Irvine Stone’s novel “The Agony and the Ecstasy” captures the life and work of Michelangelo the artist. Within the biographical novel are themes that signify the artist’s talent and expression by form of his masterpieces as well as his life experience. Such themes as Transcendence/Permanence, Communication/Commentary, Self Expression/Self Exaltation, and Patronage/Functionality, intervene throughout the novel and serve us a way to recognize credible attributes of the artist. A few astounding creations that expose the four themes include the famous Pieta, Sistine chapel, and Hercules.
A tremendous amount of detail and care is evident in numerous works of Michelangelo, yet the Pieta is one that stands apart for such recognition. The amount of time put towards the piece emphasizes the sincerity of the artist’s passion. By observing the Pieta’s emotion driven subject, Mary and Jesus, a moment of transcendence is breeched. Taking a year and half to complete, Michelangelo was able to portray Mary as young and filled with compassion as she was in his conception. “He could not conceive of her as a woman in her mid 50’s, old, wrinkled, broken in body and face by labor of worry. His image of the Virgin had always been that of a young w
. . .
Irving states simply that “all art comes from the inside. Here was a pair to breed the race of man…they were not frightened…this was the mother and father of man, created by God, and he, Michelangelo Buonarroti, brought them to life in noble mien and proportion. (pg 478) Though Michelangelo would be dishonored by the Pope, there is a great deal of persistence and motivation that proves his work to be for greater purposes. Within the trouble of the artist being oppressed to do what he wasn’t passionate about, he is able to express his true intentions through acknowledging the ideal of his mother’s beauty and how to him it was parallel to the beauty of Mary. When the artist has the opportunity to construct work that is in his most passionate interests, a terrific amount of Self-Expression/Self Exaltation is present. “He must find a way to represent Hercules so that he became Lorenzo as well; not solely the physical giant of the Greek legend, but as a poet, statesman, world merchant, patron, revolutionist. Michelangelo believed that possibly by pleasing God he would soon be able to work on marble. Similar to the emotion driven portrayal of Mary, Michelangelo dealt with the sorrowful subject entwined with Christ’s crucifixion. Likewise, Michelangelo boldly depicts Adam and Eve with confronting realness and worth. Piero commands Michelangelo “…stop issuing ultimatums.
In one way or another artists are driven to communicate something either to other people or merely out of themselves and to themselves. It is in such contexts that we are able to discuss how the artist was unique.
Another desire of the artist is to express that which is inside them and to work on that which they truly find to be profoundly pleasurable.
Approximate Word count =
1587
Approximate Pages =
6 (250 words per page double spaced)
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