Michelangelo – The Divine

   

Description

The monumental statue of David in Piazza della Signoria, the statue of Moses for the tomb of Pope Julius II, the Medici tombs in the new sacristy of San Lorenzo, the Biblioteca Laurenziana, the dome of St. Peter's Basilica and the Capitol, the Palazzo Farnese and the Porta Pia, not to mention the frescoes in the Sistine Chapel - these are just some of Michelangelo's most famous creations, Testimonies to almost superhuman feats of strength that were unrivaled even at the time of their creation, masterpieces that left contemporaries speechless and set standards that remain unsurpassed to this day.

Because of all these abilities, "The Divine One", as the universal genius was already called during his lifetime, was celebrated, revered and loved by some, enviously eyed, despised, even hated by others. Popes and princes sought his proximity and showered him with commissions because, in their eyes, no one else could so decorate their palaces and churches, increase their prestige and elevate their rank as he could. What was new, however, was that these elites were no longer in charge alone. With Michelangelo, they were confronted with a highly self-confident, combative artistic personality who himself determined the deadlines and prices for his works and was the only one to give them meaning. Almost more violent than the struggle against these external adversities, however, was the struggle that the artist waged against himself. A manic ambition in aesthetic as well as technical matters and an inner turmoil fed by an irrepressible creative power may have been responsible for the fact that some of his works remained unfinished, that the artist, who was constantly chased by himself, failed due to his own irredeemable demands.

In short, since Michelangelo is still considered one of the most enigmatic and ambivalent personalities in the history of art, and since his works of art are still somewhat enigmatic and mysterious, one can only profitably make this exceptional artist the subject of a series of lectures, as will be done in this semester.

 

 

Module

Lecture
M.Sc. // 2nd semester

Dates

On tuesdays, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.
Start: April 11, 2023
Roter Hörsaal AM (1420|002)

Accompanying Content

You can download the corresponding lecture content for follow-up purposes on  RWTHMoodle.