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Bacchus by Michelangelo

3/4/2020

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Bacchus by Michelangelo in the Bargello Museum
Where? Room 3 on the ground floor of the Bargello Museum
When? 1496-1497
Commissioned by? Raffaele Riario, a cardinal and art collector.

​What do you see? A life-like statue of the Roman god Bacchus. He is naked and standing with a large cup of wine in his right hand. He has curly hair made up of grapes and a wreath of ivy leaves in his hair. The effects of drinking the wine are visible in the expression of his face and his unstable pose. Bacchus seems to be looking at the cup, but his eyes are rolling. His unstable pose can be seen best from the right side as illustrated in the drawing of Maarten van Heemskerck of this statue in the garden of its owner Jacopo Galli.

Bacchus is leaning somewhat backward with his shoulders pulled back and his belly pointing forward. Interestingly, when we look from the left side, the body seems to be quite balanced. So, when walking around this statue, he sometimes seems to be out of balance and from other angles he seems quite stable.

In his left hand, Bacchus is holding a large bunch of grapes and a piece of animal skin that touches the rock-like base. You can see the face of the animal from the back of the statue and some have suggested that this is a wolf, though there are several other opinions on what animal it is. Behind his left leg is a tree trunk for the stability of the sculpture.

​Next to Bacchus is a young satyr, which is a male figure with a permanent erection and with the ears, horns, legs, and tail of a goat. The satyr is smiling an eating from the grapes.
Bacchus in Garden of Jacopo Galli's House by Maarten van Heemskerck
Bacchus in Garden of Jacopo Galli's House by Van Heemskerck
Backstory: Michelangelo started to work on this painting in July 1596 when he was 21 years old. Cardinal Raffaele Riario commissioned the statue. He had earlier bought a statue from Michelangelo, called Sleeping Cupid. But after he bought it, he discovered that the statue was not an antique one as was told to him, but rather a statue created by Michelangelo (the statue is now lost). ​​Nevertheless, Riario’s interest in Michelangelo’s talents was triggered, and he commissioned him to make a statue of Bacchus.
However, upon completion, Riario rejected the statue. While it is not clear why he rejected the statue, it was probably because it was too radical. More specifically, it could be for reasons similar to other people who have criticized the statue, which include its uncommon pose, the vulgar face, and the somewhat unmanly body of Bacchus. It is interesting in itself that a cardinal commissioned such a pagan statue.

The statue was instead acquired by the banker Jacopo Galli to put it in his garden. Together with the famous Pietà statue in St. Peter’s Basilica, created between 1498 and 1499, Bacchus is the only statue by Michelangelo that survives from his early period in Rome.
The Pieta by Michelangelo in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome
Pietà by Michelangelo
Who is Bacchus? Bacchus is the Roman god of wine, intoxication, fertility, religious ecstasy, and drama. His equivalent in Greek mythology is Dyonisus. He is the son of Zeus, and there are different stories about who his mother is, but the most popular one is that his mother was Semele who was a mortal. Bacchus is often depicted with grapes, ivy leaves, wine, and satyrs (like in this sculpture).

Bacchus has been a source of inspiration for many artists in ancient Greece and during the Renaissance. For example, 
Titian made a painting on Bacchus and Ariadne which is in the National Gallery in London. Caravaggio also created a famous painting of Bacchus which is in the Uffizi Museum in Florence.
Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian in the National Gallery in London
Bacchus and Ariadne by Titian
Bacchus by Caravaggio in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence
Bacchus by Caravaggio
Who is Michelangelo? Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni (1475-1564) was an architect, painter, poet, and sculptor. He was born in the Republic of Florence. Except for short periods in Venice and Bologna during his teenage years, he spent the rest of his life in Florence and Rome. In 1596, Cardinal Riario invited him to Rome where he was commissioned to make the statue of Bacchus.

​While in Rome, he also completed the Pietà statue. In 1499 he moved back to Florence. He only returned to Rome in 1505 to work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. After finishing the ceiling, he moved back to Florence for 20 years, only to return to Rome in 1534 where he would soon start his work on the fresco of The Last Judgment. 
The Last Judgment by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel
The Last Judgment by Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel
The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
​Fun fact: The penis of Bacchus is missing. It seems to have been removed by a chisel rather than broken off. Also, the erection of the satyr, which was typical for him, is not present. Moreover, a hand of the statue had broken off (see the drawing of Van Heemskerck above) but was restored before 1553. It is unknown who removed some of these parts, but some people suggest that it could have been Michelangelo himself to make the statue look more like one from ancient Greece (where some of those body parts were often missing).

Michelangelo’s intention with this statue was indeed to create it in the style of the Greek antique statues, and he succeeded in this as this statue was regularly mistaken to be a statue from ancient Greece. Michelangelo wanted the statue to be in this ancient style to prove that at 21 years old he would already rival the famous ancient Greek sculptors. In that way, he could establish his reputation quickly.
​
Interested in a copy for yourself? Framed poster of statue (Amazon links).

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David (in bronze) by Donatello

9/27/2019

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David in bronze by Donatello in the Bargello Museum in Florence
Patrick A. Rodgers, CC BY-SA 2.0 
Where? Room 7 on the first floor of the Bargello Museum
When? Uncertain, but sometime between 1425 and 1455
Commissioned by? Cosimo de’ Medici
What do you see? A bronze statue of about 5 foot (150 cm) tall. David is nude, except for the military boots he is wearing and the shepherd’s hat with a wreath of laurel around it. He is sculpted as a young man with long curls and is not very muscular. David is calmly looking down, which is not exactly the pose we expect after the defeat of Goliath, and he is depicted in a somewhat androgynous way. For example, he has small breasts and from the back it is not clear what the gender of the statue is.

​David holds the sword of Goliath in his right hand and a stone in his left hand. He has his left foot on top of the head of Goliath. His eyes are gazing downward and, to increase the impact of Goliath’s look, the statue is placed on a pedestal so that the viewer can meet his gaze. The bearded Goliath still wears his helmet, which is decorated with cupids. You can see cupids in front of a chariot in which another cupid is sitting. The helmet also has feathered wings. David is standing with his right foot on the short right wing, and the left wing runs along the right leg of David all the way up to his groin (which you can see from the back only).
Statue of David in marble by Donatello in the Bargello Museum in Florence
David (in marble) by Donatello Sailko, CC BY-SA 3.0
​Backstory: In 1408-1409, Donatello also created a sculpture of David. This marble sculpture, however, is clothed and can also be found in the Bargello. According to Vasari, the pedestal for the bronze statue of David is probably created by Desiderio da Settignano. This statue is the oldest surviving bronze since antiquity. Bronze was perceived to be the most precious metal after gold, and therefore it was considered to be a special statue. ​
David and Goliath: The story of David and Goliath is described in 1 Samuel 17. The Philistines were at war with Israel, and the giant Goliath challenged the Israelis to fight with him.

​If an Israeli would beat Goliath, the Philistines would become their servants, but if not, it would be the other way around. When none of the Israelis dared to fight him, the small David stood up. He declined to wear the armor of King Saul [though it does not say that he went out naked].

David went into the fight with a sling and five smooth stones and kills Goliath with a single throw. David then took the sword of Goliath and cut off his head. The story of David and Goliath has been an inspiration for many artists, including Michelangelo whose statue of David is in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence.
David by Michelangelo in the Galleria dell'Accademia in FlorencePicture
David by Michelangelo
Inscription: The base of this statue carried a Latin inscription, which can be translated as: “The victor is whoever defends the fatherland. God crushes the wrath of an enormous foe. Behold - a boy overcame a great tyrant! Conquer, O citizens! Kingdoms fall through luxury, cities rise through virtues. Behold the neck of pride, severed by the hand of humility.” This inscription was intended to remind the Medici family of how to reign Florence.
​
Symbolism: This statue symbolized the victory of humility (represented by David) over tyranny (represented by Goliath). The Medici family displayed this statue in the courtyard of the Medici Palace to remind them and others of their humility and strength, but also to justify potential violence against people who were against their regime. The statue was placed footsteps away from the famous Judith and Holofernes statue by Donatello which can now be admired in the Palazzo Vecchio. The cupids on the helmet of Goliath are a symbol of non-religious passion and are a reference to the pagan people who are defeated by God. The wreath of laurel on David’s head is an indication of his victory over Goliath.
Judith and Holofernes by Donatello in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence
Judith and Holofernes by Donatello
​Who is Donatello? Donato di Niccolò di Betto Bardi (c. 1386-1466), better known as Donatello, was born in Florence. He was a sculptor that was ahead of his time. He was initially trained in a workshop of a goldsmith. Early in his career he worked together with and learned from Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. He has created statues and reliefs using materials such as bronze, stone, wax, and wood. Together with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Raphael, he is considered to be one of the four greatest artists of the Renaissance.

Fun fact: It is assumed that Donatello was homosexual and some people argue that he created this nude statue of David deliberately in a daring erotic posture. The left wing of the helmet that runs all the way up the right leg of David until the groin is interpreted as another sign that this is a homoerotic statue.

​Homosexuality, however, was forbidden during that time in 
Florence, but Donatello’s good friend Cosimo de’ Medici defended him from insults and the law. Cosimo was known to appreciate very talented artists and therefore he overlooked some of the bad behaviors that they may display.
Interested in a copy for yourself? Poster, canvas, or statue (Amazon links).

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