Chapter 23 Two Confidence - 3

Leonardo was discouraged.On the contrary, he found it strange that his uncle insisted on his marriage: "It is true," replied Michelangelo, "I wish you to marry: our family should not be interrupted. I know very well that even if our family is severed , the world will not be affected; but every animal has a continuous race. Therefore I wish you a family." But he said: "But if you don't feel very healthy yourself, then restrain yourself and don't be too much in the world. It would be better to create other unfortunates." At last Michelangelo himself got tired of it; he began to think it ridiculous that he should always be concerned about Leonardo's marriage, while he himself seemed indifferent.He declared that he was no longer a consultant: "For sixty years, I have cared about your affairs; now that I am old, I should think about my own."

At this time he learned that his nephew was engaged to Cassandra Ridolfi.He was very happy, he congratulated him, and promised to give him fifteen hundred gold coins.Leonardo is married.May 16th, 1553.Michelangelo wrote to congratulate the new couple and gave Cassandra a necklace of beads.But the joy did not prevent him from informing his nephew, saying, "Although he does not quite understand these matters, it seems to him that Leonardo should settle the money matter exactly before the woman who accompanied him went to his house." : for in these questions often lurk the seeds of a rupture".At the end of the letter, he added this unfavorable advice: "Ah!

Two months later, what he sent to Cassandra was no longer the promised bead necklace, but two rings—one set with diamonds and the other set with rubies.Cassandra thanked him deeply and sent him eight pieces of underwear at the same time.Michelangelo wrote to say: "They are very nice, especially the cloth I am very happy. But you spend money on it, which makes me very unhappy; because I don't want anything. My deep thanks to Cassandra, Told her that I could send her everything I could find here, Roman or otherwise. This time, I sent only one small thing; next time, I'll send something better to make her happy The object of the book." August 5, 1553 book.

Soon, the child was born.The first name was Buonarotto, born in 1554.This is according to the meaning of Michaelis; - the second name is Michelangelo, born in 1555.But this one died shortly after birth.And the old uncle, who invited the young couple to Rome in 1556, had been a part of the joys and sorrows of the family, but never allowed his family to be counselors in his affairs, nor his health. . In addition to his family relationship, Michelangelo had many famous and noble friends.We should divide his life into periods.In this long life we ​​see periods of solitude and desert, but also periods of friendship.In Rome, around 1515, there was a group of the Ferengis, free and animated people: Domenico Boninseni, Leonardo Serraio, Giovanni Spey Tiare, Bartolomeo Verrazzano, Giovanni Geraissi, Carniggiani and others. ——This is his first friend.Later, under Clement VII, Francesco Berni and Piombo were a group of thoughtful figures.Piombo was a loyal but dangerous friend, the one who reported to him all the gossip about Michelangelo, and the one who weaved his hatred of the Raphaelites. —Later, in the time of Vittoria Colonna, and especially of Luigi del Riccio, a merchant in Emerald, who was his constant advisor and closest friend in matters of money. a friend.There Michel met Donato Gianotti, the musician Alcaderte and the beautiful Cecchino.They all like to chant, like music, and like to taste strange smells.It was also for Riccio's grief after the death of Cherkino that Mie wrote forty-eight eulogy poems; and when Riccio received each eulogy poem, he sent Mie many catfish, fragrant mushrooms, melons, pheasant doves... —After his death (1546) Michelangelo had almost no friends but disciples: Vasari, Condivi, Daniele te Voltaire, Bronzino, Leone Leoni, Bevenuto Cellini and others.He induced in them an ardent thirst for knowledge; he expressed to them moving affection.Rough as he was, it would be a total mistake to think of him as a rough countryman like Beethoven.He was an Italian nobleman with profound knowledge and family experience.From the time when he was a youth in the garden of San Marco with Lorenzo Medici and others, he and Italy can be counted among the most noble princes, princes, bishops, because of his position in the Pope's palace and The greatness of his religious thoughts, Mie had a special friendship with senior figures in the church.Literati, he also knew Machiavelli, a famous historian and patriot at that time.Artists have relationships.In the art world, he certainly has the fewest friends.But in his later years, many believers worshiped him and surrounded him.He doesn't like most of the artists.He had deep grievances with da Vinci, Perugino, Francia, Signorelli, Raphael, Bramante, and Sangallo.Jacob Sansovino wrote to him on June 30, 1517: "You have never said anything good about anyone." He has done a great deal of effort; he has also helped others a lot; but his genius is too passionate to love another ideal than his; and he is too sincere to be true to his ideal. Pretending to love what is not loved at all.But when Titian visited Rome in 1545, he was very polite. —However, although the art world at that time was very enviable, he preferred to associate with literati and practical actors.He and the poet Francesco Berni are equally famous in thought; the two of them sang many poems full of friendship and banter, and Berni praised Michelangelo very much, calling it "Plato Second"; Said to other poets: "Be still, you instruments of harmony! You speak words, but he alone has words." He corresponded with Varchi; with Luigi del Riccio and The Nato Giannotti sang.People search for his talks and insights about art, and no one else knows more about Dante than he does.A Roman lady said in the text that when he was willing, he was "a gentle, gentle and charming gentleman, a character that is rare in Europe."Dona Argentina Malaspina, around 1516.His thoughtful manners and social habits can be seen in the notes of Gianotti and Francesco Te Oranda.In several of his letters to princes, especially the one he wrote to Francis I of April 26, 1546.It can also prove that he can easily be made into a pure courtier.Society never eluded him: but he often eluded it; it was entirely up to him to live a victorious life.To Italy, he is the embodiment of the genius of the entire nation.At the end of his career, he was the last superstar left by the Renaissance. He was the representative of the Renaissance, and the glory of the entire century belonged to him.Artists are not alone in recognizing him as a supernatural being.In his "Biography of Michelangelo", Condivi said at the beginning: "Since God gave me the grace to not only recognize me as worthy to meet Michelangelo, the only sculptor and painter - this is what I have Those who dare not hope boldly——and allow me to listen to his words and accept his sincerity and confidence. In order to express my gratitude for this kindness, I try to collect the praiseworthy materials in his life. Stand up and make others admire such a great person and set an example." Even princes and ministers bowed their heads before his prestige.Francis I and Caterina te Medici paid tribute to him.In 1546 Francis I wrote to him; in 1559 Caterina de Medici wrote to him.She wrote that she "knows with all the world that he is superior to any man in this century," and asked him to carve, or at least make a sketch of, Henry II on horseback.Cosme de' Medici wanted to appoint him to the House of Peers; in 1552 Michelangelo refused to answer:—to the great displeasure of the Grand Duke Cosme.And when he came to Rome, he received him with noble courtesy, invited him to sit beside him, and talked intimately with him.It happened in November 1560.Cosme's son, Francesco Te Medici, hat in hand, "pays homage to this great man of all ages".October 1561.People respected "his high morals" as much as his genius.Vasari records.The glory of his old age is comparable to that of Goethe and Hugo.But he is a different kind of character.He has neither Goethe's desire to become well-known to women and children, nor Hugo's respect for the established legal system.He despises honor and society; his service to the pope is only "forced".Moreover, he also openly said that even the Pope sometimes disgusted him when he talked, "Although we order him, he doesn't go much when he is unhappy."See Francisco Te Oranda: Quotations on Painting.

"When a person is so transformed by nature and education into hating etiquette and contempt for hypocrisy, there is no way of life suitable for him. If he doesn't ask you for anything, if he doesn't pursue your group, why should he pursue his Why should such frivolous things be entangled with his remoteness from the world? A man who does not want to gratify his own genius but only pleases the vulgar is not a noble man." See Francesco Te Olanda: "Painting Quotations".