Monday 17 October 2011

The Agony And The Ecstacy

I just finished re-reading The Agony and The Ecstasy by Irving Stone a few nights ago. Its a biographical novel on Michelangelo- my favorite Old Master, and in Stone's account of his life you really see why Michelangelo is considered the greatest artist of all time.The man had passion for his craft like nobody's business. Really. The dedication he had for sculpture, the love he had for beauty- they were divine in their infiniteness- His passion knew no end. His life, and his body of work are an example of that.


One of my favorite lines from the book.This was in response to- 'Where do Ideas come from?"

"Ideas are a natural function of the mind, as breathing is of the lungs. Perhaps they come from God." 

Jeremiah. Sistine Chapel

While on the topic of Michelangelo, I thought I'd feature-Prophet Jeremiah; one of my favorite figures on the  Sistine ceiling.  I just love how Michelangelo has conveyed this sense of deep melancholy in the Prophet. He seems lost in anguished thoughts. Deeply contemplative.The mood is somber, the heart is heavy and the despondency is so heartfelt, that it seems to have its own language.

Perhaps the reason why I have a soft spot for this figure in the Sistine ceiling is because it is widely speculated to be a self-portrait of the artist at the time he was making the ceiling. He has depicted himself as  pensive, weighed down, and exhausted - which is what he felt due to the magnitude of the task he had undertaken (the ceiling). Alternatively  it is also speculated that Michelangelo was weighed down by his own sins-which is what he tried to depict through Prophet Jeremiah. Possible, but in all honesty, if he did think that- Michelangelo was too hard on himself. Every work he made was an homage to God himself. His practice was a form a worship.At least that's how I look at tit.

and that reminds me of another quote:

" God shapes the back to the burden "

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