Monday 29 December 2014

Michelangelo's Sculptures In Rome

Michelangelo is famous for his Sistine Chapel doodlings, but he also found time to chip out a couple of amazing sculptures while hanging in Rome. He wore that Renaissance Man title well.

Holy Moses! Head to San Pietro in Vincoli to check out the prophet as superhero. He's massive, measuring almost eight and a half feet, sitting. Bulging veins, long beard, huge shoulders, pensive gaze, you definitely do not want to cross Moses. The horns? Thought to be based on a blown translation from the original Hebrew scripture.


Moses, as usual, drawing a crowd.


Head across town to the Vatican city and go see Michelangelo's delicate, sad Pieta, in an alcove in Saint Peters. Again, always drawing a crowd, so much so that a glass barrier has been installed, after a crazed person decided to take a hammer to the sculpture.


Back at San Pietro, there are other, non-Michelangelo pieces to see. Catholics don't mess around when depicting death and why you should make sure not to confront harsh realities in the afterlife.

No comments:

Post a Comment