Famous sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarroti. Description of the most famous works

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Italian culture, language, nature have long attracted tourists. But this country is famous not only for its landscapes and sonorous serenades. Today we will talk about one of the most famous sons of Italy. Also in this article will be a number of descriptions of sculptures by Michelangelo Buonarotti.

Read carefully and you will learn a lot of new and interesting things for yourself from the field of Italian Renaissance culture.

Short biography

The future brilliant artist and sculptor was born in the family of an impoverished nobleman in 1475 in the city of Caprese. Due to lack of finances, his father gives him up for education in the Topolino family, where the boy gets acquainted with clay and begins to learn how to sculpt figures.

Over time, he is sent to the workshop of a local artist, and later to the school of the sculptor Giovanni. There he is noticed by Lorenzo Medici.

It was this man who gave Michelangelo the opportunity to open up. He patronizes his studies, and then until his death helps with obtaining expensive orders.

During his life, Buonarotti managed to work in Rome, Florence and Bologna. Let's now talk about his work in more detail.

General characteristics of creativity

In this article, we will touch on only one of the facets of Michelangelo's work - sculpture. You can read the description of the most famous of them below.

The genius of this man is best expressed in sculpture. Even in his painting, he transfers the plasticity of forms and the position of figures, characteristic only of voluminous things.

It is noteworthy that the main achievement of Michelangelo Buonarotti is innovation. It is because of the actions contrary to the canons that he became famous for centuries. His statue "David" became the standard of the High Renaissance, and "Pieta" - the best embodiment of the body of a dead person in sculptural performance.

Let's take a closer look at the work of this Renaissance genius.

Moses

One of the most famous works - "Moses" by Michelangelo. We will give a description of the sculpture a little later. Now let's talk about the place where it was erected.

This statue is part of the sculptural tomb complex of Pope Julius II, which is located in San Pietro in Vincoli, a Roman basilica.

Work on this sculpture continued for two years, starting in 1513. In addition, on the sides are statues created by students of Michelangelo.

The original intention of Pope Julius II was very tendentious and grandiose. He wanted to build his masterpiece tomb in St. Peter's Basilica. Her project includedmany statues and other decorations. But the plans did not come true due to lack of funds from his heirs.

Thus, we are presented with a "budget" version of the original project. So, "Moses" is a sculpture by Michelangelo, which glorified its creator over the centuries. Today it is considered one of the most famous sculptures. What makes her special?

The height of the statue is 235 centimeters, but the power that lies in its outlines is truly colossal. The sculptor depicted the leader of the Jewish people at the moment of returning after a conversation with God, when Moses saw fellow tribesmen worshiping a golden calf.

The figure is very dynamic and filled with internal energy. We see swollen veins and a hurricane of passions on the face of the leader. He holds the tablets in his right hand, and his leg is extended with a sharp and short movement forward, as if he is about to jump up and start acting.

The skillful work of Michelangelo's chisel was compared by his contemporaries with the painter's sable brush. The finest hairs of the beard look soft and silky, in addition, there is not a single millimeter of raw marble in the statue. The composition is completely complete and expresses all the expressiveness of the human genius.

"Moses", a sculpture by Michelangelo, does not leave anyone indifferent. Powerful strong-willed pressure fascinates, and sometimes frightens the audience. As Stendhal said, if you have not seen this sculpture, you have no idea about the possibilities of sculpture.

David

In our article we will try to highlight the most famoussculptures by Michelangelo. The second such, along with the previous one, is "David". This five-meter statue became a symbol of the Florentine Republic almost immediately after its creation.

Today it is located in the Academy of Arts in Florence and is intended for a circular view. The statue depicts the young Jewish king David, who is preparing to fight the giant Goliath. He is focused and a little tense, as the enemy is clearly superior to him in physical qualities. At the same time, an unshakable confidence in victory shines through in David's eyes.

Who was the customer of the masterpiece? As early as the middle of the fifteenth century, there was talk in Florence about decorating Santa Maria del Fiore. This is a cathedral church in Florence. It was planned to surround it with twelve statues of the most famous biblical characters from the Old Testament.

Donatello started the project with his apprentice, but he managed to create only one sculpture.

After his death, the project was put on hold, and the block of marble (popularly nicknamed "The Giant") intended for the statue of David gradually fell apart under the influence of erosion.

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, a commission was convened, which included Leonardo da Vinci, which decided to sign a contract with the twenty-six-year-old sculptor Michelangelo Buonarroti. He began work in September 1501.

The fight against the marble block took him more than two years. It is to this sculpture that the statement refers that in order to create a masterpieceyou just need to cut off everything superfluous. However, in 1504, when the work was completed, the amazed Florentines decided to place David in the loggia of Lanzi, the place where the meetings of the city council were held.

Now the struggle for freedom was personified by the masterpiece of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptures of Donatello were moved to another place from the council chamber.

There are some interesting facts about this work. "David" is the most copied sculpture of the Renaissance. Her duplicates are in Moscow, London and in different squares of her native city.

It is also noteworthy that the London copy is equipped with a fig leaf, in case the queen arrives. And in the twentieth century, Jerusalem refused to accept a copy of the fifteenth-century naked Italian because Michelangelo's "David" was uncircumcised.

Allegory of the day

The Medici tomb in Florence houses many sculptures by Michelangelo. We will talk separately about two compositions.

The first of them depicts the involvement of the heavenly elements in the family of the "greatest Florentine ruler." This sculptural group consists of four figures standing in pairs on two sarcophagi.

The master's idea was to show the unthinkable even for celestials the severity of mortal existence. They are depicted in awkward positions on the lids of sarcophagi, in an effort to slide down faster.

Allegories of different times of the day are depicted as figures of young men and women. The natural beauty of antiquity and the ideal proportions contrast with the medieval Christian image of the torturousfeelings of grief” due to the frailty of existence.

The composition consists of Night, Day, Morning and Evening. The first two sculptures are located on the gravestone of Giuliano, and the second - on the sarcophagus of Lorenzo Medici.

The project was commissioned by Clement VII, who decided to immortalize his relatives who died young.

The work on the statues was completed in 1534, but not all of them were installed in the planned places. Today, the terracotta model of the statue "Day", for example, is located in Houston, "Morning" - in London. The Evening model was lost, some collector bought it, and traces have disappeared since that time.

The sculpture "Night" is considered the most beautiful part of the composition. Michelangelo, as contemporaries said, depicted in it “a sleeping stone angel in which one can feel the breath.”

Thus, Michelangelo's sculptures, despite some shortcomings, which we will discuss later, are true masterpieces of human genius.

Medici Statues

This is the second part of the composition of the famous chapel in the crypt of the rulers of Florence. It consists of two sculptures, one of which depicts Giuliano, who bore the title of Duke of Nemours, and the other - Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino. They became famous for being the first in the history of the Medici family to receive such high titles.

Here it is important to mention the main drawback of Michelangelo Buonarroti. The sculptures of this master do not have a portrait resemblance to their prototypes. He hated portraits and said that such a triflenot needed, as no one will notice in a thousand years.

The image, similar to the statue of Lorenzo, is expressed by Rodin's sculpture "The Thinker". Michelangelo created this statue in the form of a Roman commander in a pose of deep thought. The zoomorphic helmet hides most of the face in shadow. It is on this occasion that there are still disputes among researchers.

Some say that by this the great master hinted that Lorenzo suffered insanity before his death. Others argue that this is just an allegorical image of the severity of thoughts.

One way or another, but Giuliano's face is worked out better. It is depicted in the form of an ancient active principle. He is young, without a helmet, full of energy, but his eyes are completely indifferent. Thus, he personifies the very concept of the idea of wise government.

Together with the allegorical figures of the time of day, Lorenzo and Giuliano form a complete composition. It takes viewers to the Renaissance, when the formation of modern states took place. A period of intrigue, political struggle and an exorbitant amount of comfort.

Slaves

Next, we will look at one of the most successful examples of Michelangelo's sculpture. With the names "Moses" and "David" we have already met. The composition that we are going to talk about now was conceived as part of the Julius II Mausoleum.

It consists of two figures - a slave, a dying and a rebel. Since the master rarely attached importance to the portrait resemblance and allegorical meaning of his creations, we can say nothing about either the exact meaning or the prototypes. If the question of the latter is unlikelyever resolved, the meaning behind these dynamic images is still debated.

Some say that this is a depiction of the arts favored by the Pope, others say that this is an allegory of the provinces conquered during the reign of Julius II.

The statues of slaves depict two young and strong boys who are in bonds. One of them is trying to break the shackles with superhuman effort, while the second hangs helplessly, giving up.

These figures, like many other famous sculptures by Michelangelo, seem to "release" themselves from the block.

They have an interesting fate. When the statues were completed, the design of the headstone changed. Therefore, Buonarotti gives them to his friend Stozzi for hospitality, and the latter presents them to Francis I. So the samples of Michelangelo's sculptures ended up in the Louvre.

Bachus

"Drunken Bacchus" is considered the first successful work of the young master. He created it at the age of twenty-two by order of Rafael Riario, an Italian cardinal.

An interesting fact is that the cardinal simply wanted to expand his collection of antique sculptures with her help. But when he saw the final version of the statue, Signor Riario categorically refused to take it. The sculpture was acquired by the banker Galli, who lived near the Cancellaria Palace. After almost a hundred years, the Medici buy it and transport it to Florence.

Today, the sculpture is an exhibit in the Florentine Bargello Museum. Some researchers of Michelangelo Buonarroti's work,for example, Viktor Lazarev, they consider this work a direct imitation of ancient plastic art. They say that this first independent creation has absolutely no personality of the author.

"Bacchus" depicts the Roman god of winemaking, to whom the Greek Dionysus corresponded, accompanied by a small satyr. This couple is in a relaxed state, defeated by the influence of intoxicating drink.

Bacchus looks at the cup of wine, his face expresses a rush of love for his creation. The muscles of the thighs and abdomen are relaxed. Some researchers say that this indicates his spiritual and physical weakness, a tendency to addictions. Others justify the ancient god by saying that he is simply in a significant stage of intoxication. This is evidenced by his posture. He leans forward as if he's falling, but his back muscles are tensed to keep his balance.

Lamentation for Christ

The only work that has the author's autograph is Michelangelo's sculpture Pieta. Its name comes from the Italian word, which means "sorrow, pity." The main plot of this scene is the mourning of the Mother of God for the lost son, Jesus Christ.

Michelangelo's Pieta is considered by art historians to be one of the few surviving works of the transition from the Early Renaissance of the fifteenth century to the high period of this era.

Gothic is characterized by the image of the dead Savior in the hands of the Virgin Mary, but in hisBuonarotti's work completely rethinks it. Here the Mother of God is depicted as a young girl who mourns the loss of a loved one.

If you look closely at the composition, you can see that there is a sharp division between the living and the dead in it. The first includes such attributes as feminine, dressed and upright, their antonyms are the symbols of the dead in the "Pieta".

According to experts, this sculpture has become a standard among all kinds of images of this biblical scene.

Piccolomini Altarpiece

Today we know many sculptures by Michelangelo with names in the form of the names of Catholic saints. Most of them are on the Piccolomini altar in Siena Cathedral. This also includes the Pieta we talked about earlier.

The contract for this order was signed in the early years of the sixteenth century by Cardinal Piccolomini. According to its terms, the artist had to create fifteen sculptures in three years. As a reward, he received five hundred ducats, which was a significant amount for that time.

But due to the fact that another order for the "David" was soon taken, Michelangelo managed to make only four sculptures.

So, what statues of saints are included in the composition of this monument of Gothic architecture?

The upper part of the lower tier is decorated with sculptures of St. Pius I (originally named Augustine) and St. Gregory, the sixty-fourth Pope.

In the lower part are Saints Peter and Paul. Despite the master's frank dislike for portraits, the facial features of the latter, many researchersconsidered a self-portrait of a young artist.

So ended our brief acquaintance with such a wonderful person as the artist, thinker and sculptor Michelangelo. The sculptures of this master adorn not only the most beautiful architectural monuments in Italy, but also are in famous museums in different countries.

Travel, dear readers. Good luck and have the most vivid impressions!