The Philosophy of Michelangelo the Sculptor
Michelangelo saw sculpture as the art of taking away from something rather than adding to it - in essence he was trying to bring into existence the form beneath the stone block in front of him. To do this he produced detailed sketches, but his own spiritual passion within him and his own desire to bring to life the beauty of marble were the driving forces of his talent. There are interesting parallels between the two which could explain his desire for both. The divine eternal life that he sought on earth was created most closely on the eternal marble that he carved.
Masterworks: David and Pieta
Michelangelo's prodigious talent was evidenced at a young age, so it is no surprise that during his twenties he produced two of the sculptures for which he is most famous: 'Pieta' and 'David'. 'Pieta' was completed in 1499 and was immediately hailed as a masterpiece. The life and emotion that Michelangelo had proved himself capable of bringing to an empty block of stone was clear in the face of the grieving mother holding up her dead son. Pieta established his reputation and as a result he was offered more commissions. One of these was the completion of a project to depict David as a metaphor for Florentine freedom.
The result immediately solidified his reputation as a sculptor of skill and technical perfection. David also represents Michelangelo's skill at dealing with the male figure. He did this many times in his work, from Bacchus (1496-97) to The Captives Series and beyond, Michelangelo brought to life men who were sturdy and muscular, imbibed with energy and dynamism. His work was classically inspired, but Michelangelo made it multidimensional, meaning that it could (and should) be viewed from any angle.