I didn't know THAT!

Every Tuesday and Thursday we have "Plenary." Plenary consist of one of our teachers talking from 10-11:30 a.m. about how what we are learning in all our classes relates together and how it all relates to the time period we're studying. Currently, we're in the Renaissance. Through the semester, we will progress from the Renaissance to modern time. Soo..our art teacher gave the plenary today. And it was hilarious and...wow, so much I did not know, haha. I love how art always seems to have some hidden story.

 Are you familiar with Michelangelo's "La Pieta"?

La Pieta by Michelangelo

 Notice anything odd about it? Jesus was a fairly large sized carpenter, wasn't he? Then why is Mary, his frail mother, practically twice as big as him? Michelangelo was smart. It would have looked silly if these two had been depicted at a realistic size--there's no possible way Mary would have been able to hold him on her lap--with one hand, nonetheless! Initially looking at this sculpture, you don't notice that at all, do you? I know I never did.

Another odd thing about this sculpture: Look at Mary's face:

Wasn't Jesus around 36 when he died? So saying Mary was 17 when he was born that would make her...53. Then why does she look like she's in her 20's!? Michelangelo, as a good Catholic, depicted her as young because of the Catholic belief that Mary was a pure virgin all her life, and those who live a pure life hardly age. (I've found the fountain of youth: purity)

 Not quite as interesting, but still nice to know for trivia...Michelangelo's sculpture "David" was of the Biblical King David, right? I mean, he has a sling and he's holding a rock in his hand and all. But there's one inconsistency:

David, by Michelangelo

Notice it? I should hope not, 'cus if so you'd have to look reeeaaaallllyyy closely. David was Jewish. Jews practiced circumcision. Then why isn't David circumcised?! There are quite a few answers/guesses for this question, but one that makes sense is because Michelangelo carved this during the Renaissance when the human form was seen as the ideal form: He didn't want to change the human form. And he also could have left David uncircumcised because that was the Vogue of his time.

 Finally (and my personal favorite), are you familiar with Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel? There's probably one picture from it that you've never seen. Background story: Michelangelo considered himself a sculpture, not a painter. However, the pope wanted him to paint the Sistine Chapel. Michelangelo ran away. The pope sent his armies to find Michelangelo. They found him. Michelangelo did NOT want to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. "I am going to paint whatever I want on the ceiling, and you pay me this exorbitant sum," he told the Pope (probably not in those exact words). The replied pope: "O.K."
 
So Michelangelo started painting. He hated it. From constantly looking up, his back was killing him. His face always got full of paint and plaster that dripped down. He was broke because the pope wouldn't pay him until after he is finished, and the pope kept coming in to check his progress and telling him to hurry up. Four years later, he finally finished. Did Michelangelo like the pope? Not one bit. But you can't insult the pope, he could excommunicate you. He could destroy your artistic career. But Michelangelo had a plan. How do artists express themselves? Through their work. Although no one knows exactly when, one day when doing mass, the pope looked up, and what should he see positioned directly above him?

Sistine Chapel by Michelangelo

That's right. Michelangelo painted God mooning the pope. To begin with, it wasn't appropriate at all for the bottom of feet to be visible, but for a butt--God's butt, no less--to be seen was *gasp* terrible! Why isn't this in history books? Well, for one because it's inappropriate. For two, because it wasn't discovered until late. As soon as he saw it, the pope had an artist paint over it. It wasn't until recent painters were cleaning the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel that they found it. Not just cleaning, but chipping off all the previous touch-ups. X-raying the plaster over this piece, they found that it had been touched up. After chipping off a few layers, they finally found what Michelangelo had originally painted.
I don't know about you, but now I don't think I'll ever be able to think about the Sistine Chapel without laughing just a little.

Altogether, mom, I think I'm learning a lot of new things at college! =)