The Ecstasy and More Ecstasy
My Maiden visit to Rome
S Sivakumar, October 2007
The Man
“Itwasinthemarrowofhisbonestocreateonlythefinesthecouldproduce;tocreatefarbeyondhisabilitiesbecausehecouldbecontentwithnothingthatwasnotnew,fresh,different,apalpableextensionofthewholeoftheart.Hehadnevercompromisedwithquality;hisintegrityasamanandanartistwastherockonwhichhislifewasbuilt.Ifhesplitthatrockbyindifference,bygivinglessthantheexhaustingbestofhimself,ifhewerecontentmerelytogetby,whatwasleftofhim?”
ThatwasMichelangelo,inIrvingStone’s‘TheAgonyandtheEcstasy’,SistineChapel.
“AndMichelangeloknew,justasclearlyashehadknownanythinginhislife, thatnothingwouldsufficeforhisvaultbut
Genesis
itself,are-creationoftheuniverse.WhatnoblerworkofartcouldtherebethanGod’screatingofthesun andmoon,thewaterandtheearth,theevolvingofman,ofwoman?HewouldcreatetheworldinthatSistineceilingasthoughitwerebeingcreatedforthe firsttime.Therewasathemetoconquerthatvault!Theonlyonethatcouldsooverwhelmitthatallofitsuglinessandclumsyarchitecturewouldvanishas thoughitneverexisted,andinitsplacewouldcomethegloryofGod’sarchitecture.”
The Dream
“Hewasdeterminedtogetateeminghumanityupontheceiling,aswellasGod Almightywhocreatedit;mankindportrayedinitsbreathlessbeauty,itsweaknesses,itsindestructiblestrengths;GodinHisabilitytomakeallthings possible.Hemustprojectathrobbing,meaningfulvitalitythatwouldinverttheuniverse;thevaultwouldbecomethereality,theworldofthoselookingatitwouldbecomeillusion.”
“Hevisualizedthateveryoneofthefigureswouldlookasthoughtheycouldmoverightoffthatceilingandcomedowntoearth.”“,staringstraightup.Paintdrippedontohisface,themoistureofthewetplaster oozedoutanddrippedinhiseyes.Hisarmsandbacktiredquicklyfromthestrainoftheunnaturalposition.”
IwantedtoseethisSistineCeilingintheVaticanCityeversinceIread‘The AgonyandtheEcstasy’(thebiographicalnovelonMichelangelo)byIrvingStone,justafterwritingmyXStdexamsin1976.
Eventuallymydreamwasfulfilledearlierthismonth.Itwasecstasyandmoreecstasyformealltheway…
Bytheway,thisbookisoneofmyalltimefavourites.AsIre-readthenovel,Icametodeeplyappreciatethestrugglethatgoesinto“creation”ofanykind.
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