MICHELANGELO 



175 



the irregular block grew the celebrated ' David.' The 

 sculptor was compelled to modify his composition 

 on account of the shape and size of his material. 

 Indeed, it is characteristic of this titan's impetu- 

 ous genius that olistacles were ever an incentive. 

 His ' David ' is the Gothic treatment of a rlassic 

 theme. The influence of the antique is obvious, 

 but the personal touch of the sculptor is also 

 apparent (especially in such details as the treat- 

 ment of the hands). The Kgure is modelled with 

 strength and simplicity ; the surface is not fur- 

 rowed by an endless series of lines ; there is 

 no parade of anatomical knowledge; in pose anil 

 composition there is a stately grandeur, a dig- 

 nified solemnity, which do not for an instant suggest 

 that the artist was hampered by material difficulties. 

 Indeed, so far from being a tour tie force, it is a 

 complete, well-ordered achievement. In 1504 it was 

 placed upon its pedestal in the Piazza de' Signori, 

 whence it was removed in 1873 to the Academy of 

 Arts. Michelangelo's sojourn in Florence was a 

 period of great activity. A second 'David' (this 

 time of bronze) was commissioned and sent to 

 France, where all trace of it is lost. The sculptor 

 also designed two marble reliefs, one of which 

 passed into the possession of Sir George Beaumont, 

 and is now at Burlington House. The ' Holy 

 Family of the Tribune ' and the ' Manchester 

 Madonna' in the National Gallery lielong to the 

 same time, and prove that Michelangelo had not 

 wholly neglected the art of painting. His genius, 

 however, was essentially plastic. He had far 

 more interest in form than in colour; indeed, 

 in his hands pictorial art was but an oppor- 

 tunity for. the vigorous modelling of the human 

 form. The zeal of Soderini, the gonfaloniere, 

 in the cause of art inspired the scheme of decorat- 

 ing the Great Hall of the Council. For one wall 

 Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to design a 

 fresco ; a second was entrusted to Michelangelo. 

 The latter chose as his subject an incident in the 

 war of Pisa, ami executed a cartoon which Vasari 

 with devout exaggeration proclaims to have lieen 

 of divine rather than of human origin. A body of 

 soldiers were represented liathing ; their camp has 

 been attacked by the enemy, and they are hastening 

 to seize their arms ami repulse* the assault. The 

 motive is admirable, and gave the artist scope for 

 the variety of pose and the violent action in which 

 he took peculiar delight. The fresco was never 

 completed, and on the return of the Medici to Flor- 

 ence the cartoon was removed to the hall of their 

 palace, to which painters were permitted unre- 

 strained access. Tne result was that over-zealous 

 admirers of Michelangelo Cut the cartoon to pieces. 

 The original is lost as irretrievably as the master- 

 pieces of Zenxis and Apelles ; ami our impression 

 of it is obtained from literary sources, from the 

 engravings of Marcantonioaud Agostino Veneziano, 

 who reproduced single groups, and from a suspicious 

 copy at Holkliam Hall. 



In 1503 Julius II. succeeded to the pontificate, 

 and, being not merely a warrior but a patron of the 

 arts as well, he lost no time in summoning Michel- 

 angelo to Home. In Michelangelo the sturdy pope 

 met his match. The two men, indeed, were not 

 unlike in temperament. Each was endowed with 

 the extraordinary vigour of mind and body which 

 was the best characteristic of the Renaissance. 

 Hut both had the defects of their qualities ; Michel- 

 angelo no less than Julius was violent and over- 

 bearing ; the sculptor could as little brook opposi- 

 tion as the pope, and their dealings were continually 

 interrupted by bitter quarrels and recriminations. 

 It is impossible to accept Vanari's anecdotes as 

 statements of the literal truth, but there is no doubt 

 that they have solid foundation in fact. Had 

 Michelangelo known the misery and disappoint- 



ment which were in store for him, he might well 

 have hesitated before obeying the summons of 

 Julius. The pope commissioned the sculptor to 

 design his tomb, and thus began what Condivi 

 aptly calls la trayedia clella sefioltiira. For forty 

 years Michelangelo clung to the hope that he would 

 yet complete the great monument in honour of I 'ope 

 Julius and his own genius. But intrigue and spite 

 were too strong for him. Other demands were con- 

 tinually made upon his energy, and the sublime 

 statue of Moses is the best fragment that is left 

 to us of the tomb of Julius. However, at the out- 

 set both pope and sculptor were full of enthusiasm. 

 The plans were approved and the work would have 

 at once proceeded had not the sculptor one day 

 asked audience of the pope in vain. In a sudden 

 lit of temper Michelangelo left Rome, and the 

 entreaties of the pope availed not to procure his 

 return. After much fruitless negotiation they met 

 at Bologna, and, with the generosity that was char- 

 acteristic of Ixjth, were instantly reconciled. Michel- 

 angelo, as a pledge of renewed friendship, com- 

 menced a statue of Julius II., which was cast in 

 bronze and placed over the gate of San 1'etronio 

 (afterwards melted down and converted into a can- 

 non). Michelangelo followed the pope to Rome, 

 eager to resume his work upon the monument. 

 In the meantime, however, Bramante, if Vasari's 

 account be true, had poisoned the pope's mind 

 against the sculptor ; instead of being allowed to 

 devote himself to the monument, which he deemed 

 the work of his life, he was -ordered to decorate 

 the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel with paintings. 

 In vain he protested that sculpture was his pro- 

 fession, in vain he urged Raphael's higher quali- 

 fications for the task ; the pope was obdurate, and 

 in 1508 Michelangelo began the work for which 

 his training had ill adapted him. However, he 

 set himself resolutely to the toil, and in four years 

 achieved a masterpiece of decorative design. The 

 flat oblong space of the ceiling is divided into nine 

 compartments, each of which contains an incident 

 drawn from the Old Testament. The lunettes 

 almve the windows, the spandrels, as well as the 

 ressaults between the lunettes, are filled with heroic 

 figures. The designs are admirably accommodated 

 to the space they are intended to till, and the 

 broad effect is one of harmony and homogeneity. 

 It is only when you analyse the composition and 

 examine each compartment by itself that you realise 

 the superhuman invention, the miraculous variety 

 of attitude and gesture, which place this marvellous 

 work among the greatest achievements of human 

 energy. Michelangelo, however, had not forgot- 

 ten the monument of Pope Julius, and no sooner 

 hail he finished his work in the Sistine Chapel than 

 lie returned with eagerness to the tomb. But once 

 again his favourite project was interrupted. In 

 1513 Pope Julius II. died, and, though he had com- 

 manded the cardinals Santi Quattro and Aginense 

 to see that his monument was completed in accord- 

 ance with his expressed wishes, the cardinals were 

 thrifty men, anil demanded of Michelangelo another 

 and a more modest design. This was furnished, but 

 lfore the work could be undertaken Pope Leo X. 

 had despatched Michelangelo on business of his 

 own to Florence. Leo was of the Medici family, 

 and professed no interest in the tornb of his pre- 

 decessor ; his whole anxiety was to do honour to 

 his ancestors by the adornment of Florence. He 

 therefore commissioned Michelangelo to rebuild the 

 facade of the church of San Lorenzo and enrich it 

 with sculptured figures. The master reluctantly 

 complied, ami set out for Carrara to quarry marble. 

 Even here the nope would not permit Michelangelo 

 to work his will, but urged him to leave Carrara and 

 seek what material he needed at Serravezza, which 

 lay in Leo's own territory. In vain the sculptor 



