mosey mcmoses

Another sculpture, omg so typical; hate me forever, but this one is a goodun.

So around this time two years ago, I was just about to start sixth form. The biggest amalgam ever of emotions was leaping around in my stomach- I was nervous, I was excited, but most of all, I had absolutely no idea what to expect.

I started history of art, having always been interested in art but never particularly knowing that much about it, and Moses was the very first sculpture that we looked at as a class.

With a scant knowledge of art historical terms, I looked at this with the freshest of eyes. If you yourself know nothing about art, then you can empathise. However with this in mind, you can still sense a brooding attitude through the way michelangelo has manipulated the marble; everything about Moses' demeanour screams movement. He clutches at his beard, his right leg pushes back ready to stand up, he holds on to the tablet of law- this is one pissed off mega man. Even from just looking at the sculpture once, you can gage Moses' anger, his monumentality and thus his power. So why was this sculpture commissioned, it's great that there's a lot of movement going on, and that he's strong, built and ripped, but why? What's the point?

Julius the second's papacy ran from 1503-1513. He was a strong character, and he liked to portray himself in this way, too. He liked to see himself as an 'art connoisseur', and he commissioned some of the world's greatest art work: Raphael's 'The School of Athens', and Bramante's 'St. Peters', although this particular building was the work of many architects. ANYWAY- Julius was very concerned with how the everyman saw him- he wanted to be equated to the biblical icon and also roman river god of Moses. Moses is both calm and strong, wise and angry, and possesses the characteristic, 'terribilita'- which basically means someone who is incredible, awe inspiring and heroic but you also wouldn't want to piss them off.

And so Julius, being the great pope he was, was also thinking ahead towards the end of not just his papacy, but his life. It was not who was going to remember him when he had died that was his concern, but how great of a legacy he would leave behind. aka- opulence, marble and a hella big tomb, which Michelangelo was commissioned to build. It was to be a great mausoleum, to rival that of St Peter's tomb, (St. Peter was the first pope); evidently, modesty and humility were not on his agenda. Originally, he wanted a free standing, three storey building with 40 sculptures all over it- a completely unrealistic, fantastical idea from the ever so slightly idealistic, arrogant leader. However, this is all context, and beside the point of why 'Moses' is tha bomb.com

Moses is huge. Like seriously big. We're talking 2.35 metres tall, plus he's elevated. that's pretty monumental. And I think that's part of why we feel so 'wo' when you see him in the flesh, and is what Julius wanted you to think- dayum Moses is so intimidating but also powerful, Julius must be like this too #nsync- you have to look up to see him.

So why does he look so angry, why has Michelangelo gone into such great depth to convey such anger and frustration? Moses led the israelites into the promised land (parting of the red sea n all that). When they got there, God summoned Moses to Mount Sinai where he gave him the 10 commandments, which we can see that he clutches in his hand. However, which this was happening, Moses glimpsed the israelites worshipping the golden calf, not god. Michelangelo captures this moment of subliminal anger as he begins to rise to his feet- the virtuosic finish of the marble catches the light and increases the theatricality of the entire sculpture, something which increases the pleasure and satisfaction in viewing it perhaps. 

The horns which you can see on Moses' head come from the mistranslated hebrew word for  'rays', yet this is an attribute which recognises Moses as a roman river god. Again, Julius piles on the stacked ab effect that he wanted to have- not actually he himself being ripped, obvs- but omnipotent, intimidating, bold. 

I think what drew me to Moses was the fact that Stendhal said this sculpture was enough to honour Julius' life- and that's a pretty big statement to make- one sculpture enough to honour the accomplishments and achievements of a pope, pretty cool. Not only this, but there's something so alive about this sculpture, he really does look like as if he's about to get up and bollock the israelites- he looks like my mum when she sees my brother through the crack of the living room door on his 8th hour of Call of Duty. The skill of michelangelo in this also is just unparallelled, he is by far my favourite renaissance sculptor, and I would even say artist in general- and 'Moses' is testament to his artistic skill and creative vision. What a guy. I think as I myself am into the whole acting thing, I see this as a piece of theatre in itself- its transcendent, compelling and so full of life and vivacity- 

The song 'Limit to your love' by James Blake was chosen by myself as to go with this piece. I chose it for four reasons- 1- it speaks of people who have boundaries on their love, they are fickle with it and it only goes so far, it shifts and shapes. This reflects the Israelites in this situation, they leave turmoil due to the helps of one man, yet they then refute this and are prepared to follow something else. 2- the song itself is like 3 songs in one, it changes itself, different tones, different beats, Blake occasionally distorts the sounds making them sound longer, then goes back to the original melody, its a piece of art in itself. 3- I love James Blake and his voice is dreamy af 4- there's something both still about the song, but it also has a clear movement that carries the piece throughout the entirety of it, that is always there, but never always apparent- again, similar to Moses- sometimes you think its all about anger and hatred and fury, yet other times I look it at him and I just think, you're just so confused as to why they've done this, and how people have the capacity to do what they've done, and will continue to do. 

Annnnd so yes, Moses is great, I hope you think so too, and seriously, listen to the song with it when you look at it; its so so good. 

Keep it humble, don't be like Julius.