ANATOMY AND ART. 
431 
all the works of this mightiest of the great masters. A fine 
illustration to the contrary is to be found in his famous 
Pieta. There is the Madonna with the dead Christ on her 
knees. Her small head, youthful face, large torso, and am¬ 
ple limbs are illustrations of Michelangelo’s conception of 
the heroic. The pathetic stillness and beauty of the relaxed 
dead body and the contrast to the vigorous form of the 
mother, with unspeakable woe in her face, is beyond de¬ 
scription. 
It would be a juster criticism to say that he was wanting 
in the especial characteristics of the art of Pheidias, sim¬ 
plicity and grace, or as Winckelmann admirably termed it, 
“ noble naivete and placid grandeur.” 
Probably the most striking example of Michelangelo’s 
knowledge of anatomy was displayed in the famous cartoon 
which he produced in rivalry with Leonardo da Vinci. He 
selected as its subject an incident of the war between the 
Florentines and the Pisans. A number of Florentine sol¬ 
diers were bathing in the Arno when an alarm was sounded 
betokening the approach of the enemy. The men are seen 
rushing from the river to the bank and making desperate 
efforts to put on their clothing and armor. The muscles of 
the warriors are superbly displayed and are free from the 
exaggeration which is seen in some of Michelangelo’s colos¬ 
sal figures. The cartoon perished, but a copy fortunately 
survives of what, perhaps, was only a portion of the origi¬ 
nal drawing. 
The anatomical sketches of Raphael which are yet in 
existence show mostly, as might be expected, a masterly 
knowledge of external form. There is little of the robust 
musculature of his great contemporary in his works, but it 
is generally correct. 
As we leave the fascinating period of the Renaissance we 
come to the time when it was no longer necessary to study 
anatomy by stealth at the gallows foot or in the lazar-house. 
Time will not permit of an attempt to trace the effect of such 
studies further. Brief and discursive as this sketch has been, 
I shall venture to suggest certain conclusions from it. 
