Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 13

Michelangelo was pleased with his Sistine-Chapel ceiling - follow this link for an incredibly clear, online-panoramic viewing - but Pope Julius II wanted changes.  The artist refused.  Soon thereafter, the Pope died.

Sad he had lost his great patron, but excited about returning to his first love - sculpting - Michelangelo worked on the Pope's tomb.  Originally planning forty marble statues, the Pope's heirs had to settle for less. 

The main work - Moses - ended up as the dominating feature of the tomb.  It is located at San Pietro in Vincoli - in Rome. 

Why did Michelangelo not finish the other sculptures for Julius' tomb?  He had received an offer to accomplish something really exciting - something he had never previously attempted.

He was asked ... by the Medici family of Florence ... to create an imposing facade for their Church of San Lorenzo.  Michelangelo was ecstatic about the commission - and its price tag.

See, also:

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 1

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 2

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 3

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 4

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 5

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 6

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 7

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 8

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 9

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 10

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 11

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 14

Renaissance Artist - The Divine Michelangelo, Part 15

Credits

From "The Divine Michelangelo" (2004), with Stephen Noonan playing the title role.  Online, courtesy BBC.

Directors
Tim Dunn
Stuart Elliott

Narrator
Susannah York

Michelangelo
Stephen Noonan