"Art is never finished. Only abandoned."
- Leonardo Da Vinci
- Leonardo Da Vinci
Following up on a post I did in August,
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| Dying Slave Michelangelo - The Louvre |
here are some photos I took of Michelangelo's slaves at the Louvre.
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| Rebellious Slave Michelangelo - The Louvre |
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.
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| Tomb of Pope Julius II source: Web Gallery of Art |
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.
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