Michelangelo was 26 years old when he was commissioned to take on creating the statue David, on August 16, 1501. He was the third person who worked on the block of marble that would become David.
Two others had been commissioned to do the work, but they never completed it. They both got as far as roughing out the feet and legs, but then the marble piece sat outside for 35 years before Michelangelo came into the picture. It was exposed to winds, rain, heat, snow, bugs, mold…. for so long, in fact that the marble actually began to shrink.
Wait – is that right? Let’s review the timeline.
- 1464 – Original contract to begin the work of David
- 1466 – Second contract with new artist to continue David – then quickly abandoned
- 1475 – Michelangelo was born
- 1501 – Michelangelo commissioned to continue David
- 1504 – David was completed
Michelangelo wasn’t even born when the block of marble was created, shipped and abandoned. It’s almost as if David was Michelangelo’s destiny, as if David were waiting for him to arrive. Other artists were consulted in 1500, including Leonardo da Vinci, but Michelangelo won the opportunity.
What if Michelangelo had followed in the footsteps of the other artists? What if he decided the project was too big or intimidating for his age? What if he was too worried about failure that he never even tried? What if, on day 489, he just got too tired of looking at that same block of marble day-in and day-out?
Did you know there are also critics of David? Yeah, I Googled it and the criticism began almost immediately. They range from he’s not proportionate to the sling is in the wrong hand.
It’s certainly easier to be the critic than to be the artist who submerged himself in the history and mind of a man facing Goliath, for over two years. Or, maybe that’s why he was able to do such an amazing job – Michelangelo was also a young man facing his giants.
“I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free.” - Michelangelo
So, I’m asking myself two questions today.
- What destiny has been waiting for me since before I was born? Do I have the courage to face it day-in and day-out until I set it free?
- If even the great Michelangelo has critics, can I also go boldly forward without fear of their opinions?
3 comments:
Finding that destiny is the hard part (for me)
Cheers,
Dionne
I agree, Dionne!! I think part of a mom's destiny is our children. I have to say, you are raising three great kids!
You also have amazing vision for creating incredible things with fabric.
I've also been reading about Mary Pickersgill, who made the American flag that the Star Spangled Banner was written about. This woman owned her own business (in 1812!!) and is now a huge part of our history - based on her sewing abilities. Did you know she sewed the stars on the flag using reverse appliqué? Maybe I'll blog about her next... :)
I had to write a paper in college on what I thought was my greatest accomplishment. I thought about what I had accomplish up to that point and who I was as a person and decided it was being Tony's mom. Now as the years have passed I would like to add being a grandma. I pray to be the best grandma ever.
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