Paris, France
"Art is never finished. Only abandoned."
- Leonardo Da Vinci
Following up on a post I did
in August,
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Dying Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre
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here are some photos I took of Michelangelo's slaves at the Louvre.
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Rebellious Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre
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It was late in the day, the light was gloomy and the photos are too dark but, as the mood suits the grim subject matter, I posted them as is. Better photos here,
if you're interested.
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Rebellious Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre |
The work was commissioned by Pope Julius II in 1505 as part of a 16 figure series called Prisoners.
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Rebellious Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre |
They were meant to adorn his free-standing, three-level tomb along with
20+ other larger-than-life figures, also to be done by Michelangelo.
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Dying Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre |
Unfortunately for us all, the project was repeatedly scaled down over the years. Most of the work was never even begun although four other unfinished pieces in this same series are on exhibit at the
Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence, Italy.
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Unfinished detail - Dying Slave
Michelangelo - The Louvre |
Michelangelo believed that the figure is trapped within the stone and his job was to liberate it. Seeing them with that in mind, however "undone",
they are all very moving.
In spite of being repeatedly downsized, the Pope's tomb is still very grand. It includes Moses whom Michelangelo considered his most lifelike creation. As the story goes, upon its completion he struck the right knee commanding, "now speak!". There is a scar on the knee thought to be the
mark of Michelangelo's hammer.