The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-04-16
THE STORY OF CIVILIZATION -
MicheIangeIO Starts Career of Art
Written for The Times By Will Durant

MATURE seldom makes great
l men singly, but rather in
groups Of two or three. The gradual
accumulation of traditions in the
methods and technique, through a
school of art or literature or
science, eliminates in a shower of
genius and achievement.
So is was in Greek drama, in
Florentine art, in Elizabethan liter
allure, and in German music; and in
some measure the figures i'll each
group are parallel: Aeschylus, Mich
elangelo, Shakespeare and Bach;
Sophocles, Raphael, Edmund Spen-
ser and Mozart; Euripic;es, Leonardo,
Bacon and Beethoven, through the
comparison limps at The close.
The last four are, marvellous and
profound, the second four are low
able and perfect; but the first four
are the supreme artists in the his
tory of our race.
Michelangelo Buonarotti was born
at Caprese in 1475. His father was
a politician Who wanted his son to
be villain. too, and ragged when he
heard that MichaeIS desires was to
be merely the greatest painter,
sculptor, and architect of modern
times. But at last he yielded, and
apprenticed his son to Ghirlandaio.
The usual stories come to us of
his precocity and skill, and even of
a certain clevernesS in worldly ways,
that left him along with his youth;
he copied ancient designs so we'll
that by Soiling the paper with his
fingers he was able to pass off his
copies as originals. Like Leonardo
he was left-handed but did his work
with the right hand, unless unusual
strength was demanded.
NTOW Lorenzo de- Medici had
IN gathered a great collection of
ancient statuary in ms rooms and
gardens, and conceived the hope Of
training some of the younger artists
of Florence by tutelage to these old
masterpieces, so that in their ma
turity they might make Florence
rival the glory of Athens.
He asked Ghirlandaio to send him
the best two among his pupils; the
two who we're chosen were Grancci
(of whom history says nothing
more, and Michelangelo, aged four
teen. In the gardens of Lorenzo the
boy browsed among the statues like
an epicure in a confectioner's para
disc.
Soon he began carving things out
for himself. Lorenzo was attracted
by bizarre head which the lad
made, to represent the old age of
faun; he suggested, however, that so
old and scraggy creature would not
have such perfect teeth; Whereupon
Angelo knocked out the teeth, and
so completed the work
A certain bitter quality appeared
at this early stage in the artists de-
velopment; the pagan influence of
the Medicean circle struggled
against the Puritan influence of
Savonarola, whose eloquence irrev-
ocably affected the stern spirit of
an artist who looked upon his chisel
and his brush as instruments OF
God.
These were the happiest years of
Angeles life. They did not last
long enough to pamper him; Tor in
1892 Lorenzo died, and his sucCessr,
Piero, was a spendthrift who prefer
red dancing girls to artists and he
could think of no better use for
Michelangelo than TO have him
make a snow man. Michael, prude
as an archangel, left the palace, and
worked his way to Rome.
But Rome was Uttered with art
lists: Bramante, Raphael, Perugino,
Pinturicchio, Botticelii, SignOrelli,
and a thousand more; the church
was at the height of its curve, and
was spreading itself out lavishly in
the glorification of its ancient home.
For time Buonarotti had to work
for rich individuals like Gallo; for
! him he made a Drunken BaCchuS,"
with eyes realistically wandering in
a jolly, aimless way, as is the custom
with alcoholic eyes; in the right
hand is a cup Of forbidden wine
ready to quench the memory of
loves despair. Gallo was pleased,
secured for Michael a commission
from the French abbot of st. Deuys
to carve a "Pieta," a group showing
the dead Christ in his mothers
arms.
1T is probably the greatest work of
4 sculpture ever done by lad of
twenty-three. The figure of the fall
len rebel is an immense achieve