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Talking Statues- The Moses/Jesus Debates. |
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written
by justinvf / 10.22.2005 |
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| Two Michelangelo sculptures |
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Assignment |
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The talking statue tradition has ancient traditions. For an excellent treatment of the phenomenon check Sariah Khormaee’s recent investigation into the oft incendiary exchanges “voiced” by Roman statues. What follow’s is a conversation through notes that I collected while doing restoration work on Michelangelo’s “Christ Risen” and “Moses” back in 2003. The fact that the notes were concealed in Jesus’ bronze diaper and tucked behind Michelangelo’s bear suggests that those writing these notes knew each other well enough to plan out this way of exchanging messages, and that they are both likely clergy since they would need after hours access to the statues.
M:
A pox upon the church, the priests do innocence reap.
A scandalous bunch dawns the cloth,
Shepherds with fingers in their sheep!
J:
But that is not the church, with God they have no troth,
Through me they have not come
You take in your denouncements too wide a swath.
M:
Though you must admit, when looked at in sum,
Grave punishment is in store for the lot.
We brought law in our message, which they are now so vary far from.
J:
Surely your wrath burns a bit too hot,
You mistake the actions of few with the movement of the many.
Each may be saved through me, that’s the massage that I brought.
M:
But without force, the louts lavish in plenty,
You may reach some with your weak message
But I swear that it’s surely not many.
This was the last note to appear on the Moses statue, maybe the exchange quenched by a third party finding out about the rather sacrilegious debate being waged by these two famous works of art. The whole series provides a fascinating glimpse into internal church debates, and is also just interesting in the continuation of this ancient tradition. I always take a peak at Jesus when I visit Sopra Minerva, eagerly anticipating the next message.
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