Description
Have you ever noticed how Michelangelo’s mighty David has heart-shaped pupils? I’ll be the first to admit that this observation had been lost on me until the photograph adorning this month’s cover landed in my inbox. It’s just one of a number of details that comes across in the Michelangelo and Power exhibition currently on show at the Palazzo Vecchio. While it’s common for sculptures to have slits carved into them to add depth, the use of hearts is unusual, and nobody knows why the Renaissance polymath chose to sculpt the universal symbol of love into his statue’s eyes. Maybe it was to communicate that, in the moments before throwing the deadly rock, his killing of the giant Goliath was an act of love towards God, perhaps it was to intimate his commitment to Florence, given that the artwork was originally destined to stand atop the cathedral, or maybe it was a technical device to make David’s face stand out, since the statue had been commissioned as one of 12 prophets positioned on the Santa Maria del Fiore roof. Perspective is undoubtedly at play here and throughout the show in the seat of civic government. Power is the other element underlined in this collection of 50-plus works as co-curator Sergio Risaliti explains, “There was no other artist like Michelangelo who had such close and continuous relationships with the powerful of the earth over his lifetime. From Lorenzo the Magnificent to Pope Paul III, from warrior pope Julius II to Cosimo I, Michelangelo’s familiarity with the influential figures of his time—popes, kings, illustrious men of letters and philosophers, princes and cardinals—was unusual, to say the least, and appears surprising to us.” At a time when power hangs in the balance (N.B. the November 5 U.S. elections), this exhibition obliges us to consider how points of view can change according to a big little thing like perspective. Read more about the Michelangelo e il Potere show on page 16.
Since Thanksgiving is on the horizon (see page 11), this edition spotlights the charitable organizations and inspiring people who ceaselessly give back to Florence. Take, for example, Friends of Florence, helmed by Simonetta Brandolini d’Adda, which is celebrating 25 years of preserving, restoring and safeguarding irreplaceable masterpieces this fall (page 9). Then there are all the international patrons who continue to sponsor restorations at the Basilica of Santa Croce (page 6) and the recently formed Pneuma Art Foundation, whose mission is to support emerging artists (page 23). There’s our columnist Hershey Felder, whose steadfast support of The Florentine, alongside many others whom we also thank, ensured the survival of our magazine during the pandemic; Hershey’s now giving back to Florence through his artistic directorship of Teatro Niccolini (page 8). Lastly, in this list of contents, but certainly not out there in Tuscany, former American-Irish basketball player Ron Rowan talks about his recent takeover of A.S. Pistoia Basket 2000 (page 10).
Some themes emerge organically during the month, which explains the education section from pages 26 to 31. Polimoda and the Kunsthistorisches Institut have both opened new campuses, so we popped by for a look, plus we had the surprise of seeing behind the scenes at Florence’s two flying schools.