A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, ArchitectureWaters, Clara Erskine Clement
History
A History of Art for Beginners and Students: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture
Waters, Clara Erskine Clement
Art -- History
In November, 1506, when the pope had taken Bologna, he sent for Michael
Angelo to come to him there. Michael Angelo had not yet seen the pope
since he left Rome in anger. When he reached Bologna he went first to
San Petronio to hear mass. A servant of the pope recognized him and led
him to his Holiness. Julius was at table, but ordered that Michael
Angelo should come in, and said to him, "You have waited thus long, it
seems, till we should ourselves come to seek you." Michael Angelo
kneeled down and begged his pardon, but added that he had remained away
because he had been offended. The pope looked at him doubtfully, when
one of the priests, fearing what would happen, advised the pope not to
judge an ignorant artist as he would another man. Then the pope turned
upon him in great anger, and declaring that he himself was ignorant and
miserable, ordered him out of his sight. The poor ecclesiastic was so
terrified that the attendants were obliged to carry him out, and then
the pope spoke graciously to the sculptor, and commanded him not to
leave Bologna without his permission. The pope soon gave him an order
for a colossal statue in bronze to be erected in Bologna.
The first cast of this statue failed, and the work was not ready to be
put in its place until February, 1508. This being done, Michael Angelo
returned to Florence, where he had much to do; but Julius soon sent for
him to go to Rome, and insisted that he should paint the roof of the
Sistine Chapel, which occupied him a long time.
In 1513 Julius II. died, and Michael Angelo resumed his work upon his
mausoleum. The pope had mentioned it in his will, and his heirs wished
it to be completed. At this time he probably worked upon the statue of
Moses and upon the two chained youths. He devoted himself to the
mausoleum during three years.
Leo X., who was now pope, demanded the services of Michael Angelo to
erect a facade to the Church of San Lorenzo in Florence. The artist
objected to this great work, and declared that he was bound to complete
the tomb for which he had already received money. But Leo insisted upon
his going to Florence. He had much trouble to get his marble from the
quarries--the men were ill there. He was ill himself, and he passed a
year of great anxiety and trouble, when there came word from Rome that
the work must be given up; the building was postponed, and no payment
was made to Michael Angelo! He was much disheartened, but returned to
his work on the mausoleum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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