Angell (III)

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

RALPH NORMAN ANGELL. (MICHAEL ANGELO ANGELO BUONARROTI), the most distinguished sculptor, painter, and architect of his time and of the modern world, was born on March 6, 1475. His father, Ludovico di Leonardo Buonarroti Simoni, was a poor gentleman of Florence. When the sculptor was born, his father was podesta, or mayor, of Caprese and Chiusi, in Tuscany. He returned to Florence when his term of office expired, and the child was intrusted to a stonemason's wife at Settignano. The boy's enthusiasm for art revealed itself at an early age, and he was sent to the school of Messer Francesco di Urbino to learn the elements. While yet only 13 years of MICHAEL ANGELO age, he entered the bottega of Domenico Ghirlandajo, to whom he was bound apprentice for three years. None was ever more fortunate than Michael Angelo in the time and place of his birth. From his boyhood he was familiar with the masterpieces of Donatello, and he joined his contemporaries in making a pilgrimage to the Convent of the Carmine, where he studiously copied the supreme examples of Masaccio's art. By Ghirlandajo he was recommended to Lorenzo de Medici, and entered the school which the "Magnifico" had established in his garden on the Piazza. His talent was not long in arresting the notice of Lorenzo, who henceforth gave him a room in his house and a seat at his table. To this period belong two interesting reliefs. In the "Battle of the Centaurs" (now in the Casa Buonarroti at Florence) the classical influence of Lorenzo's garden is strikingly apparent. A marvellous contrast to the "Centaurs" is the "Madonna," conceived and executed in the spirit of Donatello. In 1492, when Michael Angelo had spent some three years in his house, Lorenzo died. Pietro, Lorenzo's son and successor, retained for a time the services of Michael Angelo, but he is said to have treated him with scant courtesy; and Michael Angelo fled to Bologna. Nor did he here wait long for a patron; Gianfrancesco Aldrovandi commissioned him to execute a statue. In Bologna the sculptor lingered for a year; then he once more (in 1495) returned to Florence. It was during this sojourn in his native city that he fashioned the marble "Cupid," to which he owed his first introduction to Rome. Baldassare del Milanese persuaded him to give the work the air of an antique by burial, and dispatch it to Rome. Here it was purchased by Cardinal San Giorgio, who, though he speedily discovered the fraud which had been put upon him, was quick to detect the talent of the sculptor who had tricked him. He therefore summoned him to Rome, and on June 25, 1496, Michael Angelo arrived for the first time in the Eternal City. The influence of Rome and the antique is easily discernible in the "Bacchus," now in the National Museum at Florence. To the same period belongs the exquisite "Cupid" of the South Kensington Museum. The "Pieta," which is now in St. Peter's, was executed in 1497, but presents an amazing contrast. For four years the sculptor remained in Rome, perpetually urged to return to Florence by his father, who, though he objected to his son's craft as unbefitting his station, was nothing loath to profit by the wealth which was the reward of his artistic success. Michael Angelo went back; and Soderini, who was then gonfaloniere, permitted him to convert a statue the colossal block of marble upon which Agostino d'Antonio had been at work many years before, and brated "David." His "David" is the out of the irregular block grew the cele- Gothic treatment of a classic theme. The influence of the antique is obvious, but the personal touch of the sculptor is also apparent. In 1504 it was placed upon its pedestal in the Piazza de' Signori, whence it was removed in 1873 to the Academy of Arts. A second "David" (this time of bronze) was commissioned and sent to France, where all trace of it is lost. The sculptor also designed two marble reliefs, one of which passed into the possession of Sir George Beaumont, and is now at Burlington House. The "Holy Family of the Tribune" and the "Manchester Madonna," in the National Gallery, belong to the same time, and prove that Michael Angelo had not wholly neglected the art of painting. The zeal of Soderini, the gonfaloniere, in the cause of art inspired the scheme of decorating the Great Hall of the Council. For one wall Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to design a fresco; a second was intrusted to Michael Angelo. The latter chose as his subject an incident in the war of Pisa, and executed a cartoon which Vasari, with devout exaggeration, proclaims to have been of divine rather than of human origin. The fresco was never completed, and on the return of the Medici to Florence the cartoon was removed to the hall of their palace, to which painters were permitted unrestrained access. The result was that over-zealous admirers of Michael Angelo cut the cartoon to pieces. In 1503 Julius II. succeeded to the pontificate, and summoned Michael Angelo to Rome. The sculptor could as little brook opposition as the Pope, and their dealings were continually interrupted by bitter quarrels and recriminations. The Pope commissioned the sculptor to design his tomb. For 40 years Michael Angelo clung to the hope that he would yet complete the great monument in honor of Pope Julius and his own genius. But intrigue and spite were too strong for him. Other demands were continually made upon his energy, and the sublime statue of Moses is the best fragment that is left to us of the tomb of Julius. Various difficulties arose between the Pope and the sculptor. Instead of being allowed to work on the monument, Michael Angelo was ordered to decorate the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. In 1508 Michael Angelo began this work for which his training had ill adapted him. However, he set himself resolutely to the toil, and in four years achieved a masterpiece of decorative design. Michael Angelo, however, had not forgotten the monument of Pope Julius, and no sooner had he finished his work in the Sistine Chapel than he returned with eagerness to the tomb. In 1513 Pope Julius II. died, and, though he had commanded the cardinals, Santi Quattro and Aginense, to see that his monument was completed in accordwith his expressed wishes, the carance dinals were thrifty men, and demanded a more modest design. This was furbut could be nished, before the work undertaken, Pope Leo X. had dispatched Michael Angelo on business of his own to Florence. Leo was of the Medici family, and professed no interest in the tomb of his predecessor; his whole anxiety was to do honor to his ancestors by the adornment of Florence. He therefore, commissioned Michael Angelo to rebuild the façade of the Church of San Lorenzo and enrich it with sculptured figures. For eight years Michael Angelo was forced to devote himself to toil as idle as that of Sisyphus. The goulptor remained in Florence still working on the tomb of Julius and building the Sacristy of San Lorenzo. In 1528 the unsettled state of his native city turned him again from the practice of his art. He devoted himself heart and soul to the science of fortification, and when, in 1529, Florence was besieged, Michael Angelo was foremost in its defense. The city was forced to surrender in the following year. He resumed his work upon the tombs of the Medici, and completed the monuments to Giuliano and Lorenzo de Medici, which are among the greatest of his works. In 1537 he began to paint "The Last Judgment" for the Sistine Chapel, which was finished and displayed on Christmas Day, 1541, and was the_master's last pictorial achievement. In the following year he was appointed architect of St. Peter's. To app this work he devoted his wonderful genius with zeal and loyalty and for almost all that is best in this remarkable edifice we are indebted to him. While still engaged in this work, he died on Feb. 18, 1564.