Did Michelangelo Destroy His Sculpture ‘The Deposition’?

Did Michelangelo Destroy His Sculpture ‘The Deposition’?
A conservator carefully cleans the "Bandini Pietà," one of Michelangelo's unfinished sculptures. Claudio Giovannin/Courtesy of Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore
Lorraine Ferrier
Updated:

It’s the middle of the 16th century. Sparks fly every which way as Michelangelo, at around 75 years old, furiously carves Christ, Nicodemus, the Virgin Mary, and St. Mary Magdalene into a piece of marble over 7 feet tall.

Michelangelo rendered Christ as he had just fallen from the cross. There’s a palpable dynamic energy to the piece titled “The Deposition” that makes one almost hold one’s breath as the three surrounding figures all attempt to steady Christ’s lifeless body. Nicodemus towers compassionately over the composition, trying to prop up Christ while seemingly allowing the Virgin Mary to bid her son farewell. Christ’s right arm wraps around a rather diminutive St. Mary Magdalene.

Lorraine Ferrier
Lorraine Ferrier
Author
Lorraine Ferrier writes about fine arts and craftsmanship for The Epoch Times. She focuses on artists and artisans, primarily in North America and Europe, who imbue their works with beauty and traditional values. She's especially interested in giving a voice to the rare and lesser-known arts and crafts, in the hope that we can preserve our traditional art heritage. She lives and writes in a London suburb, in England.
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