At the foot, he placed an ornamental base with four projections accommodating four terminal figures in place of the four Captives which were planned originally. Since this substitution impoverished the lower storey, he placed at the foot of each of the figures a reversed console resting on a pedestal. Between the four terminals there were three niches, two of which (at the sides) were circular and were to have contained the Victories. Instead of the Victories, however, in one of the niches he placed a figure of Leah, the daughter of Laban, to represent the Active Life: in one hand she held a looking-glass, to signify the deliberation with which we should conduct our affairs, and in the other a garland of flowers, signifying the talents that adorn our life on earth and glorify it after death. In the other niche he placed a figure of Leah’s sister, Rachel, representing the Contemplative Life: with her hands clasped and one knee slightly bent, she wears an expression of rapture on her face. Michelangelo executed these statues himself, in less than a year. In the centre, in the original plan, there was to have been one of the doors leading into the little oval temple containing the quadrangular sarcophagus; instead, there was a rectangular niche, containing a marble dado which supported the gigantic and wonderfully beautiful statue of Moses, of which enough has already been said. Over the heads of the terminal figures, which act as capitals, are the architrave, the frieze, and the cornice, projecting over the terminals and richly carved with foliage, ovolo mouldings, and dentils, and matched by other rich ornamentation. Then above the cornice is the upper storey of the façade, with four other kinds of terminal figures placed perpendicularly over those of the lower storey and taking the form of unadorned pilasters surmounted by differently moulded cornices. This part of the façade corresponds in its various details with the lower storey, and thus Michelangelo made an opening (to match the niche containing the statue of Moses) in which, resting on the projections of the lower cornice, was placed a marble sarcophagus bearing the recumbent statue of Pope Julius II, which was executed by the sculptor Tommaso Boscoli. In the niche beyond the figure of Julius is a statue of Our Lady holding the child in her arms, executed from Michelangelo’s model by the sculptor Scherano da Settignano. Both these figures are tolerably good. In the other two rectangular niches (over the statues of the Contemplative Life and the Active Life) are respectively a sybil and a prophet, both seated, which were made by Raffaello da Montelupo, as is described in the Life of his father, Baccio; but these were little to Michelangelo’s liking. At the summit, the façade was given another kind of cornice, projecting like the cornice of the lower storey over the front of the work. Resting on this, over the terminal figures, were marble candelabra; and in the middle, above the prophet and the sybil, was the coat-of-arms of Pope Julius. Then in the spaces of the niches windows were built for the convenience of the friars who served the church so that, as the choir was placed behind the tomb, their voices could be heard and they could see divine service being celebrated. Altogether the tomb succeeded very well, although it was not as impressive as planned originally.
Since he could hardly do otherwise, Michelangelo resolved to enter the service of Pope Paul, who wanted him to continue with the work commissioned by Pope Clement without changing anything in the inventions and general conception of what had been decided, such was the Pope’s respect for his great talents. Indeed, Pope Paul felt for Michelangelo such reverence and love that he always went out of his way to please him. For example, his holiness wanted to have his own coat-of-arms painted under the Jonah in the chapel, in place of the arms of Pope Julius; but when this suggestion was put to Michelangelo, not wanting to make changes that would do wrong to Pope Julius and Pope Clement, he would not agree, saying that his coat-of-arms would not look well there. And his holiness, to avoid offending him, accepted his decision. To be sure, the Pope fully appreciated Michelangelo’s excellence and realized that he always did what was just and honourable, without any adulation or respect of persons: something which rulers rarely come across.
For the wall of the chapel, overhanging about a foot from the summit, Michelangelo then had carefully built a projection of bricks, which had been especially chosen and baked, to prevent any dust or dirt from settling on the painting. I shall not dwell on the details of the inventions and composition of the Last Judgement, since so many copies of all sizes have been printed that there is no call to waste time describing it. It is enough for us to understand that this extraordinary man chose always to refuse to paint anything save the human body in its most beautifully proportioned and perfect forms and in the greatest variety of attitudes, and thereby to express the wide range of the soul’s emotions and joys. He was content to prove himself in the field in which he was superior to all his fellow craftsmen, painting his nudes in the grand manner and displaying his great understanding of the problems of design. Thus he has demonstrated how painting can achieve facility in its chief province: namely, the reproduction of the human form. And concentrating on this subject he left to one side the charm of colouring and the caprices and novel fantasies of certain minute and delicate refinements that many other artists, and not without reason, have not entirely neglected. For some artists, lacking Michelangelo’s profound knowledge of design, have tried by using a variety of tints and shades of colour, by including in their work various novel and bizarre inventions (in brief, by following the other method of painting) to win themselves a place among the most distinguished masters. But Michelangelo, standing always firmly rooted in his profound understanding of the art, has shown those who can understand how they should achieve perfection.
To return to the Last Judgement: Michelangelo had already finished more than three-fourths of the work when Pope Paul went to see it. On this occasion Biagio da Cesena, the master of ceremonies and a very high-minded person, happened to be with the Pope in the chapel and was asked what he thought of the painting. He answered that it was most disgraceful that in so sacred a place there should have been depicted all those nude figures, exposing themselves so shamefully, and that it was no work for a papal chapel but rather for the public baths and taverns. Angered by this comment, Michelangelo determined he would have his revenge; and as soon as Biagio had left he drew his portrait from memory in the figure of Minos, shown with a great serpent curled round his legs, among a heap of devils in hell; nor for all his) pleading with the Pope and Michelangelo could Biagio have the figure removed, and it was left, to record the incident, as it is today.
It then happened that Michelangelo fell no small distance from the scaffolding in the chapel and hurt his leg; and in his pain and anger he refused to be treated by anyone. Now at this time there lived a certain Florentine called Baccio Rontini, a friend and admirer of Michelangelo’s and an ingenious physician. Feeling sorry for Michelangelo, one day he went along to see him at home; when he received no answer to his knocking, either from Michelangelo or the neighbours, he made his way up by a secret way from room to room until he found Buonarroti, who was in a desperate condition. And then Baccio refused to go away or leave his side until he was better. After he was cured, Michelangelo returned to the chapel and worked continuously until everything was finished. And the paintings he did were imbued with such force that he justified the words of Dante: ‘Dead are the dead, the living truly live…’.1 We are shown the misery of the damned and the joy of the blessed.
When the Last Judgement was revealed it was seen that Michelangelo had not only excelled the masters who had worked there previously but had also striven to excel even the vaulting that he had made so famous; for the Last Judgement was finer by far, and in it Michelangelo outstripped himself. He imagined to himself all the terror of those days and he represented, for the greater punishment of those who have not lived well, the entire Passion of Jesus Christ, depicting in the air various naked figures carrying the cross, the column, the lance, the sponge, the nails, and the crown of thorns. These were shown in diverse attitudes and were perfectly executed with consummate facility. We see the seated figure of Christ turning tow
ards the damned his stern and terrible countenance in order to curse them; and in great fear Our Lady draws her mantle around her as she hears and sees such tremendous desolation. In a circle around the figure of Christ are innumerable prophets and apostles; and most remarkable are the figures of Adam and St Peter, included, it is believed, as being respectively the original parent of the human race that is now brought to Judgement and the first foundation of the Christian Church. At the feet of Christ is a most beautiful St Bartholomew, who is displaying his flayed skin. We see also the nude figure of St Lawrence, and in addition an endless number of male and female saints and other figures of men and women around Christ, near or distant, who embrace each other and rejoice, because they have won everlasting beatitude by the grace of God and as a reward for their good deeds. Beneath the feet of Christ are the Seven Angels with the Seven Trumpets as described by St John the Evangelist; as they sound the call to Judgement they cause the hair of those who are looking at them to stand on end at the terrible wrath of their countenances. Among the rest are two angels with the Book of Life in their hands; and near them on one side, depicted with perfect judgement, may be seen the seven mortal sins in the form of devils, assailing and striving to drag down to hell the souls that are flying towards heaven, all striking the most beautiful attitudes and wonderfully foreshortened. Nor did Michelangelo hesitate to show to the world, in the resurrection of the dead, how they take to themselves once more bones and flesh from the same earth and how, with the help of others already alive, they go soaring towards heaven, where again they are assisted by the souls of those already blessed; and all this was painted with the appropriate judgement and consideration. Throughout the painting may be seen exercises and studies of various kinds, the perfection of which is clearly illustrated by a notable detail showing the bark of Charon. In an attitude of frenzy, Charon is striking with his oar the souls being dragged into his bark by the demons. Here, Michelangelo was following the description given by his favourite poet, Dante, when he wrote:
Charon, his eyes red like a burning brand,
Thumps with his oar the lingerers that delay,
And rounds them up, and beckons with his hand.1
Michelangelo painted the heads of his demons with such marvellous force and variety that they are truly like monsters out of hell. And in the figures of the damned we can see the presence of sin and the fear of eternal punishment. Apart from the beauty of its every detail, it is extraordinary to see how this painting produces in its finished state an impression of such harmony that it seems to have been executed all in one day, and even so with a finish unrivalled by any miniature. To be sure, the awesomeness and grandeur of this painting, with its vast host of figures, are so overwhelming that it defies description; for in it may be seen marvellously portrayed all the emotions that mankind can experience. The discerning eye can easily distinguish the proud and the envious, the avaricious, the lustful, and other sinners of various kinds; for in this painting Michelangelo observed all the rules of decorum, and gave his figures the appropriate expressions, attitudes, and settings. This was a great and wonderful achievement; but it was all the same well within his powers, because he was always shrewd and observant and he had seen a lot of mankind, and thus he had acquired by contact with the day-to-day world the understanding that philosophers obtain from books and speculation. To any discerning critic the Last Judgement demonstrates the sublime force of art and Michelangelo’s figures reveal thoughts and emotions that only he has known how to express. Moreover, anyone in a position to judge will also be struck by the amazing diversity of the figures which is reflected in the various and unusual gestures of the young and old, the men and the women. All these details bear witness to the sublime power of Michelangelo’s art, in which skill was combined with a natural inborn grace. Michelangelo’s figures stir the emotions even of people who know nothing about painting, let alone those who understand. The foreshortenings that appear to be in actual relief; the way he blended his colours to produce a mellow softness and grace; and the delicate finish he gave to every detail: these serve to show the kind of picture that a good and true artist should paint. In the contours of the forms turned in a manner no other artists could have rivalled Michelangelo showed the world the true Judgement and the true Damnation and Resurrection.
The Last Judgement must be recognized as the great exemplar of the grand manner of painting, directly inspired by God and enabling mankind to see the fateful results when an artist of sublime intellect infused with divine grace and knowledge appears on earth. Behind this work, bound in chains, follow all those who believe they have mastered the art of painting; the strokes with which Michelangelo outlined his figures make every intelligent and sensitive artist wonder and tremble, no matter how strong a draughtsman he may be. When other artists study the fruits of Michelangelo’s labours, they are thrown into confusion by the mere thought of what manner of things all other pictures, past or future, would look like if placed side by side with this masterpiece. How fortunate they are, and what happy memories they have stored up, who have seen this truly stupendous marvel of our times! And we can count Pope Paul III as doubly fortunate and happy, seeing that, by allowing this work to come into existence under his protection, God ensured future renown for his holiness and for Michelangelo. How greatly are the merits of the Pope enhanced by the genius of the artist! The birth of Michelangelo was indeed a stroke of fortune for all artists of the present age, for his work as a painter, a sculptor, and an architect has with its brilliance illuminated every problem and difficulty.
Michelangelo laboured for eight years on the Last Judgement, and he threw it open to view, I believe, on Christmas Day in the year 1541, to the wonder and astonishment of the whole of Rome, or rather the whole world. That year, I went to Rome myself, travelling from Venice, in order to see it; and I along with the rest was stupefied by what I saw.
As I described in the Life of Antonio da Sangallo, Pope Paul had caused a chapel called the Pauline to be built on the same floor, in imitation of that of Nicholas V; and for this he decided that Michelangelo should paint two large pictures containing two great scenes. In one of the pictures, therefore, Michelangelo painted the Conversion of St Paul, with Jesus Christ above and a multitude of nude angels making the most graceful movements, while below, dazed and terrified, Paul has fallen from his horse to the ground. His soldiers are about him, some trying to lift him to his feet, others dazed by the splendour and the voice of Christ shown with panic-stricken movements and striking the most beautiful and varied attitudes as they take to flight. The horse as it runs off is shown carrying along in its headlong course the man who is trying to restrain it. And all this scene is composed with extraordinary skill and draughtsmanship. The other scene contains the Crucifixion of St Peter, who is depicted in a figure of rare beauty fastened naked upon the cross, while those who are crucifying him, having made a hole in the ground, are straining to raise the cross on high, so as to crucify him with his feet in the air. Here, too, there are many remarkably judicious and beautiful details. As has been said elsewhere, Michelangelo concentrated his energies on achieving absolute perfection in what he could do best, so there are no landscapes to be seen in these scenes, nor any trees, buildings, or other embellishments and variations; for he never spent time on such things, lest perhaps he should degrade his genius. These scenes, which he painted at the age of seventy-five, were the last pictures he did; and they cost him a great deal of effort, because painting, especially in fresco, is no work for men who have passed a certain age.
Michelangelo arranged that Perin del Vaga, an accomplished painter, should decorate the vaulting with stucco and various paintings, following his own designs, and this was also the wish of Pope Paul III; but the work was afterwards delayed and nothing more was done (so many projects are left unfinished, partly because of irresolution on the part of artists and partly because of the failure of their patrons to urge them on).
Pope Paul had made a start with fortifying
the Borgo and he then summoned many gentlemen, along with Antonio da Sangallo, to a conference; he wanted Michelangelo to take part as well, since he knew that it was he who had planned the fortifications around the hill of San Miniato. After considerable discussion, therefore, Michelangelo was asked to say what his opinion was, and he spoke his mind freely, although he disagreed both with Sangallo and with many of the others. Whereupon, Sangallo told him that his profession was sculpture and painting, and not fortification. Michelangelo replied that of those he knew only little, but as for fortification, given the amount of thought he had devoted to it and the practical experience he had had, he considered he knew more than Sangallo or any of his family. Then he demonstrated to him, in the presence of all the others, that he had made many errors; and as the arguments flew back and forth the Pope had to call for silence. Not long after this meeting, Michelangelo brought the Pope a plan for all the fortifications of the Borgo, which formed the basis of everything that was subsequently decided and put into effect. This was why the great gate of Santo Spirito, which was approaching completion under Sangallo’s supervision, remained unfinished.
The spirit and genius of Michelangelo could not remain idle; and so, since he was unable to paint, he set to work on a piece of marble, intending to carve four figures in the round and larger than life-size (including a dead Christ) to amuse and occupy himself and also, as he used to say himself, because using the hammer kept his body healthy. This Christ, taken down from the cross, is supported by Our Lady, by Nicodemus (planted firmly on his feet as he bends down and assists her) and by one of the Marys who also gives her help on perceiving the failing strength of his mother, whose grief makes the burden intolerable. Nowhere else can one see a dead form to compare with this figure of Christ; he is shown sinking down with his limbs hanging limp and he lies in an attitude altogether different not only from that of any other of Michelangelo’s figures but from that of any other figure ever made. This work, the fruit of intense labour, was a rare achievement in a single stone and truly inspired; but, as will be told later on, it remained unfinished and suffered many misfortunes, although Michelangelo had intended it to go at the foot of the altar where he hoped to place his own tomb.
Lives of the Artists Page 41