L'Italo-Americano

www.italoamericano.org 10 THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 2019 L'Italo-Americano THOMAS VESCE I t is often reported that kids today no longer go out to the streets to play with their friends and to engage in discovering novel adven- tures, as it was usual a few gen- erations ago. No, today they sit down in front of a television for hours, living a virtual life made of the games and discoveries of tv shows' characters, leaving aside the real-life joy of forming relationships with their peers that often can persist until old age. Sometimes, this electronic addiction is an aid for single mothers in need to find ways to support their kids. Given this environment, it would seem dif- ficult to see young children learning how to live a life even remotely resembling those of their glamorous cinematic heroes. Some may believe that this is only a characteristic of today's social environment and, believ- ing so, will find it difficult to understand how such a situation ever came about. Certainly, it would be easy to consider it a fact typical of today's modern society. But if we really try to consider the question thoroughly, history will teach us all too quickly these sit- uations have existed for cen- turies. Yet, it will also show that not all these kids lost a chance at making something of them- selves. Let's consider, then, the example of a young boy, newly born into this world, who was almost immediately separated from his mother, and had a father intent on continually cor- recting him: reading and investi- gating, we'll soon learn the boy was no other than Michelangelo Buonarroti. Wow, what a famous name! What a person of extraordinary talent! What a fantastic artist! But then, he was only a child, the good son of his father: in time though, he was to become famous, as well as find himself dragged into endless family transactions. Soon after birth, in 1475, baby Michelangelo, the second born of the family, was sent to Settignano and placed under the care of a wet-nurse, the wife of a stone mason. As a result, the child grew up in a marble work- ers' environment, breathing air filled with the dust of their daily work: carving out, measuring, sizing and polishing. In 1481, when little Michelangelo was six years old, his scarcely known mother Francesca passed away, leaving behind him and three younger brothers. Michelangelo, then, spent his early life in the compa- ny of a stern father, his father's mother, his father's brother and wife, and his brothers. School had little appeal for him, since he could more often be found in the company of nearby artists: with them, he liked to sketch and draw figures and scenes. His truancy frustrat- ed his father to the point, as it is reported by some contemporary writers, that little Michelangelo was often mistreated. Ultimate- ly, however, his father recog- nized his overwhelming artistic leanings and tried a different way of mastering his stubborn son: he enrolled him as an apprentice in the workshop of one of the most celebrated artists of Florence, Domenico Ghirlandaio. Already a thirteen year old when he joined this circle of young artistic hopefuls, Michelangelo had some difficul- ty in finding a niche for himself among all the other apprentices to the point where, after a brawl with one of them, he got his nose broken. But despite the short time (less than one year) he was part of this workshop, Michelangelo learned a great deal about how to create frescoes since Ghirlandaio, at that time, was involved in the creation of the magnificent fresco of the high altar of Santa Maria Novella for the Tornabuoni family. Wit- nessing all this, endowed the young Michelangelo with the profound knowledge of color and perspective necessary for the cre- ation of realistic figures on the vaults of churches. While all this was happening, he still maintained a keen attrac- tion for sculptural studies. And so, he often frequented the gar- den next to San Marco, at the time under the direction of Bertoldo di Giovanni, a well- known sculptor. This work yard was supported by none other than Lorenzo de' Medici, and it was exactly here, in this place, that Lady Fortune finally decid- ed to smile on the young, highly inquisitive and talented Michelangelo. Visiting the place one day, Michelangelo picked up a piece of thrown away marble and used it to fashion the head of an old faun. As he was finishing the piece, Lorenzo de' Medici hap- pened to pass by. Although he admired the piece, he told Michelangelo he mustn't have been familiar with elderly men, as they usually didn't keep all of their teeth. Reacting to this criti- cism, Michelangelo later knocked off a tooth and drilled a hole in the gums to suggest how the tooth had fallen out. When Lorenzo de' Medici visited the garden a few days later, he was so impressed with the ingenuity of the young boy, who possessed obvious artistic talent, that he invited him to attend his palace. Once in that environment, Michelangelo's art developed even more quickly since the young man found him- self in the company of the most talented philosophers and artists of the time, including Prince Pico della Mirandola and Mar- silio Ficino, among others. For this to happen, however, Michelangelo's father first had to agree to the termination of his son's apprenticeship in the work- shop of Ghirlandaio. But the matter was easily accomplished once Lorenzo the Magnificent nominated Michelangelo's father customs collector for the south- ern gate of Florence, where all exported and imported trade had to pass to gain access to and leave the city. Ultimately, this change in the lifestyle of both father and son was to have an important effect and bring about giant steps for the career of the young Michelangelo. Firstly, as a mem- ber of the Medici household, Michelangelo profited tremen- dously from the Platonic intellec- tuality and the personal support of Lorenzo. And then, later on, when he decided to spread his wings and go to Rome to find his fortune, he did so as the guest of the Galli brothers, traders and exporters known to his father, the important Florentine cus- toms-officer. As soon as he arrived and enmeshed himself in the luxurious life of Rome, his artistic reputation quickly exploded. As he went on to establish himself as the most famous artist in the world, his father was never shy in demanding that he sent money home on a regular basis, as it was his duty to do so. But we know that at the beginning of his career, in 1500, he was so poor he did not even have money to take care of his daily needs. It is believed this dire situation was finally resolved when he got pay- ment either for his Pietà or for a commission the Galli brothers secured for him from the Order of the Brothers of Sant'Agosti- no. But when Michelangelo did have money in hand, he per- formed his duty generously, by sending funds and instructions to his favorite brother, Buonarroto, about how to use it to buy the farms and all the other properties his father was interested in acquiring. In all his correspon- dence, and especially in his let- ters of 1509, it is clear Michelan- gelo was always concerned about the wellbeing of his family, even in times when he himself was undergoing savage rumors and suffering. Perhaps the artist's relation- ship with Lodovico, his father, is best seen in the words of a long letter he sent to him in the Autumn of 1521. The letter is nothing less than the description of all Michelangelo had done for his father and his family's wel- fare, over the previous 30 years. After respectfully laying out his many services and asking he not be misjudged for causing any unintended harm, Michelangelo ended his plea by simply writing, "I am, after all, your son." LIFE PEOPLE MOVIES MUSIC BOOKS Michelangelo, one of the greatest artists of all times, had a troubled relationship with his own family © Tinamou | Dreamstime.com Michelangelo, his father's son

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