The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-04-29

their own sport in watching him, as grad
ually the head began to appear, and grew
under his touch into real face with good
features
Then standing. watching the effect OF
each motion. He must be sarfonic-
fauns laughl' said the boy, as he gave an
upward turn with his finger TO the corner
of the mouth There! that IS not bad
and one can always do what one loves.
have drawn in the love of sculpture with
the milk of my nurse. Her husband Is
sculptor, and, from baby, | haveplayed
making statues"
Stepping back to get q good look at his
work, he ran against some one, and, to his
amazement, discovered it was the great
noble himself, who, followed by all his
guests, had entered the gallery the youth
fnl artists were decorating for them, while
they were so engaged as not to perceive
them.
They all stopped to comment on the
statues, and, approaching the faun, Lorenzo
said:
This is rather the work of one enter
ing upon the career of a master than the
attempt of novice. But, Michael, do
you know that this q statue Of an old faun,
and the old do not have all their teeth:
You have given him more than re have.
Is it not so, my friends:'
You are right, my Lord" and with
one stroke Michael knocked out tooth
and made the hollow in the gum which
showed its loss.
Every one was delighted with this intel
ligent and discriminating act and applaud
ed him with enthusiasm, shOwering praises
and prophecies of future fame on theyoung
sculptor.
Among the noble guests were his father
and his uncle, who had sternly discouraged
all Michael's attempts at art, and deemed
it an unworthy thing that the heir Of the
princely house of Canossa should handle the
sculptor's chisel even in sport. But now,
fiattered by the praise of Lorenzo, the
great patron of art. they looked smilingly
on, and Michael knew, as he rode home that
night with his austere relations. that his
long forbidden love of art could now be
INDUCED; the glory Of his boyhood'S
| dreams was to become the glory OF his
| life
Who can tell what forms of beauty and
visions of fame fitted through his excited
brain, wild with the delight OF Lorenzo's
notice:
Could he foresee the wonderful creations
which would make world stand in silent
admiration and awe:
Could he know that under the dome Of
St Peters at Rome, the most magnificent
| Christian temple on the earth, people Of
all nations would come to do him homage:
Let Us follow his career. At nineteen
he made beautiful group in marble Of
the dead Christ in His mothers lap. He
carved the colossal statue of the young
| David for the Ducal Palace of Florence.
He designed and in part completed, the
grand mausOleum for Julius IL, the
central figure of which is Moses, at which
he worked over forty years; and the reclin-
ing figures of Day and Night, Morning
and Evening, are 50 much admired that
they are to be reproduced on monument
soon to be erected TO Michael Angelo at
the scene of his labOrs.
There are but few paintings Of his on
canvas, for he is said to have had a con
tempt for easel pictures.
The Pope sent for him to come and dec
crate the walls of his chapel at the Eati-
can. The architects did not know how
to construct scaffoIding which would
enable him to reach the ceiling, and he in
vented one; and also curious paper cap,
which would hold a candle in the front
and thus leave his hands free to work at
night. He covered the ceilings with beau
| tiful paintings of scenes taken from the
Old Testament. Thirty years afterwarl
he painted on the end wall of the chapel
the wonderful picture of The LastJudg-
ment" Thousands of people visit it
every year and gaze on it with reverence
and wonder and delight, for it is one Of the
greatest pictures in the world.
St. Peters was the closing work Of his
life. Begun long before many artists had
worked upon it-many architects had
made plans for it; but it was left 10
| Michael Angelo to raise the dome and to
leave such a perfect model for its compile
ton that it now stands as the crowning
glory of his fame.
| And it was the work Of an old man. At
seventy other men generally lay down
| their life's labor, but he commenced the
painting of The Last Judgment" and
the building of St Peters was in progress
at the time of his death, when he was
ninety.
With all his great powers he was not
unmindful of little things Nothing was
too trivial for care. The designing of a
crucifix for lady's wear; the candelabra
| for the chapel; the costume of the Papal
Guard, still worn, show his minute attcn-
ton to detail. In all his works we see the
same intelligent thought that was mani
tested in the molding of the faun's mouth,
his boyhoods triumph
Nobly was the prediction of Lorenzo de
Medici fulfilled, that it was the work of
one entering upon the career ola master. -
In Michael Angelo, the great master of
art, who at ninety stood among the hon
ored of the world, ripened all the promise
of the boy who, more than seventy years
before, modelled the snow-face for an
l - ,l,a
lei palace.-EmiIy Noyss, in st. Nicholas