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Condemnation and Acceptance in Michelangelo's Moses and Risen Christ |
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written
by daw84 / 10.20.2005 |
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| Two Michelangelo sculptures |
1 of 1 |
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Assignment |
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Michelangelo’s “Risen Christ” and “Moses” could not be more different. While they were each carefully molded by the same set of hands, and both depict important religious figures looking to their left holding the icons which have come to define each of them, Moses and Jesus are starkly contrasting. The greatest point of difference lies in their faces.
Moses sits basking in his glory solely due to the tablets of stone resting in the crook of his right arm. This man, specifically chosen by God to deliver the Israelites out of Egypt, owes all of his power to the One who chose him, and gave him the right to rule the nation. Significantly, as Moses sits on the verge of leaping out of his chair to his immense height to crush the very symbols of his God-granted responsibility forever, his face is turned directly away from the source of his power. From his height on the throne, he beholds the Israelites with a look of utter disgust on his face at their turning from God, while ironically doing the same himself. He has turned away from God and towards his own personal ability to fix the people’s problem. His eyes fill with fire as the rage climbs up his tense right calf, up his leg, through the wild beard, and into his head. The judgment and condemnation in his look is clear. He has weight the people and they have been found wanting and now deserve the full extent of God’s wrath which Moses just persuaded God to direct away from them.
The image of fierce, fiery damnation is sharply contrasted in the sculpture of Jesus, which at one time had to be altered to add sandals, because the fervent lips of His worshippers were kissing away His scarred feet forever. While people would never begin to approach Moses, even if he was not behind the double fence and video cameras which guard him from all touch today, pilgrims come thousands of miles just to crawl to the feet of their “Glorified Christ” and touch Him lightly with their lips. His approachability and appeal lies in His face. He too looks away from the symbol of His power, the heavy cross supported by His hands, but in this case, Jesus uses the cross to sends its power out through Him into love and acceptance for those around Him. The work which He accomplished on it, redeeming the whole world from their sins, travels from the cross through his look of utmost compassion and directly into the hearts of all mankind. Everything about him extends an invitation; his approachability, his forgiveness, and his look of love and compassion. He says to those looking into his eyes, just as he said to his disciples, “Come, follow Me.”
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