Michelangelo's most famous work in Rome has to be his painted ceiling in the stunning Sistine Chapel and any art-lovers who have found a villa in Rome are sure to seek it out to see for themselves. However, the great artist personally most loved to work as a sculptor, freeing figures he imagined were trapped inside blocks of marble, waiting to be born at his hands. As he was a great favourite in Rome and the Church was one of his best patrons, there are also some wonderful sculpted works by Michelangelo to be discovered around the city, as well. So, if you are planning a vacation in Rome, be sure to check those out too and to see how incredibly talented he was at mimicking the folds and flesh and shape of the human form in stone.
A brilliant example of one of his wonderful sculpted works, hidden away in a lesser-known gem of a church in Rome is his figure of Moses in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. Commissioned in 1505 by Pope Julius II for his tomb, the work was not actually completed until 1545, despite the fact that the pope passed away in 1513. Originally, the tomb's ornamentation was meant to be much more elaborate and the figure of Moses was intended as part of a massive 47-statue, free-standing funeral monument with Moses opposite a sculpture of St Paul. The full-scale original design was never completed but we do have the beautiful central figure of Moses, which was finished and is surrounded by several other statues inside an elegant architectural setting, to admire.
The sculpture of Moses depicts the Old Testament figure and saviour as he is described in chapter 34 of Exodus in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible used at that time, with horns on his head. He has a beautiful face and a full beard with glossy, flowing locks. An idealised and muscular figure, surrounded by draperies and with a serious expression, he is dignified and divine. His right arm is draped over the tablet with the Commandments.
Located in this lesser-known gem of a church on the Oppian Hill, near the Cavour metro station, a short distance from the Colosseum, this magnificent work is a must-see for Michelangelo fans and art-lovers who have found a vacation rental in Rome and are exploring the Italian capital.
The sculpture of Moses depicts the Old Testament figure and saviour as he is described in chapter 34 of Exodus in the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible used at that time, with horns on his head. He has a beautiful face and a full beard with glossy, flowing locks. An idealised and muscular figure, surrounded by draperies and with a serious expression, he is dignified and divine. His right arm is draped over the tablet with the Commandments.
Located in this lesser-known gem of a church on the Oppian Hill, near the Cavour metro station, a short distance from the Colosseum, this magnificent work is a must-see for Michelangelo fans and art-lovers who have found a vacation rental in Rome and are exploring the Italian capital.
Photo credit: Jörg Bittner Unna / CC BY 3.0
