Artist Personal Biography Michelangelo|The Agony and the Ecstasy

 The Agony and the Ecstasy

The art of recording the information on artist lives has been known to go way back to the Italian Renaissance (Symonds, 2017). This became even more established with the coming of films that have brought their biographies to life on the screen. In this essay am going to focus on the life of Michelangelo in raveling his life history. Learning the life of Michelangelo is quite interesting as he is one of the well-known artists. The inspiration behind some of his amazing works is revealed and we get a glimpse into his past and passion. Ascanio Condivi an assistant of Michelangelo who took his time to write a book on him.

Michelangelo was born on the 6^th of March 1475. He always wanted to be a painter even as a young boy. He was best known for being an Italian sculptor, artist, writer of the High Renaissance and architect. The film “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” depicts Michelangelo skills in a very diverse form. Among the works that puts Michelangelo on the map included his works Sistine Chapel ceiling, The Last Judgment, David, Pieta and Moses. Michelangelo’s roles exceeded that of any artist alive or dead (Carpua, 2016).

The film explains on Michelangelo’s great preference to coping church painting even from a younger age. He was in not drawn to the formal education that they tried to offer to him. He joined the city of Florence center of arts and learning where he acquired more knowledge and skill. He also got his mentor in his childhood, Ghirlandaio who had been asked to beautify the walls if the Sistine Chapel. His work was mostly influenced by prominent painters such as Marcilio Ficino, Pico della Mirandola and Polizaiano (Dominiczak, 2017). It at this age he made his first marble sculpture; ‘Madonna of the steps’.

Michelangelo made sketches of Christ drawn with a stone model attracting the attention of Ghirlandaio who tells him of Donatello’s curved crucifix. Brunelleschi an artist criticizes the work of Donatello saying the person that is placed on the cross looks more of a plow man than the body of Christ. Brunelleschi creates his own form of Christ and presents it to Donatello who is awed by the product. The film explains how Michelangelo picks Donatello plow man Christ representation over Brunelleschi as he says that crucifixion on the Brunelleschi feels like a horrifying surprise.

A few months later Michelangelo makes a wooden crucifix, which he offers as a gift to the prior of Santa Maria del Santa Spirito. After this he decided on sculpting Hercules which eventually got shipped to France. Michelangelo sculpted the Roman god of wine at the age of 21 that gave him an opportunity to get a commissioning to paint the Pieta. With years he designed different forms of Pietas as they were a massive hit. He made an image of Pieta of Vittoria Colonna that had Mary with upraised arms and hands that were symbolic of her prophetic role. The curving was in chalk form.

Pieta Florentine was designed in an image of Nicodemus lowering Christ’s body upon his crucifixion. He included in the painting Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother. Michelangelo must have smashed the legs and left arm of Jesus in this structure but it was repaired by his pupil Tiberio Calcagni. The final work of Michelangelo was the Pieta of Rondanini which did not come to a completion as the stone that was being used to curve it was used up. It has remained as a concept and style of sculpting to the 20th century. Michelangelo ensured the continuity of his name among the great legends Da Vinci and Donatello as the enriched Western cultured artists.

The film includes the conflict of Michelangelo and Pope Julius II when he had to paint the Sistine Chapel. The conflict is depicted when the acting Michelangelo who is Charles Heston is working on a large scale sculpture when the Pope commissions him to paint the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo refuses and defends himself saying that the picture of suggested of the twelve Apostles is uninspiring to his mind. He is forced into doing the job but destroys the first attempt as he says he is discontented. This makes him flee from the place and settles in Carrara, a place that gives him the inspiration of nature. He returns and is allowed to paint the entire vault with different biblical scenes.

He works non-stop on the project even during mass for years until he collapses due to fatigue and overworking. This threatens the finishing of the work but he is nursed to health before heading back to the work when he hears that he is at risk of being replaced by Raphael. This part of the film is successful in showing to as how stubborn and determined Michelangelo is in his work. It depicts his commitment and daily commitment to work on a project for years without drifting off or giving up. The only thing that can actually make him stop the project is sickness.

The film successfully depicts Michelangelo as someone who finishes what he begins. He goes to persuade the Pope to allow him paint the roof even after the Pope falls ill and look like he is about to die. He talks the patron into restoring patronage long enough for him to finish at least the ceiling. Even with the coming of an invasion to Rome the Pope is convinced by Michelangelo and he raises enough money to fund for the part.  The completed ceiling is presented to the people and Michelangelo begins to carve the Pope’s tomb where the Pope agrees as he knows he has little time. They both admire the Sistine Chapel and feel the rush of success. Michelangelo has already set his eyes on a space that he will later come to paint the Last Judgment.

The statue of David was completed with utter artistry by Michelangelo who was requested by the consuls of Guild of Wool to finish it as it had been started yet never finished. The statue needed to find a place to be placed so there was a meeting held that involved Botticelli and Leonardo da Vinci to decide where the best place would be. In the end it was agreed on to place it in front of the Palazzo Vecchio. Michelangelo got a commission as soon as he finished the statue of David when he was asked to construct Battle of Cascina. Leornado presented his work in form of militaries fighting on horseback while Michelangelo depicted his as defense forces being waylaid as they bathe in water. Unfortunately, both artists failed to finish their work hence the work was abandoned forever.

Michelangelo got commissioned to paint a ‘Holy Family’ for Angelo Doni’s wife. The painting was to be presented as a gift to the wife and it was later known as Doni Tondo. The work is presumed to have been preserved in the Uffizi Gallery with all the originality still intact. The ‘Manchester Madonna’ is also speculated to have been the works of Michelangelo which involved a picture of john the Baptist with Madonna. The work is preserved in the National Gallery in London. This biography implies on Michelangelo ability to be creative and already thinking of the next project (Hibbard, 2018). It shows his great love for art. The film is able to bring the ancient time well and it is easy to believe that the act is actually happening that far back. The film manages to portray the personal struggle that Michelangelo undergoes through starting with criticism and the slow process that creating something brings about. It shows how patients is lost on Michelangelo by people as they do not understand that art takes time and need careful thinking in order to be as successful as expected. The film also is able to show the struggle that Michelangelo went through before he was insured that the art he had done is good enough. This is seen when he destroys some of his work or starts over. For instance, destroying the Apostles picture as he does not think that it is motivating enough and running away.

The film manages to successfully bring out the personal biography of Michelangelo as the images and his works all look like they are real and that he is actually working on them. It makes it possible to travel with him into his world and feel what he must be feeling. The frustration when his work is rejected or when he is of patrol. The way he must feel when he has no strength to work due to straining himself. Michelangelo is also seen as someone who can do a lot of things with his talent starting from sculpting to painting. He goes through a hard time trying to survive as an artist. The essence of being an architect is also being seeing when he engages in designing of his own sculptures and knowing just how to go about it to bring about a specific result. St Peters Basilica that was built under his governance after a lot of architect failed to successfully design it. He pitched his idea on having a centrally planned church where he strengthened the structure visually and physically. His Laurentian library design inspired Mannerist architecture. His biography was published with him being alive making him the first person to do that.

The constructions all revolved around the Catholic Church expressing his great faith and devotion. Poetry that he had written towards his end days reflected greatly in this where he says, “Neither painting nor sculpture will be able any longer to calm my soul, now turned toward that divine love that opened his arms on the cross to take us in”( Symonds, 2018.). He once told Ascanio Condivi that no matter how rich he has been he had always lived like a poor man. The apprentice later explained his indifference towards food and drink.

Michelangelo depicts himself as a solitary person who thrived more in his own company and was often melancholic (Gayford, 2013). His work that needed a lot of alone time and critical thinking led to him having very few friends and most of his apprentices run away from him due to his unconcerned nature that could be described as uncouth and rough. Condivi describes him as a man of monk-like chastity hence it cannot be said for certain that he had any relationship that was physical. Some of his poems though were designed in a manner that expressed love but towards another male.

The film, although with a lot of dialogue, managed to be nominated into academic awards that they won. The director did try to incorporate with the guidance of the book the biography of Michelangelo fully and a representation on how he could have been living in his life could be imagined. The attitudes that were expressed by the different characters in the film served in bringing out the reaction as per expected by Michelangelo. The film did not give deeper details on his private information as there was not much in the sector.

In conclusion Michelangelo proved his artistry in many ways than one and secured a position as one of the greatest artists known to man. His work will forever live on as they are pictures of true talents and design. Among the most known works that he has managed to build his name on are David, his architecture works, the Sistine Ceiling, Pieta among many more that he managed to construct before his death. His works can be used to inspire a lot of artist. The film ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy’ clears depicts most of the information that is important in his life. It shows the benefit of having film in art preservation as now his story will most likely live on and on.

References

Capua, M., 2016. William Holden: A Biography. McFarland.

Dominiczak, M.H., 2017. Michelangelo: The Ingredients of Greatness. Clinical chemistry, 63(10), pp.1665-1667.

Gayford, M., 2013. Michelangelo: His epic life. Penguin UK.

Hibbard, H., 2018. Michelangelo. Routledge.

Symonds, J.A., 2018. The Life of Michelangelo Buonarroti. BoD–Books on Demand.

Vasari, G., 2013. Michelagnolo Buonarroti (1475-1464) Painter, Sculptor and Architect of Florence, Lives of the Artists.