In The Presence of Greatness

We saw something incredible today. It wasn't a surprise or anything. It was a Michelangelo sculpture in a museum and one of the things people come to Florence for. But I wasn't ready for what a powerful experience that would be. I don't know much about art, but you don't need to do more than just pay attention to appreciate this piece of work.

The statue is in the museum of the Duomo, where they took much of the original artwork from the cathedral when it was renovated. It's a statue Michelangelo was making for his tomb. He was 80 when he did it, and frustrated with his diminished abilities and a fault he found in the marble after working on it for 8 years (bummer!), as evidenced by the missing parts where he smashed it. It's called Pieta, though it's not the other famous Pieta that's in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome, and also called the Deposition or Florence Pieta.

This was one of the things that Ronnie really wanted to see here, and I could see why. I lack the words to describe the power of this sculpture. It's huge, maybe 8 feet tall, and the Christ figure is beautifully finished (aside from the smashed off part) while the rest of it is rough. I cannot conceive of the skill it takes to make a piece of marble look the way Michelangelo does. It's beyond anything I've ever seen. According to the plaque at the museum, the face of Nicodermus, the hooded guy holding the body, is a self-portrait. I found that to be poignant and haunting, and I had no trouble sitting there and looking at if for a long time while Ronnie alternately soaked it in and photographed it. She said she'd seen it on slides in Art History but while seeing a painting on slides is one thing, it does little to prepare you for the dimensionality and physicality of sculpture. I knew there was a good reason I didn't take Art History (as opposed to the actual reason which can most charitably be described as a lack of curiosity that I regret but is probably not unusual for teenage boys.)

We went into the Duomo itself afterwards. There was nothing particularly interesting, but I like being in those huge spaces. In the renaissance, there seems to have been a spirit of "let's see how big we can make this sucker." In the museum we saw an exhibit of how they physically managed to build the dome, which was incredible in its own right. How do you get the curve just right so it all meets in the center? How do you get those big rocks all the way up there? And more mysteriously, how did the Romans do things like it in 200 BCE?

After that we walked around a bit and had lunch (I had grilled veggies and brie cheese on foccacia- yum!) and then Ronnie took me clothes shopping at Zegna, a designer we both like. It was really hot in there (and outside) and it was no fun putting on one shirt after another (and I'd like to think they clean them before someone else tries them on, but I kind of doubt it. Sorry I was so sweaty next man, whoever you are). But I found a few that both looked good and didn't feel uncomfortable if I reached up like I do when I write on the board. I am a practical sort, after all. Then we walked across a couple of bridges, including Ponte Vecchio, which seems more like a mall than a bridge, is not romantic in the slightest, and I think is only famous because it's old.

After we got back, I had to send a fax, so I headed off to the internet place, which was the first thing in Florence that was actually farther than it looked on the map. It was called BanglaNet and it was run by a nice couple from Bangladesh. The fax got done, I got to shop at a new supermarket on the way back, made dinner and now it's almost 11.

I'll do photos tomorrow. For tonight I just wanted to get things down before being overwhelmed by the Ufizzi Gallery tomorrow.