Return to Florence and Patronage of the Medici.—The next twelve years of Michelangelo's life (1522-1534) were spent at Florence, and again employed principally in the service of the Medici. The plan of a great group of monuments to deceased members of this family, to be set up in a new sacristy or mortuary chapel in San Lorenzo, was first broached to Michelangelo in 1520 by Cardinal Giulio dei Medici. No practical impulse, however, was given to the work until Giulio had in his turn become pope in 1523 under the title of Clement VII. First Clement proposed to associate another artist, Sansovino, with Michelangelo in his task. This proposal being on Michelangelo's peremptory demand aban doned, Clement next distracted the artist with an order for a new architectural design—that, namely, for the proposed Medicean or "Laurentian" library. When at last the plans for the sepulchral chapel or "Sagrestia nuova" took shape, they did not include, as had been at first intended, memorials to the founders of the house's greatness, Cosimo (pater patriae) and Lorenzo the Magnificent, or even to Pope Leo X. himself, but only to two members of the house lately deceased, Giuliano, duke of Nemours, and Lorenzo, duke of Urbino. Michelangelo was still engaged on the execution of this work—his time being partly also taken up by the building plans for the Medicean library—when political revolutions inter posed to divert his industry. In 1527 came to pass the sack of Rome by the army of Charles V., led by the connetable de Bour bon, and the apparently irretrievable ruin of Pope Clement. The Florentines seized the occasion to expel the Medici, and set up a free republican government once more. Naturally no more funds for the works in San Lorenzo were forthcoming, and Michelangelo, on the invitation of the new signory, occupied himself for a while with designs for a group of Hercules and Cacus, and another of Samson and the Philistines—the latter to be wrought out of a block of marble which had been rough-hewn already for another purpose by Baccio Bandinelli. Soon, however, he was called to help in defending the city. Clement and his enemy Charles V. having become reconciled, both alike were now bent on bringing Florence again under the rule of the Medici. Michelangelo was appointed engineer-in-chief of the fortifications. He spent the early summer of 5529 in strengthening the defences of San Min iato ; from July to September he was absent on a diplomatic mis sion to Ferrara and Venice. Returning in the middle of the latter month, he found the cause of Florence hopeless from in ternal treachery and from the overwhelming strength of her enemies. One of his dark seizures overcame him, and he departed again suddenly for Venice. There for a while he remained, negotiating for a future residence in France. Then, while the siege was still in progress, he returned once more to Florence; but in the final death-struggle of her liberties he bore no part. When in 153o the city submitted to her conquerors, no mercy was shown to most of those who had taken part in her defence. Michelangelo believed himself in danger with the rest, but on the intervention of Baccio Valori he was presently taken back into favour and employment by Pope Clement. For four years more he continued to work at intervals on the completion of the Medici monuments, with the help from 1532 of Giovanni Montorsoli and other pupils, and on the building of the Laurentian library. In 1531 he suffered a severe illness; in 1532 he made a long stay at Rome, and en tered upon yet another contract for the completion of the Julian monument, to be reduced now to a still more shrunken scale and to be placed not in St. Peter's but in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli. In the autumn of 1534 he left Florence for good. What remained to be done in the Medici chapel was done by pupils, and the chapel was not finally opened to view until 1545.
The Medici Monument.—The statues of the Medici monu ment take rank beside the "Moses" and the "Slaves" as the finest work of Michelangelo in sculpture. They consist of a Madonna and Child and of the two famous monumental groups, each com posed of an armed and seated portrait-statue in a niche, with two emblematic figures reclining on each side of a sarcophagus below.
The "Madonna and Child" (left unfinished because the marble was short in bulk) combines the divers qualities of realistic motive and natural animation with learned complexity of design and imposing majesty of effect. It was set up finally—not in ac
cordance with the artist's first intention—against a blank wall of the chapel, and flanked by statues of SS. Cosmo and Damian, the work of pupils. The portraits are treated not realistically but typically. In that of Lorenzo seems to be typified the mood of crafty brooding and concentrated inward thought ; in that of Giuliano, the type of alert and confident practical survey imme diately preceding action. At the feet of the duke Giuliano recline the shapes of "Night" and "Day"—the former a female, the latter a male, personification; the former sunk in an attitude of deep but uneasy slumber, the latter (whose head and face are merely blocked out of the marble) lifting himself in one of wrathful and disturbed awakening. As grand, but far less violent, are those of the two companion figures that recline between sleep and waking on the sarcophagus of the pensive Lorenzo. Of these, the male figure is known as "Evening," the female as "Morning." In Michelangelo's original idea, partly founded on antique precedent in pedimental and sarcophagus groups, figures of "Earth" and "Heaven" were to be associated with those of "Night" and "Day" on the monument of Giuliano, and others—no doubt of a corre sponding nature, with those of the Morning and Evening Twi light on that of Lorenzo. These figures afterwards fell out of the scheme and the recesses designed for them remain empty. Michel angelo's obvious and fundamental idea was to exhibit the elements and the powers of earth and heaven lamenting the death of the princes. River-gods were to recline on the broad bases at the foot of the monuments. These too are lacking. They were never finished, but a bronze cast from a small model of one of them, and the torso of a large model, have lately been identified, the former in the National Museum and the latter in the Academy at Florence.
Other Works, l522–l534.—"Victory" marble (National Mu seum, Florence). A youthful conqueror standing over a bearded enemy, whose shoulders he crushes down with his left knee. Fine and finished work: whether intended for one of the emblematic Victories of the Julian monument, or having some connection with the "Hercules and Cacus" and "Samson and the Philistine," sub jects undertaken for the Signory in 1528, must remain uncertain. For the former of these two subjects a wax model at the Victoria and Albert Museum, for the latter a plaster model at the Casa Buonarroti, are claimed, perhaps rightly, as original. "David" (formerly called "Apollo"), marble, unfinished (National Mu seum, Florence). Both the authenticity and the approximate date of this fine work are beyond doubt : of its origin and destination we are uninformed. "Crouching boy," marble, unfinished (the Hermitage, St. Petersburg). Another masterly sketch in marble; the seated lad stoops forward between his parted knees, having both hands occupied with his left foot ; the figure blocked out of the marble, with the least possible sacrifice of the material; the subject and motive enigmatical. "Cupid," marble (Victoria and Albert Museum) ; probably, but not quite certainly, authentic; if so, then of i53o or thereabouts; its identification with the early Cupid done for Jacopo Galli at Rome in 1496 is untenable.
Later Life in Rome.—Michelangelo had fully purposed, as soon as he could get free of his task on the Medici tombs, to de vote all his powers to the completion of the Julian monument in accordance with the new contract of 1532. But his intention was again frustrated. Pope Clement insisted that he must complete his decorations of the Sixtine Chapel by painting anew the great end wall above the altar, adorned until then by frescoes of Perugino. The subject chosen was the Last Judgment; and Michelangelo began to prepare sketches. In the autumn of 1534, in his sixtieth year, he settled for the remainder of his life, at Rome. Imme diately afterwards Clement died, and was succeeded by a Farnese under the title of Paul III. Even more than his predecessor, Paul insisted on claiming the main services of Michelangelo for himself.