The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-02-28
MICHAEL ANGELO.
Scholarly and Entertaining Lecture In
the University Extension Course by
Professor Warren of Colby-Life and
Works of the Great Florentine Painter
and Sculptor

and sculptor.
In the rooms of the Society of Art last
evening, Professor Laban E. Warren, of
Colby, lectured on Michael Angelo, this
being the. second lof the University Ex-
| tension series, which Professor Warren
is delivering here. Although Bowdoin
and Colby established their university
extension courses some time ago, Pro-
| lessor Warren is the first leader of this
| movement to come to Portland.
The subject last evening was the work
of Michael Angelo, although Professor
Warren preceded this subject by a brief
summary of the monuments of early
italian art.
Michael Angelo was born in 1475. AL
though contemporary of Raphael, their
works present the most striking con-
trasts. Raphael worshipped beauty;
Michael Angelo strength. Raphael lived
a short and happy life; Angelo began
long and stormy life by quarrel,ng with
his own father. Raphael excelled in one
branch of art; Angelo is famous in the
annals Of painting, sculpture, patriotism
and song.
Michael Angeles family was one of the
most distinguished in Florence, but in
that age aristocracy was not incompati-
BILE with commercial pursuits. Michael
Angelo, at school developed only faoul-
ty for drawing, and in spite of the stren-
uous objections of his father he persist
ed in this prediction. So, at the age Of
IA he was bound out to one Of the most
distinguished painters of Italy. He soon
surpassed his master, and began to show
his preference for subjects involving
| strength and vigor.
| The patronage of Lorenzo DeMedici
| became an aid to Angelo. By this time
| he had begun to show his genius for
| sculpture, and did for his patron fawn
| in marble.
Lorenzo died in 1892. and his son, not
| gaining the confidence of the artist, drove
the latter from Florence. In 1895 the
artist returned, and completed his Sleep
ing Cupid. By the advice of a brother
artist this piece was buried in the earth
to give it antiquity, and then palmed off
on Roman connoisseur as an ancient
piece. This trick brought him to the
notice Of Rome. whether he now went.
To this period in Rome belongs his
Adonis, a beautiful statute which de-
| serves to be compared with works of au-
tiquity.
His Pieta, the only work on which
| Angelo inscribed his own name and
which is in St. Peters belongs also to
| this period.
| After five years in Rome he returned
to Florence, where the citizens were
anxious to have huge block of marble
| fashioned into a statue for public
| square. Other artists had failed, but
| Angelo undertook it, and after three
| years produced the statue of David, a
statue which a critic has described as
SURPRISING every statue, ancient or
modern. Prof Warren showed a fine
photograph of this statue, which has
now been removed from the square of
| Florence to covered place.
While at Florence at this time Angelo
devoted some time to painting. The
| Virgin of the Tribune, picture of little
beauty, is the only work of its kind ex-
| isting.
His contest with Leonardo Da Vinci
also belongs to this period of his life.
Da Vinci was great painter. Angelo at
that time could hardly be called such.
| Angelo took for his subject a scene in
the war with Pisa This painting, repre-
senting Florentine soldiers, leaving their
bath to prepare for battle, appealed to
Florentine patriotism and was very popu-
lar. 1t also possessed so great merits
that it entities him to take rank with the
great painters.
Angelo was summoned to Rome in 1905
to design tomb for the Pope of that
day. This work, through no fault of the
| artist, did not result successfully.
This work brings the career of the
artist up to the painting of the ceiling of
| the Sistine Chapel at Rome. Of this
famous ceiling Prof. Warren gave very
clear and interesting description, amply
illustrated with large photographs.
The caprices Of Angeles powerful
patrons, notably Pope Leo x, kept him
at work for long periods on great works
which, through the caprice of his pat
rons, never came to anything.
In 1870, in the time of Clement VII,
the artist was drawn into public affairs,
and taking the popular side, superintend-
ed the Notifications of Florence. After
spirited siege the city was taken and
many of it's leading people put to death.
Angelo escaped and the Pope pardoned
him on condition that he finish some
sculpture on his tomb.
The statues on the tomb of the Med
icis were the subject of one of the most
interesting, and most amply illustrated
portions of the lecture.
When over 10 years of age Angelo was
appointed architect of St. Peters church,
and this was the crowniug work of his
life. The dome was the fitting architec-
tual companion to his sculpture in the