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Two Michelangelo Sculptures |
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written
by ninamil7 / 10.22.2005 |
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| Two Michelangelo sculptures |
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Assignment |
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In the back of the dark, gothic Santa Maria Sopra Minerva is a modest statue that is relatively easy to miss. Michelangelo’s “Risen Christ” stands unassumingly against a back wall with nothing more than a small plaque to distinguish its identity. I approached this statue from the left side so that all I could see was a cross hiding the man carrying it. I walked around the front to see Christ with his head turned away from the cross and his face with a peculiar expression of acceptance and responsibility. He supports the cross with both arms so as to almost embrace his fate. The significance of the cross is not at all lost in this piece. It stands almost a head taller than Christ, and its sharp, severe angles strictly contrast the smooth, round muscles that surround it. In Christianity, the crucifixion is of utmost importance, and this is made clear in Michelangelo’s subtle work of art.
“Moses,” on the other hand, is not quite as subtle. As the centerpiece of the tableau for the unfinished tomb of Julius II, the statue of Moses is a powerful figure. Its larger than life size and wild beard command your attention from the first glance. There is no missing this statue on a walk through San Pietro in Vincoli. Similar to Michelangelo’s Christ, Moses’ attention is diverted away from the very thing he is embracing. The expression of his turned face is so severe that it is almost scary. He seems to be glaring off in the distance with his furrowed eyebrows and scornful eyes. The extraordinary force of this figure, the tension in the veins and muscles, the posture and the furious expression, make Moses a piece of art to admire, appreciate, and certainly not ignore.
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