The midsummer of Italian art . He is borne through the airby a superhuman volition, requiring neither wingsnor feet for locomotion. In the second, larger division appears the Creationof Light, represented by a large white semicirclewhich the Almighty touches with outstretched handas he flies swiftly through space. A figure attiredin fluttering drapery, probably representing dark-ness, disappears before him like a cloud after thegale, and three youthful spirits are partially hiddenin his mantle. This is the grandest of the series,and if the superhuman has been adequately repre-sented since the
The midsummer of Italian art . He is borne through the airby a superhuman volition, requiring neither wingsnor feet for locomotion. In the second, larger division appears the Creationof Light, represented by a large white semicirclewhich the Almighty touches with outstretched handas he flies swiftly through space. A figure attiredin fluttering drapery, probably representing dark-ness, disappears before him like a cloud after thegale, and three youthful spirits are partially hiddenin his mantle. This is the grandest of the series,and if the superhuman has been adequately repre-sented since the time of Phidias, it is in this fresco. The meaning of the next division is uncertain,but it may refer to the creation of the moon andstars, or to the separation of land and water. TheAlmighty appears flying toward the spectator; avariation from the preceding more in attitude thanin motive. His attitude, however, has a signifi-cance, for it introduces us to the next scene, wherewe find Adam just waking to life on the edge of a. IL PENSERO, BY MICHELANGELO {In Medici Chapel) Church of S. Lorenzo, Florence The Works of Michel A ngelo. 105 cliff which represents the earth. He is still tooweak to hold out his arm, which rests upon hisbended knee, as the Almighty extends his hand toendow him with vitality. The design in this in-stance is largely imitated from the doors of Ghiberti,but amplified and filled with a potent energy whichGhiberti knew not of. The Almighty is attendedby a host of youthful spirits, who crowd within hismantle and look out from it with faces full of joyousdevotion. The contrast between this group, so fullof elevated power, and the dreamy lassitude ofAdams condition, whose attitude is like that of oneawakening from prolonged slumber, is the moreeffective from its perfect naturalness. The figureof Adam is typical of a strong, vigorous man, mus-cular without exaggeration, but his features thoughpleasing are more characteristic than regular. In the fifth division t
Size: 1274px × 1962px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookauthorstearnsf, bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, bookyear1911
