Today is Saturday, November 4, but I began writing this post on November 1 so that’s the date upon which I’d like to reflect.
On November 1, in 1512, Michelangelo’s paintings on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican were first exhibited. On November 1, in 2023, I read an article about Michelangelo in The Guardian. So, I have Michelangelo on the mind.
Michelangelo’s artwork has inspired generations. His masterpieces, like the Statue of David and the Sistine Chapel ceiling, exemplify the pinnacle of human creativity and expression. His ability to capture the human form’s grace and emotion transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries, offering a universal language that sparks profound emotions, like our Florentine tour guide, Beatrice, who threw her arm up over her eyes and pushed the palm of her other hand out toward us gawking Americans gathered before her to admire the statue of David: “Stand back! You may faint away!” She was worried we would be overcome by the beauty of the statue. Instead of fainting, there was a sense of connection, a reminder of the boundless possibilities of human achievement… At least, that’s what I remember. It was 1985.
And now, an exciting collection of newly discovered works (sketches) by Michelangelo will be open to the public on November 15, 2023. Here is a synopsis of the article I read in The Guardian:
A hidden treasure of art and history is set to be unveiled to the public in Florence. A secret room beneath the Medici Chapels in the Basilica of San Lorenzo, believed to have been Michelangelo’s refuge while evading a death sentence ordered by Pope Clement VII in 1530, will soon be accessible to all. This small chamber, measuring 10 meters long and three meters wide, was discovered in 1975 by Paolo Dal Poggetto, then the director of the Medici Chapels. It remained hidden until its walls were recently stripped of decades of obscurity.
Inside, the room is adorned with charcoal and chalk sketches, believed to be Michelangelo’s work, offering a glimpse into the mind of the Renaissance master. The drawings resemble his previous creations, such as Leda and the Swan and figures from the Sistine Chapel and the Medici family tomb. The chamber served as a sanctuary while Michelangelo hid from the Medici family, his former patrons, who had returned to Florence after being exiled in 1527.
This hidden gem, opening to the public on November 15, will be a limited-access space, allowing only four visitors at a time to preserve its historical and artistic significance. Director Paola D’Agostino described the process of preparing the room as painstaking, and she hopes that visitors will be as captivated by the experience as she has been. Michelangelo’s secret refuge promises to provide an intimate and mesmerizing journey into the artist’s past.
Michelangelo’s enduring legacy reminds us that creativity knows no bounds. His mastery and vision continue to beckon us to push the limits of our own imagination, challenging us to reach new heights in our craft. He said, “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark.” Just as Michelangelo carved life from stone and painted the divine on a chapel’s ceiling, we are encouraged to dare greatly, for the world hungers for our unique voices and perspectives. Through his art, Michelangelo whispered a timeless truth: that the human spirit is capable of extraordinary feats. As artists, we stand on the shoulders of giants like him, driven to create, to inspire, and to shape the future with our boundless creativity and to keep learning.
Michelangelo’s final words: “Ancora imparo” (I am still learning)
We are all connected through art and through our humanity. What better Zentangle pattern to celebrate that than “Connector” by CZT Jane Monk?