Since today was my day to type up class notes for our shared doc, I feel as though I’ve already been able to begin reflecting on our class today! We picked up where we had left off with the High Renaissance, finishing our discussion of sculptural works by Michelangelo. We didn’t talk much about Awakening Prisoners, but this is a work I have been able to see in person. I loved how Professor Plesch used the idea of extracting the idea from within the marble to describe this work, because that if exactly how it is laid out within the gallery in Florence. It sits among a series of other Prisoners, each one progressing more and more away from the solid stone and into its human form. We wrapped up the Renaissance section by recapping the main themes (ideal forms, harmony, balance, and pyramidal form) before moving on to Mannerism.
Some of Michelangelo’s later works were reflective of the new concepts included in Mannerism. The Creation of Adam section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling stood out to me, especially since it is an image that is so easily recognizable and iconic to the Sistine Chapel. I visited the Vatican last year but was unable to go into the Sistine Chapel as it was the week leading up to Easter and all tickets were sold out. It is certainly a work I would love to return to see at some point in my life. In the mannerist works, we see a departure from the order and harmony of the Renaissance. Instead, artists focus on decorative elements, elongation of forms, and overall complexity.