Chapter 12 The Crack of Two Forces-4

People have expressed a harsh attitude towards Clement VII.Of course, like all popes, he used art and artists as a means of glorifying his lineage.But Michelangelo shouldn't have any resentment towards him.No pope ever loved him so much.No pope has ever had such an abiding enthusiasm for his work.In 1526 Michelangelo had to write to him every week.No pope had ever understood his weakness of will better than he himself, so constantly encouraged him to cheer him up, and prevented him from wasting his energy in vain.Even after the Emerald Revolution and Michelangelo's rebellion, Clement's attitude towards him did not change.Piombo wrote in a letter to Michelangelo: "He adores everything you do; he loves your work with all his love. He speaks of you with such tenderness that no father would have such a fondness for his son." (April 29, 1531) "If you will come to Rome, you can do whatever you want, grand duke or king . . . It is your title to rule, you can be the master, you can do what you want." (December 5, 1531) But to cure the restlessness, madness, pessimism, and fatal emotions that have corroded this great heart Sorrow is not something within the scope of his power.What is the use of a master being kind?He is the master after all! ...and aging came.Around him, everything darkens.The Renaissance is dying.Rome will be invaded and ravaged by barbarians.The shadow of a mournful god slowly overwhelmed the mind of Italy.Michelangelo felt the tragic hour approaching; he was overwhelmed with pathetic anguish.

After rescuing Michelangelo from his crippling difficulties, Clement VII decided to channel his genius another way, one that he himself could supervise close by.He commissioned him to preside over the construction of the Medici family temple and tomb.Work began in March 1521, but was not actively pursued until the accession of Archbishop Julius de Medici as Pope.This happened on November 19, 1523, and since then Pope Clement VII.The original plans contained four tombs: that of the "noble" Lorenzo, that of his brother Giuliano, that of his son and that of his grandson.In 1524 Clement VII decided to add Leo X's coffin and his own.At the same time, Michael was appointed to preside over the construction of the San Lorenzo Library.He wants him to devote himself to serving.He even persuaded him to join a sect, in this case the Franciscan sect. (See Fatucci's letter to Michelangelo in the name of the Pope on the 2nd of the first month of 1524) to send him a church pension.Michelangelo refused; but Clement VII gave him a monthly salary, three times more than he had asked, and a house near San Lorenzo.

Everything seemed to be going well, and the construction of the church was actively going on, when suddenly Michelangelo gave up his residence and refused the monthly salary from Clement.March 1524.He was discouraged again.Julius II's heirs would not forgive him for abandoning a work he had promised; they threatened him with prosecution, they raised the question of his personality.The thought of a lawsuit terrified Michelangelo; his conscience, acknowledging the justice of his enemies, reproached himself for breaking the contract: he felt that he could not accept it without repaying the money he had spent on Julius II. Money of Clement VII.

"I no longer work, I no longer live," he wrote.Letter from Michelangelo to Giovanni Spina, proconsul, April 19, 1525.He begged the pope to help him repay their money to the heirs of Julius II: "I will sell everything, and I will do everything in my power to repay them." Or, he begged the pope to allow him to work entirely on the monument to Julius II: "I desire more to be free from this obligation than to live." Thinking that if Clement VII died and he would be accused by his enemies, he would be like a child, and he cried in despair: "If the Pope puts me in this position, I will no longer be able to live in the world." In this world... I don't know what I'm writing, I'm completely in a coma..." Michaelis to Fatucci, October 24, 1525.

Clement VII did not take the artist's despair seriously, and he insisted that he not suspend the work of the Medici family temple.Some of his friends didn't understand his worries, and advised him not to make a joke and refuse the salary.Some thought that he was messing around without thinking, and warned him loudly, telling him not to be so sexual in the future.Fatucci's letter to Michelle, March 22, 1524.Some wrote to him: "I have been told that you have refused your salary, given up your residence, and ceased to work; I think this is pure madness. My friend, you are as good as you are for yourself. Enemy... leave the tomb of Julius II alone, and accept the stipend; for they gave it to you out of kindness." Leonardo Serraio, March 24, 1524 Letter to Michaelis.

Michelangelo was stubborn. —The treasurer of the Papal Palace teased him, and confirmed his words: he revoked his stipend.Poor man, disappointed, after a few months he had to re-ask for the money he refused.At first he was very timid and ashamed: "My dear Giovanni, since the pen is bolder than the tongue, I write to you what I have to say to you many times in recent days but dare not say: I can still get A monthly salary?... If I knew that I would never be paid again, I would not change my attitude: I will still work for the Pope as best I can; but I will settle my account." 1524 Michaelis To Giovanni Spina, Pontifical Steward.

Later, forced by life, he wrote again: "After careful consideration, I saw how much the Pope valued this work of San Lorenzo; since it was the monthly salary that His Holiness himself promised me, in order to force me to work faster; it would be tantamount to delaying my work if I did not accept it. I: Therefore, my opinion has changed; hitherto I did not ask for the monthly salary, and now I do, for reasons that cannot be explained. . . . Will you give me the monthly salary from the day you promised me? . . . When can I get it? Please tell me." August 29, 1525 Mie wrote to Spina.

They will teach him a lesson: just pretend not to hear.After two months, he still didn't get anything, and he had to apply again and again. He works in troubles; he complains that they stifle his imagination: "... troubles have affected me greatly... One cannot do one thing with two hands while the mind thinks of another." One thing, especially sculpture. People say it is to stimulate me; but I say it is a bad stimulus, it will make people back. I have not received a monthly salary for more than a year, and I struggle with poverty: I am in my sorrow It is very lonely; and my worries are so many, which worry me more than art! I can't get a man to serve me." Michelle to Fatucci, October 24, 1525.

Clement VII was sometimes moved by his pain.He asked someone to greet him and express his deepest sympathy.He pledged "to be treated favorably with him forever as long as he lives".Letter from Pier-Paul Marzi to Michelle on the 23rd of December 1525 in the name of Clement VII.But the irremediable frivolity of the Medici came back to haunt Michelangelo, and instead of lightening his burden, they put him on other jobs: among them was a gigantic, boring column, Put a clock tower on top.Letters between October and December 1525.Michelangelo spent a lot of time thinking about this work. —Besides, he is constantly troubled by his workmen, plasterers, and coachmen, who are seduced by propagandists who are the precursors of the general eight-hour day.On June 17, 1526, Michael sent a strange letter to Fatu.

At the same time, the troubles of his daily life continued unabated.His father became more and more ill-tempered as he grew older; one day he fled from Fei Lengcui's house, saying that his son had driven him away.Michelangelo wrote a beautiful and touching letter to him: "Dear father, I was very surprised that I didn't see you when I went home yesterday; now I know that you are complaining that I drove you out, I am even more surprised Yes. From my birth to this day, I dare say I have never done anything that would displease you, no matter how big it is; and all that I have suffered, I have suffered for the love of you... I have always protected You... Not a few days ago, I told you that as long as I lived, I would do my best to serve you; now I tell you again, I promise you again. You forgot all this so quickly, It horrifies me. For thirty years, you know I've always been good to you, to the best of my ability, in thought and in deed. How can you go around saying I'm driving you away? You don't know it's for me What reputation has I acquired? At this moment, I have enough troubles, and I need no more; and all these troubles I have suffered for you! It is very kind of you to reward me!

Such devotion, such obedience, could only appease the old man's irritability for a moment.Some time later, he said his son had stolen his money.Michelangelo was driven to extremes and wrote to him: "I no longer understand what you want from me. If I live to be annoying to you, you have found a good way to get rid of me, and you will soon have what you think I am. Holds the keys to treasures. And this you will do right; for in Emerald it is known that you are a great rich, and I have been stealing from you forever, and I shall be punished: you will be greatly praised! . . . Be careful. . . A man dies only once, and he can never come back to make amends for his wrong. You will not repent until the day before your death. God bless you!" Letter of June, 1523. This is the assistance he received on the family side. "Patience!" he sighed in a letter to a friend, "only God will not displease me that which does not displease him." Strange book. In these sorrows and tribulations the work does not advance.When the great coup d'état took place all over Italy in 1527, not a single statue in the temple of the Medici was finished.In the same letter, it is stated that work has begun on a statue, as well as four symbolic statues next to the other coffins and the Madonna.Thus, this new age of 1520-1527 only added new disillusionment and fatigue to the disillusionment and fatigue of his previous age. The joy of creating a piece of work and realizing a plan.