generous forbearance. We can observe how skillfully Michelangelo was able to convey a compositional structure that expresses the psychological overtones of the tragedy. The head of the Virgin Mary is slightly bowed. She looks at the face of her son lying on her lap, his eyes closed in deep sleep. Looking at this statue, you can feel the mother’s deepest bewilderment, the grief that falls on her heart. This work introduced novelty into the conveyance of drama. Through the natural size of the composition and the position of the figures, the sculptor discarded previous views on this topic.

An attack on creation

Unfortunately, even this “holy” creation was attacked. This happened in 1972. After the celebration of the Holy Trinity Day, the work of art was completely attacked by one Australian geologist - Laszlo Toth. He imagined himself risen from the dead and quickly struck 15 blows to Michelangelo's sculpture with a hammer.

The last gasp of a creative genius

Michelangelo's Pieta Rondanini was created six days before his death. It remained at the stage of initial processing, the ideological analogy of which also had a biblical motive. First of all, the sculptor wanted to recreate the figure of the Mother of God supporting the body of her Son. The body looks so emaciated that it emphasizes the hopelessness and irrevocability of life. His hands, according to the plan, were supposed to be spread out to the sides, but in recent days the master has modified the composition. From now on, Christ's hands were pressed to his body. We see a certain external incoherence of the two figures, but at the same time we feel the inseparability of their spiritual character, internal, which creates a single form. The mother's grief proceeds in painful silence, where there is neither fear nor tears.

So, we have considered only two of the total number of works by Michelangelo. This genius created many creations that literally emphasize the limitlessness of the inner world of the Italian artist of the Renaissance.

In the very heart of the Vatican - St. Peter's Basilica - there is an incomparable sculptural group "Pieta" (Italian pieta - mercy), one of the most famous works of the great son of Italy Michelangelo Buonarotti. At the age of twenty-four, the still unknown Italian created the composition “Lamentation of Christ,” depicting the figure of the Virgin Mary mourning over the lifeless body of Jesus.

Of course, exploring the main sights of the Vatican is more interesting and better in the company of a guide. But if you decide to visit Pieta on your own, below is our useful information for you.

History of unusual sculpture

Arriving in Rome in 1496, 21-year-old Michelangelo soon met the wealthy financier and famous collector of monuments of the past, Jacopo Galli. Thanks to the mediation of his new influential patron, the aspiring sculptor receives a substantial order from the French clergy of the Catholic Church. Cardinal Jean Bilair de Lagrola enters into an agreement with the young master, according to which the sculptor is given a year to create the funerary Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica. But Michelangelo did not meet the deadline; he worked for almost two years.

The sculptural group “Pieta” amazes with the magnificent mastery of the composition and the humanity of the executed images. Almost always, several heroes were involved in similar works at the same time, and not two, as with the Italian. During his work, the young sculptor faced a difficult task: he had to combine standing and lying figures into a single composition, without disturbing the natural proportions and harmony.

Having overcome all difficulties, Michelangelo coped admirably with the order of the French cardinal. The completed work glorified the hitherto unknown sculptor throughout the country and beyond. Michelangelo's skill and talent allowed him to stand on a par not only with his contemporaries, but also with his famous predecessors.

Michelangelo's autograph

“The Lamentation of Christ” is the only work of the famous Italian genius on which he left his signature.

After the installation of the sculptural composition in St. Peter's Cathedral, the master often went there to once again admire his own work. But one day a young Italian overheard a conversation in which the interlocutors mistakenly called another sculptor, the Milanese Gobbo, the author of his creation. Michelangelo did not allow himself to interfere in the conversation. Instead, the next night he beautifully carved the phrase on the fold of the Virgin Mary’s dress: “Michelangelo Buonarotti performed the Florentine.”

Act of vandalism

Michelangelo Buonarotti's masterpiece has survived to this day. The sculptural group is still located in the Vatican, in St. Peter's Basilica, but after the tragic events that occurred in 1972, it can only be viewed through bulletproof glass.

The installation of the protective structure was carried out after an act of vandalism was committed against the sculpture. Laszlo Toth, a geologist from Australia who fancies himself as Christ rising from the dead, struck the famous figures fifteen times with a rock hammer. The visitors, numb with horror, did not immediately understand what was happening and grabbed the crazy man too late. The madman managed to cause serious damage to Michelangelo's creation - Mary's arm was broken off to the elbow, her nose and left eye were also damaged by the actions of the vandal. There were also other minor damages. The Pietà sculpture required restoration.

Today, the restored work of the great Michelangelo is a decoration of St. Peter's Basilica, causing, as before, the sincere admiration of the audience.

Welcome to interesting excursions in Rome and the Vatican

December 1, 2018

St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican houses one of the greatest works of sculpture ever made by the hand of man. Michelangelo's Pieta is undoubtedly one of the outstanding examples of Renaissance art. And in terms of the power of emotional impact, it still has no equal! It is characteristic that none of the multiple copies that can be seen in different Catholic cathedrals around the world are capable of conveying even a small fraction of such feelings.

The sculpture depicts the grieving image of the Virgin Mary holding in her lap the lifeless body of Jesus, who had just been taken down from the cross. A similar plot, by the way, not confirmed in any text of the Gospel, was nevertheless used quite often in Catholic iconography of that time and reflected mainly the tragedy that had happened. Michelangelo Buonarroti's interpretation, embodied in marble, represents a religious vision of death through the calm and peaceful appearance of God's son. For the first time in the history of art, she balances the naturalism of the nude body with the ideals of classical beauty of the Renaissance, which was unprecedented in Italian sculpture.

Michelagelo's Pietà appeared during Buonarotti's first stay in Rome, where he arrived at the end of June 1496 at the invitation of the Roman aristocrat and banker Iacolo Galli. As an intermediary and guarantor in various committees associated with the group of cardinals, Galli offered the aspiring talented architect a number of orders. One of the proposals came from Cardinal Jean Bileres de Lagraulas, who served as the ambassador of King Charles VIII of France to the Holy See. The clergyman wished to make a tombstone worthy of his person.

Having received the initial advance payment for the order, in March 1498 Michelangelo went to one of the quarries of Mount Altissimo in the Apuan Alps to personally select a marble block for the future statue from the quarries of Carrara. The material from these places, distinguished by its special white purity and fine granularity of the rock, was most suitable for the production of delicate sculptural works. Michelangelo's Pieta was completed in 1499. (according to other sources - in 1500), i.e. when the master was only about 25 years old.

Pieta - Sorrow

Signature carved by Michelangelo

An inscription that reads: "Michelangelo Buonarroti made a Florentine" can be clearly seen on the sling lying on top of the Virgin's mantle. This sculpture is the only one that the master has ever signed. According to the testimony of the Italian artist and writer Giorgio Vasari, Michelangelo later regretted this outburst of pride and vowed never to sign his works again.

Initially, Michelangelo's Pieta, as agreed in the treaty, adorned the tomb in the south transept of the old church of Santa Petronilla, which the cardinal chose as his funeral chapel. Since this chapel was destroyed by the architect Donato Bramante during the construction of the new St. Peter's Basilica, which began in 1506, Michelangelo's Pietà temporarily took its place in the sacristy of the chapel of Santa Maria della Febbre, located next to the old basilica, until 1517. In 1568 The sculpture group was placed on the altar of Santa Simon and Judas in the old Sistine choir of St. Peter's Basilica. After all the work was completed, in November 1626, it was moved to the new choir. At the same time, it was necessary to make a new base for the statue. It was made by Francesco Borromini. The current location - in the first chapel from the entrance in the right nave - was occupied by Michelangelo's Pietà in 1749.

Photographic image of the statue from the beginning of the last century

Numerous movements did not have the best effect on the condition of the sculpture. Four fingers on the left hand of the Virgin Mary, broken during movement, were restored in 1736 by Giuseppe Lirioni. This first major restoration has subsequently caused controversy among many scholars as to the extent to which Giuseppe took certain liberties in his work to make the Virgin's gesture more rhetorical.

Fragment of a statue

However, X-ray analysis of Michelangelo's Pieta, carried out during the preparation of the sculpture for its display in the Vatican pavilion at the 1964 World's Fair in New York, did not reveal any critical vulnerabilities. And this was once again evidence of how carefully the master took the choice of the marble block.

Display of sculpture in the Vatican Pavilion at the World's Fair in New York. 1964

In 1972, Michelangelo's Pieta was subjected to an unprecedented act of vandalism. On May 21, the mentally ill Laszlo Toth, originally from Hungary, severely damaged the statue with several blows from a rock hammer, breaking off the left hand and practically destroying the mournful appearance of the Madonna.

The broken fragments scattered around the sculpture were immediately picked up by the crowded onlookers as free souvenirs. Many of them were subsequently returned - parcels even came from America.

This is interesting!

Some fairly authoritative cultural experts spoke out against the restoration of the mutilated statue, proposing to leave it in this form for the edification of subsequent generations as an innocent victim. Deoclecio Redige de Campos, appointed head of the restoration work, drew a line under the controversy, declaring that “Michelangelo’s Pietà derives its expressive power from the spiritual purity embodied in the marble. And even a simple scratch on it is more disturbing than the absence of the hands of the Venus de Milo.”

Pieta in Italian sounds like Pietà and means sympathy, compassion. The Vatican Pieta is an iconographic scene of the Virgin Mary mourning the dead Christ. It is considered the first and most outstanding work of Michelangelo Buonarroti. Its copies are in many Catholic churches around the world, but the only original has been kept in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for more than 500 years.

Story

In 1498, the cardinal, who was the ambassador of the French king Charles VIII at the court of Pope Alexander VI Borgia, Jean Bilair de Lagrola, turned to the young Michelangelo with an interesting request. He wished to make a sculpture to decorate the Chapel of St. Petronilla in St. Peter's Cathedral, which at that time belonged to the King of France.

The deal was brokered by an influential Roman banker, and also Buonarroti's friend and patron, Jacopo Galli. It was only thanks to him that the 23-year-old sculptor received such an honor. Initially, sketches were created, assistants were hired, and marble was selected. And only then, on August 26, 1498, the contract was officially signed. The work took a year, and its cost exceeded 450 gold ducats, which was an unimaginably large fortune.

In 1499, the master completed the work, the dimensions of which were impressive - 174 × 195 × 69 cm. A year later, the sculptural group was placed in the Church of St. Peter, where it remains to this day. The pedestal for it was made by another sculptor named Francesco Borromini later - in 1626.

In modern history, a great stir around the statue arose in 1972, when it was attacked by Hungarian Laszlo Toth. He suffered from mental illness. During the attack, he shouted that he was Jesus Christ and hated this pieta. Using a hammer, he mutilated the face and hand of the figure of the Virgin Mary, then they managed to drag him away.

The statue was completely restored, and after restoration it was placed under bulletproof glass.

Art connoisseurs argue that the decision is fundamentally wrong, because now the sculpture can only be seen from a considerable distance and from one angle, which makes it impossible to fully perceive it.

However, everyone has their own opinion.

Description

Michelangelo's Pieta is distinguished by the fact that it has not a cruciform, but a conical composition. The author assumed that only this option would lead to the acquisition of internal dynamics and unite both figures together.

Despite the merging of the figures, there is a visible opposition between the living and the dead, male and female, naked and covered. This is felt in frozen tension, but does not interfere with admiring the statue, experiencing blissful awe.

Art historians attribute the work to the Quattrocento and High Renaissance, only in a special, unique sense. The Italian master decided to look at the scene differently, depicting the Madonna not as old, but as young, beautiful and mourning.

Some researchers believe that Michelangelo wanted to emphasize in this way that holiness and chastity preserve youth. Others are sure that through Madonna’s face he conveyed longing for his own mother, who died too early.

However, the most reliable version is that the sculptor was guided by considerations from anatomy. He thought that grief would look more expressive on a young face. However, the author did not depict Mary as drowning in grief. Her face remains amazingly beautiful, alive and fresh. Grief can be read in the depth of her gestures, posture, and instinctive desire to protect her son.

Christ himself is also believably depicted. His body appears heavy, and the appearance and position of his limbs indicate rigor mortis. His lifeless face conveys the suffering he experienced and the incredible torment that Jesus experienced before his death, realizing the terrible essence of this world.

Special attention should be paid to the contrast that is created between the face and attire of the Madonna. Her head seems light and youthful, but the large, fraying folds of the dress clearly convey the girl’s spiritual and physical strength. They also serve as a kind of pedestal for the pyramidal composition, emphasizing the fracture of the body of Christ, dramatically lying on the lap of his mother.

Peculiarities

The main feature of Michelangelo's Pieta is the presence of the author's signature. This is the only work signed by him. Historians believe that he did this by overhearing the conversation of onlookers. They argued about whose hand the sculpture belonged to. Concerned about this, the master decided that he was obliged to leave an “autograph” for his descendants.

Another feature comes from the assumption of art critic Dimitrio Martinelli. He believed that in the composition there is a contrast between the horizontal and the vertical, which forms a cross. In January 2017, the hypothesis was refuted by a group of historians led by Giovanni Cisselino. Scientists have studied the Vatican archives and found indirect evidence that one of the author’s ideas lies in the reflection of the canonical triangle. This phenomenon is extremely atypical for Catholic culture, which means that the figures had nothing in common with the cross.

The lamentation of Christ is also different in proportions. Scientists have calculated that if the figures are placed upright, Jesus’ height will be no less than 175 cm, and the Madonna’s height will be approximately 205 cm. Such proportions are necessary so that the sculpture does not lose balance.

In addition, if you look closely, it becomes clear that Mary's head is much larger than her son's head. It is clear that it is larger in size than Christ, but the head especially stands out. Art critics believe that Buonarroti resorted to this technique in order to achieve the ease with which the Madonna holds the adult Jesus in her arms. The Virgin Mary is very massive, which attracts attention. But her cute features soften the effect.

The incredible detail of the composition is also striking. The master had a special technique and was able to identify anatomical details, which gave his masterpieces a refined naturalness. This statue became the most powerful work of the Italian sculptor, because it was in it that he was able to convey human suffering, grief, and love with such clarity and at the same time tenderness.

Helpful information

Michelangelo's Pietà is located to the right of the entrance. You can look at it for free, you only need to pay for entrance to the temple itself.

The ticket price depends on how you want to take the tour. A full 551-step walk up to the church costs 6 euros, 320 steps and then an elevator costs 8 euros. Children under 12 years old go free of charge. The cost is indicated for a tourist from a group, while an individual ticket costs about 13 euros.

The most convenient way to get to the cathedral is by metro. The nearest station is Ottaviano on the red line. Coming out of the metro, you need to turn left and walk 10-15 minutes along the street called Via Ottaviano. It abuts the square and St. Peter's Cathedral itself.

If you wish, you can walk from some attractions. The journey from the famous Trevi Fountain or Piazza di Spagna will take no more than 30 minutes. But the promenade will definitely be remembered, because along the way you will come across a lot of interesting tourist places.

Contacts

The exact address of the cathedral: Piazza San Pietro.

Opening hours: during the summer period, which lasts from April 1 to September 30 - from 07:00 to 19:00. During the winter period from October 1 to March 31, the doors of the temple are open to tourists from 07:00 to 18:30.

Official website of the Vatican: vatican.va

I recently re-read Walter Pater. In his essay on poetry, Michelangelo found lines that brought to mind the image of Rondanini's Pieta: “All his hope is based on the consciousness of ignorance - ignorance of man, ignorance of the nature of the spirit, its origin and its abilities<…>He is a poet of this entire area of ​​​​feelings - a poet who, to this day, vividly rivets our innermost thoughts - silent questions about the posthumous transition to the formless state that preceded life; about change, about indignation against this change; further about the softening, bright impulse of pity; finally, in the distance, vague, vague, but no more vague than the most definite thoughts of mankind for three centuries about an object so close to his heart, about a new body - an uncertain light, an elusive, external effect on faces that are too motionless or too shapeless; a dream blurring in the flickering of the morning, unfaithful, aimless, helpless; weakness of hearing, memory, touch, breathing, a light on the threshold of a door, a feather in a whirlwind.” (W. Pater. Renaissance. Essays on art and poetry. M., 2006. P. 127-128.):

Michelangelo's last work is now in the Sforzesco Castle in Milan. On our first visit to Milan, Pietà Rondanini was under restoration. When we found ourselves in Milan again, until the last moment we couldn’t believe that we would see her. It shone with whiteness; it was very difficult to tear yourself away from the contemplation of this melting sculptural group. Only in the photo did I see that its pedestal is a piece of an antique tombstone, next to the “Pieta Rondanini” you direct your gaze only upward:

As in other works of Michelangelo, the image appears in the unity of the developed and the unfinished:

But the nature of the incompleteness of the Pietà Rondanini is completely different from that in the sculptures of the Medici tomb. The incompleteness of the last work is the impossibility of saying in the physical language of the sculpture what the master was thinking. The creation of a work here turns into a process of its destruction.

V.N. Lazarev wrote beautifully about “Pieta Rondanini”: “The master was still working on this piece, begun around 1552, six days before his death. The group remained unfinished, but even in the fragmentary state in which it has reached us, “Pieta Rondanini” leaves an unforgettable impression.
At first, Michelangelo began to process the block for a composition of a different type, recorded in one drawing in Oxford. This was supposed to be the "Entombment"; the dead Christ was supported first by two figures, and then by one<…>But then, almost ten years later, he returned to work on the group, subjecting it to very significant changes. He began to straighten the body of Christ and bring it closer to the figure of Mary. At the same time, he abandoned the strong tilt of both heads.
All these changes left their mark on the surface of the stone: the head of Christ was sculpted from the right shoulder of Mary, the hand of Christ - from the right side of the figure of the Mother of God and her thigh; the original left shoulder of Christ and the left edge of his torso were later used as material for his left hand and for the left hand of Mary; finally, Mary's head is given a more upright position, almost parallel to the tilt of Christ's head. All these changes led to the fact that the “Entombment” gave way to the “Lamentation of Christ”<…>:

“Pieta Rondanini” is one of the most tragic works by Michelangelo in its design. In it, the great master seems to say goodbye to life. The degree of despair that is embodied in these two lonely figures, lost in a huge world, is immeasurable. The mother clings to the dead body of her son, unable to part with him. She doesn’t cry, doesn’t scream in fear and horror, doesn’t wring her hands. Her grief is silent. In this most subtle image in its spirituality, Michelangelo conveyed what he himself felt and sensed - the tragedy of loneliness. The unstable figures, engulfed in a single, parabolic movement, acquired unusually elongated proportions; not a trace remained of the energetic contrapposto so beloved by the master; the body became inert and exaggeratedly fragile. The plastic mass, which Michelangelo always valued so much, seemed to have melted, evaporated, evaporated; the spiritual principle here, strictly speaking, has nothing to fight with. In this sculptural group, the artist for the first time overcomes the painful conflict of opposing forces, but at the cost of the utmost relief of matter, which acquires an amazing spirituality<…>:

The entire path of his life now seems to Michelangelo to be a complete delusion. In a sonnet remarkable for its poetic beauty, he writes:

“In a fragile boat, through a raging sea, my life in its flight reached a harbor common to all, where I have to give an account of evil and good deeds. Now I know well how my loving imagination burdened me with delusion, making art my idol and king and pushing me to desire what everyone desires. Loving thoughts, once vain and joyful, what is left of you as I approach double death? One I am sure of, the other threatens me. Neither a brush nor a chisel gives peace to the soul turned to that divine love that stretched out its arms on the cross to take us to itself.”
(V.N. Lazarev. Old Italian masters. M., 1972. P.486-487)