Michael Angelo's Leda hung at
Fontainebleau until the time of Louis XIII., when a Minister of State, M.
Desnoyers, ordered its destruction, as it seemed to him to be an improper
picture. Pierre Mariette informs us that the picture was only hidden away,
and that it reappeared and was seen by him. It was restored and sent to
England. In the offices of the National Gallery is the best edition of
this picture. The head and arm are repainted, but the thigh and hip are
modelled in a magnificent style that reminds us of the figure of Night in
the Medician tombs that he was at this very time carving. From the power
of this portion of the work we may assume that it is the damaged and much
restored original by Michael Angelo.
[Image #38]
THE HEAD OF THE DAWN
THE NEW SACRISTY, SAN LORENZO, FLORENCE
(_By permission of the Fratelli Alinari, Florence_)
Vasari informs us that about this time "he began a statue, of three
cubits, in marble. It was an Apollo drawing a shaft from his quiver. This
he nearly finished. It stands now in the chamber of the Prince of
Florence, a thing of rare beauty, though not quite completed." This work
was presented by the artist to Baccio Valori, the powerful agent of the
Medici. It is now in one of the upper rooms of the Bargello, in Florence.
The rough hatchings of the chisel lines are everywhere visible; the figure
is palpitating with life under a veil of hewn marble; the pose of the
young god as he glides along and turns his head over his shoulder is one
of the most beautiful and graceful Michael Angelo ever imagined.
Pages:
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213
214
215