Michelangelo's Mountain
The Quest For Perfection in the Marble Quarries of Carrara
Eric Scigliano
- Discover
- the
- fascinating,
- crucial,
- and
- often
- dangerous
- relationship
- between
- Michelangelo
- and
- the
- stone
- quarries
- of
- Carrara
- in
- this
- clear-eyed
- and
- well-researched
- exploration
- that
- “recounts
- the
- artist's
- large
- life
- and
- lasting
- works
- with
- care
- and
- reverence”
- (Booklist).No
- artist
- looms
- so
- large
- in
- Western
- consciousness
- and
- culture
- as
- Michelangelo
- Buonarroti,
- the
- most
- celebrated
- sculptor
- of
- all
- time.
- And
- no
- place
- on
- earth
- provides
- a
- stone
- so
- capable
- of
- simulating
- the
- warmth
- and
- vitality
- of
- human
- flesh
- and
- incarnating
- the
- genius
- of
- a
- Michelangelo
- as
- the
- statuario
- of
- Carrara,
- the
- storied
- marble
- mecca
- at
- Tuscany's
- northwest
- corner.
- It
- was
- there,
- where
- shadowy
- Etruscans
- and
- Roman
- slaves
- once
- toiled,
- that
- Michelangelo
- risked
- his
- life
- in
- dozens
- of
- harrowing
- expeditions
- to
- secure
- the
- precious
- stone
- for
- his
- Pietà,
- Moses,
- and
- other
- masterpieces.Many
- books
- have
- recounted
- Michelangelo’s
- achievements
- in
- Florence
- and
- Rome.
- Michelangelo’s
- Mountain
- goes
- beyond
- all
- of
- them,
- revealing
- his
- escapades
- and
- ordeals
- in
- the
- spectacular
- landscape
- that
- was
- the
- third
- pole
- of
- his
- tumultuous
- career
- and
- the
- third
- wellspring
- of
- his
- art.
- Eric
- Scigliano
- brings
- this
- haunting
- place
- and
- eternally
- fascinating
- artist
- to
- life
- in
- a
- sweeping
- tale
- peopled
- by
- popes
- and
- poets,
- mad
- dukes
- and
- mythic
- monsters,
- scheming
- courtiers
- and
- rough-hewn
- quarrymen.
- He
- recounts
- the
- saga
- of
- the
- David,
- the
- improbable
- masterpiece
- that
- Michelangelo
- created
- against
- all
- odds,
- of
- the
- twin
- Hercules
- that
- he
- tried
- to
- erect
- beside
- it,
- and
- of
- the
- Salieri-like
- nemesis
- who
- snatched
- away
- the
- commission,
- turning
- a
- sculptural
- testament
- to
- liberty
- into
- a
- bitter
- symbol
- of
- tyranny
- and
- giving
- Florence
- the
- colossus
- it
- loves
- to
- hate.In
- showing
- how
- the
- artist,
- land,
- and
- stone
- transformed
- one
- another,
- Scigliano
- brings
- fresh
- insight
- to
- Michelangelo's
- most
- cherished
- works
- and
- illuminates
- his
- struggles
- with
- the
- princes
- and
- potentates
- of
- Carrara,
- Rome,
- and
- Medici
- Florence,
- who
- raised
- intrigue
- to
- a
- high art.
pro-mbooks3 : libris
