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BUONAROTTI, MICHEL ANGELO. 



BUONAROTTI, MICHEL ANGELO. 



1011 



the Arno, are surprised by a sudden attack on the city, and start up to 

 repulse the enemy. Trumpets are sounding; some of the warriors 

 endeavour with gestures of furious impatience to draw their garments 

 over their wet limbs ; others rush half clad into the combat ; horse 

 and foot are intermingled, and the whole scene breathes fierceness and 

 slaughter. This cartoon, with the exception of a few dismembered 

 fragments, has perished, but a 1 ) long as it existed it was studied by 

 artists from all countries, and Beuvenuto Cellini, a scholar and admirer 

 of Michel Angelo, affirms that he never equalled it in any of his sub- 

 sequent productions. Michel Angelo had at this time attained only 

 his twenty ninth year, and had not only established his reputation as 

 the greatest artist of his day, but had created by the novelty aud 

 grand'-ur of his style a new era in the arts. Julius II., a pontiff whoy 

 in the energetic cast of bis character, bore a strong resemblance to 

 Michel Ancelo himself, having now succeeded to the papal chair, called 

 him immediately to Rome, and commissioned him to make his monu- 

 ment, a work conceived on a scale which Michel Angelo felt to be 

 commensurate to his powers. He made a design which, had it' been 

 finished according to his original intention, would have surpassed in 

 grandeur of design and richness of ornament every ancient and impe- 

 rial sepulchre. It was to have had four fronts of marbl>-, embellished 

 with forty statues, besides several mezzo-rilievi in bronze. To this 

 design Rome and the world are indebted for the magnificent church of 

 St. Peter's ; for Michel Angelo having suggested to the pope that the 

 interior of the old edifice would not allow sufficient space for the 

 monument to be properly seen, the pontiff determined to rebuild the 

 church on a larger scale. While the monument was in progress the 

 pope delighted to come aud inspect it ; but the work was interrupted 

 by an accident which strongly marks the character of the artist. 

 Having occasion to make some communication to his holiness, and not 

 having found admission on two applications, in the latter of which he 

 felt hioixclf somewhat superciliously treated by one of the officers in 

 attendance, he gave directions to hia servants to sell his goods to the 

 Jews, and immediately set oS for Florence. He had scarcely reached 

 Poggiobonzi before five couriers had arrived from Julius commanding 

 his immediate retu.n; but Michel Angelo was inflexible, and continued 

 his journey. On arriving at Florence he pet about finishing the cartoon 

 of Pi*a, but three briefs were dispatched to Soderini, the gonfaloniere, 

 requiring that he should be sent back. Michel Angelo excused him- 

 self, alleging that he had accepted a commission from the grand sultan 

 to go to Constantinople for the purpose of building a bridge. The 

 pope in the meantime had gone on political affairs to Bologna, and 

 Soderini, fearing he should himself incur the papal displeasure through 

 Michel Angelo's contumacy, persuaded him to go to that city. Imme- 

 diately on hia arrival, and before he had time to adjust himself, he was 

 conducted by the pope's officers before his holiness, who, looking at 

 him with an angry glance, said, "What, then! instead of coming to 

 seek us, thou w.ist determined that we should come to seek thee ? " 

 Michel Aiigelo excused himself, saying, " that he had quitted Rome, 

 being unable, after his faithful services to his holiness, to endure the 

 indignity of being denied admission to him." A bishop in attendance, 

 intending to say something hi extenuation, observed to the pope, that 

 such persons, however expert in their professions, were usually igno- 

 rant of everything else. "Who told thee to interfere?" exclaimed 

 Julius, bestowing at the same time a hearty blow with his staff on the 

 shoulders of the ecclesiastic; and commanding Michel Angelo to kneel, 

 h* gave him his benediction, and received him into full favour, giving 

 him directions at the same time to make his statue in bronze. Michel 

 Angelo soon completed the clay model ; the statue was the personifi- 

 cation of majesty, but the face had so terrible an expression that the 

 pope demanded, "Am I uttering a blessing or a curse?" Michel 

 Angelo replied, "that he had intended to represent him admonishing 

 the people of Bologna," and inquired if his holiness would have a book 

 placed in one of his hands. "Give me a sword," answered the warlike 

 pontiff, " I know nothing of books." 



On his return to Home, Julius was induced, it is said, by the advice 

 of his architect, Bramante, to suspend the execution of the monument, 

 and he gave orders to Michel Angelo to paint the vault of the Sistine 

 Chapel. Michel Angelo, who was absorbed in the execution of tbe 

 monument, most earnestly endeavoured to decline the task of painting 

 the chapel, and even alleged that be thought Raffaelle better qualified 

 to perform it ; but Pope Julius allowed no impediment to stand in 

 the way of his will, and Michel Angelo, finding himself without an 

 alternative, and impressed with a sense of the vastness and grandeur 

 of the task, commenced his cartoons. He invited from Florence 

 several artists distinguished as painters in fresco, a mode of practice 

 in which he was then inexperienced, and the roof of the chapel was 

 commenced by these assistants, under his direction ; their execution 

 however fell short of his expectations, and entering the chapel 

 one morning, he dismissed them all, threw their work from the 

 walls, and determined on executing the whole himself. Having 

 advanced to the third compartment, he had the mortification to 

 find his labour frustrated by the bad quality of his materials, 

 in whieh fermentation had taken place, aud in utter disappoint- 

 ment he renounced the undertaking. The pope, being made 

 acquainted with this misfortune, sent to him his architect, San Gallo, 

 who investigated the cau-e of the failure, and taught him how to 

 correct it. Thus reassured he proceeded, and the pontiff hearing at 



length that the ceiling was half completed, could control his impa- 

 tience no longer, and ordered the chapel to be opened for his inspection. 

 Many other persons found admission, and among the rest Raffaelle 

 d'Urbino, who then first became acquainted with Michel Angelo's 

 powers as a painter. Struck with admiration, Raffaelle immediately 

 changed his own style, and with the candour natural to a great mind, 

 thanked God that he had been born in the same age with so great an 

 artist. The work was now carried forward without interruption, and 

 the whole was completed within one year and eight months from the 

 time of its commencement ; an achievement which, whether we con- 

 sider the magnitude and sublimity of the performance, or the almost 

 incredibly short time in which it was executed, is unparalleled in the 

 history of art. The chapel was opened on All Saints' day, with a 

 solemn mass, at which the pope assisted in person. The roof is 

 divided into twelve compartments, in which is painted the history of 

 the antediluvian world. In three of the first compartments Michel 

 Angelo has personified the Supreme Being, dividing the light from 

 the darkness creating the sun and moon and giving life to Adam. 

 The attempt to pourtray the Deity by visible representation is repug- 

 nant to our present ideas, but it was at that time sanctioned by tho 

 church, and is, as far as may be, atoned for by those images of divine 

 power and majesty which Michel Angelo has here embodied. The 

 eleventh subject of the series on the roof is the Delude, and the 

 twelfth is from the story of Noah, showing the remnant of the human 

 race preserved after that awful event. On the sides of the chapel is a 

 series of designs representing the persons who compose the genealogy 

 of Christ, and between these compartments are the colossal figures of 

 the Prophets and Sibyls, seated in solemn meditation. The effect of 

 the whole work is adapted with admirable accuracy to the vast height 

 at which it is seen, aud it is impossible to contemplate it without 

 reverence and astonishment. The reign of Julius terminated in 1513, 

 when Leo X. succeeded. 



It might have been expected that Leo X., whose name is associated 

 with the ideas of taste and munificence, and who affected fully to 

 appreciate the powers of Michel Angelo, would have engaged him on 

 some work worthy of his talents. There is however in his whole 

 conduct towards this great artist a display of injustice not easily 

 explained. He obtruded on him the task of building the fagade of 

 the church of San Lorenzo at Florence a commission against which 

 the artist most strenuously protested ; but the pope overruled all 

 objections, and compelled him to go to Carrara, in order to excavate 

 marble for the purpose. He was aftewarda directed to procure it 

 from the quarries of Pietra Santa : the difficulties of conveying it hence 

 were found almost insurmountable, and we cannot read without 

 surprise and indignation, that during the whole pontificate of Leo, a 

 period of eight years, this extraordinary man was employed in 

 hewing rocks and excavating a road. The short reign of Adrian VI. 

 which followed, although generally unfavourable to the arts, was less 

 injurious to Michel Angelo, as it allowed him leisure to proceed with 

 the monument of Julius II ; but on the accession of Clement VII. 

 that work was again interrupted, and he was called on by the new 

 pontiff to build a library and sacristy for the church of San Lorenzo. 

 The civil wars of Florence ensued soon after, and we find Michel 

 Angelo acting in the capacity of engineer. Ou the expulsion of the 

 Medici he was appointed superintendent of the fortifications by tho 

 local government, and he evinced extraordinary skill in fortifying 

 the important post of San Miniato. Having continued his services 

 until he felt that they could no longer be effectual, and considering the 

 fall of the city inevitable, he withdrew to Venice, and during his 

 residence there, it is affirmed by some authorities, that he gave> the 

 design for the bridge of the Rialto. He returned to Florence at the 

 earnest entreaty of his fellow-citizens, who seemed to attach more 

 importance than himself to his eervices, but, as he had foreseen, thn 

 city was soon after compelled to surrender, aud he judged it prudent 

 to conceal himself, as did several of the citizens who had distinguished 

 themselves in its defence. Michel Angelo has been reproached with 

 ingratitude to the Medici for the part he took in those transactions, 

 but he is, perhaps, to be praised rather than condemned for having 

 sacrificed his private feelings to the duty he owed hia country. As 

 soon as the tumult consequent upon the sack of the city had sub- 

 sided, Ciement VI. ordered strict search to be made for Michel 

 Angelo, received him kindly, consulted him on various works, aud 

 the great picture of the ' Last Judgment ' was then projected. The 

 death of Clement, in 1533, suspended these intentions, and Michel 

 Angelo now hoped that he should be able to complete the monument 

 of Julius II. This work had been the favourite employment of his 

 life, and he had devoted to it all his powers, but it had proved to 

 him, almost from its commencement, a source of inquietude. Each 

 pontiff, since the death of Julius, had on his accession demanded the 

 services of Michel Angelo, and compelled him, in spite of his earnest 

 remonstrances, to discontinue his labours on the monument ; in tho 

 meantime, the heirs of Julius being impatient for its completion, 

 harassed him with threats and complaints, large sums of money 

 having been paid to him during the progress of the work. Clement 

 VI. insisted that Michel Augelo had a right to consider himself rather 

 the creditor than the debtor; but Paul III., when Michel Angelo urged 

 his obligation to the heirs of Julius, as a reason for declining the 

 commissions he offered him, threatened to tear the contract with his 



