The Agony and the Ecstasy

This is a historical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti from when he was a 13 year old seeking an
apprenticeship to his death at the age of 89.

As a small child, he lived near a stone quarry and was taught as a stonecutter how to use
the hammer and chisel. He learned that the stone is the master not the carver. For although
Michelangelo is most well known for his Sistine Chapel, it is marble sculpture that he loved.

I admired Michelangelo's courage to be different. He loved the beauty of the male body.
Contemporaries robed their statues but he returned to the Greek nude. Also, he was not content
to just copy what he saw; he desired to put emotion into his work.His love for his mother who
died when he was six, is reflected in his madonnas. The colossal David, portrayed in his decision
to fight Goliath, shows both courage and fear.

I also liked his perfectionism. An aquaintance of his commented that Michelangelo hadn't
left anything for future artists to improve upon. However, Michelangelo surpassed even this
praise. His last sculpture of the descent of Christ from the cross was roughly finished but the
sculpture still showed the anguish of that moment. Polish and flawlessness are not prerequisites
for great art. This last sculpture prophecied of the abstract which would follow some day.

It would be advantageous to have taken an Italian art history course before reading this
novel as names are plenteous. I also wondered at times, whose thoughts were being recorded-
Michelangelo or Stone's? This is a problem with historical novels where truth is mixed with
imagination. I was comforted to know though that Stone had access to Michelangelo's letters
and the bibliography is extensive. As well, I did find some grammatical errors such as the
longest sentence I've ever seen. I did not at like the graphic dissection chapters though I did gain
a respect for the pioneers of anatomy. Despite this lack of flawlessness, I found that Stone is a
genius in recreating men in their own time and culture. I felt as though I was back in Renaissance
Italy following this famous Tuscan. Stone spent considerable time researching Michelangelo and
there is clearly a deep understanding for the art and the artist.