Michelangelo's Madonna with Child

 

Wow wow wow. I was so blessed to be able to see this beautiful sculpture in person. One of the things that surprised me about the sculpture was its size. It is not very large at all, about 4 feet high, but the detail on it is incredible. You can see the emotion on the faces of both of the figures as well as the folds and creases in the fabric. One of the other things I noticed was the triangle that is created by Madonna and her arms in this sculpture. This draws our eyes upward to her face and makes her the most important figure in this piece. The Madonna and Child was sculpted in the early 1500s which is during the early Renaissance. This means that there is a connection between the form and the meaning of artworks. With the Madonna and Child this is apparent with the spiritual nature of this piece and the emotion that we can see. The entire ambiance of the sculpture and its surroundings make for a beautifully spiritual experience.

This sculpture has been important throughout history for many different reasons. It is Michelangelo's only work that left Italy during his lifetime. It was bought by cloth merchants in Bruges when Michelangelo's original customer didn't want to pay for the sculpture. The statue also has sacred significance in history because of its spiritual nature. It is a beautiful religious work of art that depicts the Virgin Mary and a very young Christ. This piece has been a symbol of worship for people since it was donated to the Church of Our Lady in 1514. Madonna and Child have been through a lot during their lifetime. It has been stolen twice, once during the French Revolution by Napoleon and once during World War II by the Nazis. Luckily, this wonderful piece of history was recovered each time and still remains in Bruges where we were able to see it.

This sculpture contributes to this city's status as a cultural capital in many ways. It is a piece done by a renowned Renaissance man and embodies the artistic and spiritual ideals of that time period. This elevates the city's status with regards to art and attracts many visitors from all over the world (like us!) to see it. Having great works such as this in a city also helps bring the city together around the artwork and incites in them a sense of pride and a desire to keep the culture alive and well. This city is able to preserve a piece with incredible cultural and historical significance and enriches the heritage of the city itself.