Michelangelo’s Statues of Moses and David
See Michelangelo's Moses at the Basilica of St. Peter in Chains
<<< Go back to Part 2: Entering St. Peters Basilica
[Note that if you are only interested in a tour of the Vatican in Rome, Italy, and if Michelangelo's Pieta has not prompted you to want to view more of Michelangelo's sculpture in Rome, then you can just skip this article and move to the next article in this series. Just use the forward link above to go to the next article, which discusses the interior of St. Peter's Basilica and its altar.]
Michelangelo's Statue of Moses
For those who wish to know about and to see another of Michelangelo’s religious sculptures, in addition to the Pieta in St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, you should see his sculpture of Moses. Of course, you should also see his statue of David, as well, which is in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy. Seeing the Moses will involve a side trip elsewhere in Rome. To be clear, the Moses is not near the Vatican, and it is not an easy walking distance away either.
However, your side trip will be well rewarded. The Moses sculpture is large and absolutely stunning. In addition, it is right in front of you and you can get within ten feet, and you can see it from somewhat different angles.
I highly recommend taking a special side trip to the the Basilica de San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, where you will find Michelangelo's Moses sculpture. The Basilica de San Pietro in Vincoli translates as "the basilica or church of Saint Peter in Chains." The Basilica de San Pietro in Vincoli is a relatively small church that is situated out of the way, and you would not come upon it by accident. We had to ask several people where it was, when we were trying to find it. However, the good news was that everybody we asked seemed to know the directions to San Pietro in Vincoli, so we eventually found it.
One thing I found to be very impressive about the Moses sculpture is that is it huge and "right there." You are not kept very far away from it and can move from side to side to view it and study it. After viewing it for a full fifteen minutes, I still wanted to linger, and I would have stayed longer had others in my group not been in a hurry to see other things in Rome.
Michelangelo's Statue of David
And, while I have taken a mental excursion away from our tour of Vatican City, let me just mention something about the other “must see” Michelangelo statue in Italy. Of course, I am talking about none other than the David. Housed in its own museum in Florence, Italy, the David is another stunning demonstration of Michelangelo’s artistic capabilities. Incidentally, you must arrange for a tour and/or tickets and a time to see the David, because obviously seeing the David is always in demand.
If you get to the opportunity to go to Florence, expect to see some other sculptures in the Accademia Gallery, including partial sculptures that demonstrate Michelangelo's technique, Nevertheless, the central focus of the museum is the David, which stands tall in its own rotunda. I will not try to describe the David artistically, because my poor words are inadequate to the photograph below on this page.
Michelangelo's David in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy.
However, I do want to point out something about Michelangelo’s David that does not usually come through when you view photos of The David on a website like this or in good quality photographic books. The David is about 20 feet high including a pedestal upon which it stands. You are able to walk around it and see it from all viewpoints. However, the rotunda is relatively small and proportional to the size of the sculpture. You can only see the David from a greater distance from the couple of galleries that lead into the central rotunda. Therefore, most of your viewing experience is from relatively close and from an acute angle looking upward.
Detail of the Face and Eyes of Michelangelo's David in the Accademia Gallery in Florence, Italy.
What struck me in viewing the David sculpture in person from below was the intensity of David’s eyes. While this intensity does not really come through in standard photos, it does if you are looking up at the statue. Michelangelo captured in marble not just the physical beauty of the human form, he also captured the spirit of a human being that is shown through the eyes. Doing this is an incredible artistic challenge and is a testament to the artistic mastery of Michelangelo.
When you look up into David’s eyes, you do not see any fear. While David was a mere youth facing down his opponent, Goliath, his enemy’s huge champion. This is not a contest between the strong and the weak. In David’s eyes, you see the confidence and determination of a young man who believes that he can and will be successful. This is a David that no opponent would want to meet on any battlefield. The story is told of a child meeting and defeating a giant. This statute tells the story of the champion and king of the Jewish people who will not be defeated.
Finally, a bit of an apology for discussing The Moses sculpture and The David sculpture, on a website about the Vatican and its museums. Yes, neither or these statues is in the Vatican City. Nevertheless, for any trip to Rome or to Italy for anyone with either a religious interest and/or an artistic interest, you should not leave Italy without having seen all three, The Vatican, The Moses, and The David. Both Moses and David are central characters in the Bible, who come alive in stone through these two statues better than any other artworks in the world.
<<< Go back to Part 2: Entering St. Peters Basilica
