Michael Angelo,
hearing this, came out; and, although it was some fifteen years since he
had touched the chisel, yet he set himself so earnestly to his task that
in a few months he carved all the statues now to be seen in the sacristy
of San Lorenzo, urged on more by fear than by love.(50) It is true that
none of these statues have received their last touches; nevertheless, they
are carried so far that the excellence of the workmanship can be very well
seen; nor does the lack of finish impair the perfection and the beauty of
the work.
XLV. The statues are four, placed in a sacristy erected for this purpose
on the left of the church opposite the old sacristy; and although each
figure balances the other in design and general shape, nevertheless, they
are quite different in form, idea, and action. The sarcophagi are placed
against the side walls, and above their lids recline two figures, larger
than life--that is to say, a man and a woman, signifying Day and Night; and
by the two of them Time, that consumes all things. And in order that his
idea might be better understood, he gave to the Night, who was made in the
form of a woman of a marvellous beauty, an owl and other symbols suitable
to her; similarly to the Day, his signs; and for the signification of Time
he intended to carve a rat, because this little animal gnaws and consumes,
just as Time devours, all things. He left a piece of marble on the work
for it, which he did not carve, as he was afterwards prevented.
Pages:
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66