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About Michelangelo's NoseThe Sculptor's Broken Nose and Its Effect on His Life and Art
When the Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo was in his teens, his rival Torrigiano crushed his nose, affecting the great sculptor's life and career.
When Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo Buonarroti, born in 1475, was about 15, he had a violent encounter with sculptor Pietro Torrigiano, his fellow student at an art academy in Florence. The encounter resulted in damage to Michelangelo's nose that had a continuing influence on Michelangelo's life and, arguably, on the history of art itself. Michelangelo and Lorenzo de MediciIn 1490, Lorenzo, called Il Magnifico, "The Magnificent," was one of the wealthiest, most powerful men in Florence. He was also a patron of the arts and sponsored the art academy Michelangelo was attending. One day while walking in the garden of his art museum, San Marco, Lorenzo saw young Michelangelo making a marble copy of a sculpture of an ancient satyr that the boy had found in a shed. Lorenzo was so impressed that he took Michelangelo into his own household. Lorenzo gave the boy a room of his own, an allowance and provided for his necessities. He also saw to it that Michelangelo continued his studies in sculpting. Michelangelo and TorrigianoMichelangelo was renowned for his sharp, critical temperament. His fellow student Torrigiano was also temperamental and was frequently in brawls. One day when the students were copying frescoes in the chapel of a church, Michelangelo was unstinting in his criticism of every other students' work. Torrigiano finally had enough of it and punched Michelangelo's nose with such force that he crushed it, permanently marring the great artist's face. Torrigiano was a senior student, and his powerful blow knocked young Michelangelo cold. The boy was so unresponsive when friends carried him back to his residence that they feared he was mortally wounded. Torrigiano's Life after the IncidentLorenzo was furious with Torrigiano, who left Florence, afraid of what Lorenzo would do to him. Torrigiano continued his career as sculptor, but was known all his life as the man who had disfigured the great, revered Michelangelo. Torrigiano's life after the incident of Michelangelo's nose went badly. Working in Spain, Torrigiano did a work representing Saint Jerome. The patron who commissioned the piece refused to pay Torrigiano what he thought it was worth, and the artist flew into a rage and destroyed the work. For this destruction of the image of a saint, he was accused by the inquisition and condemned to death. Michelangelo's Life with His Damaged NoseMichelangelo soon regained consciousness and before long returned to his studies. However, for the rest of his life he was haunted by the image of his own damaged face. He was particularly bothered by Leonardo da Vinci, who was younger than Michelangelo. The young Leonardo was arguably as gifted as Michelangelo, and Leonardo's near-perfect face seemed to make Michelangelo even more painfully aware of his own damaged one. Michelangelo's Old AgeEspecially as he grew older, Michelangelo lived almost as a hermit except when his work as painter and sculptor brought him into contact with others. Never of a very happy temperament, he grew morose and ironic as he aged. Michelangelo seemed obsessed by his own ruined image, doing a number of self-portraits throughout his life. He often sculpted or painted himself as some minor character in his commissioned works. He died in 1564, almost eighty-nine, leaving a legacy of some of the world's greatest art and of his personal image as the great artist with the damaged nose. Sources:
The copyright of the article About Michelangelo's Nose in Renaissance Art is owned by George Stephen Murray. Permission to republish About Michelangelo's Nose in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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