Decoding History: Artistic Insights into Past Eras

In what ways can artists deepen our understanding of the times in which they live?

“The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance,” –Aristotle Through imagination and skill, artist lure select audiences into different minds and creative worlds, provoking a deeper understanding of events, ideas, and communities of previous eras. Michelangelo, for example, offers insight into religious, social, and political situations of the western world. By decoding two of his most iconic pieces—the statue of David and the Sistine Chapel—we gain a larger context for the fourteenth century Renaissance: stressing themes of humanism, patronage, and more.

Perhaps fundamental to Michelangelo’s style is his

Thus, he created forceful, dynamic figures, almost separated from the outside world. By nature, Michelangelo appeared arrogant, dissatisfied, and melancholy [5]. This mood typically shines through his works—solitary bodies, somber faces, relaxed postures. By withdrawing himself from the company of men, he managed to focus more on the individualistic, masculine qualities of his sculptures. For example, David’s body—standing in a nude contrapposto—refers to images of classical antiquity (i.e. Hercules). The figure’s right leg assumes the majority of the weight, allowing the rest of the body to freely engage in something more complex. The right hand, gripping the stone, appears to tense; and his eyes dart left, suggesting sight of the beast, Goliath, to which the body follows the direction of the head and swerves around. Michelangelo demonstrates immense knowledge of the human body and its measures—the muscles, skeletal structure—that were previously unknown [6]. For years, in fact, he dissected human bodies to comprehend their internal mechanics: “There is no animal whose anatomy he would not dissect and he worked on so many human anatomies that those who have spent their lives at it and made it their profession hardly knows as much as he does,” [7]. The

Although he initially resisted this commission—on the grounds that he was a sculptor and not a painter—Pope Julius eventually offered enough money where Mike caved. Michelangelo’s “modest scheme of twelve apostles in niches” [10] from the book of Genesis is “an act of worship and proclamation,” rather than an expression of form or intellect [11]. In the Creation of Adam, for example, the image of God and Adam’s near-touching hands depicts a man’s relationship to God and serves as a symbol of humanity [12]. Adam, seemingly indifferent, extends a drooping hand to God, who outstretches a powerful, masculine arm from the sky, surrounded by angels and a red cloak that strangely resembles a human brain [6]. This potentially suggests that God attempts to impart divine knowledge onto man; or, perhaps, it is a subtle jab at the church’s rejection of science. In addition, a set of Kabbalistic messages are hidden within figures whose poses spell out letters in the Hebrew alphabet. For example, David and Goliath form the Jewish letter “gimel,” which symbolizes strength [6]. This serves as an attempt to bridge Judaism and Catholicism at a time when Christianity dominated. Despite investing four years in completing the ceiling panels, Michelangelo disliked his patron, Pope Julius II [13]. In fact, the pope’s aggressive tactics and fight for power earned him the