Michelangelo Battle of Cascina 1505 - Research Paper Example

Michelangelo Battle of Cascina 1505 Outline I. Introduction II. Thesis statement III. Origin of the painting IV. Lost and significant painting V. Male nudity VI. Incomplete work VII. Conclusion VIII. Works cited Battle of Cascina 1505 refers to a wall painting by renowned artist Michelangelo who based the artwork on a past battle between Pisa and Florence. The artwork was supposedly ordered by Piero Soderini, an official in the Florentine nation and the objective of the artwork was to be a mural on the fortification of the Salone dei Cinquecento as a symbol of victory in the war by the republic (Tartuferi 33-35). In the history of Florence, two particular battles were of great significance and it was deemed appropriate to portray them on walls for remembrance, these encounters were Anghiari and Cascina; as Michelangelo worked on the painting to depict the battle of Cascina, Leonardo da Vinci prepared the artwork representing the battle of Anghiari. However, Michelangelo never concluded his work on the painting but only developed a cartoon version of the entire painting which was reproduced by numerous artists including his novice Sangallo. The painting particularly captured an episode in the war in which the soldiers of Florence were caught off guard taking a shower in a river as the Pisan’s launched an offensive against them; this symbolized a perfect opportunity for the artist to present his preferred theme: naked male. The origin of the painting was an order given by a powerful member of the Florentine government, Piero Soderini as a symbol of the Battle of Cascina that linked the Florentine state and Pisa which was eventually won by Florence. Therefore, the objective was to establish the memory of Florentine’s victory in the war that was definitive to the republic along with the war of Anghiari. Incidentally, both Anghiari and Cascina were crucial battles in the history of the republic whose triumph favorably positioned the nation in the vast region, the subsequent painting by Leonardo da Vinci representing Anghiari also served the purpose of entrenching the memory of the republic’s victories among the native citizens. Thus, Michelangelo’s Battle of Cascina 1505 portrayed on a wall in Palazzo Vecchio to depict the 1364 military confrontation in which thousands of Pisans were murdered and numerous others taken captive signifying victory for Florence (Contardi and Argan 45-46). In line with his style of painting, the artist seized the opportunity to depict nudity of the male body in a selected episode of the military conflict. Known for his obsession with male nudity, the choice of episode to depict the Cascina war was expected from Michelangelo owing to the fact that most of his paintings depict male nudity. The Battle of Cascina 1505 is undoubtedly a misplaced artwork that bears great significance to the medieval Florentine republic on one hand and the artistic career of Michelangelo on the other. The original cartoon version of the painting was lost and copies of the same that were reproduced over time by several artists were used. The painting was never completed in essence making the cartoon version the only reliable form representing Michelangelo’s painting of the Florentine confrontation with Pisa (Aldrich and Wotherspoon 76). However, the particular cartoon created by Michelangelo vanished without trace making it impossible to evaluate the original artwork. Among the many explanations for the loss of the original edition offered was by Giorgio Vasari the biographer of Michelangelo who attributed the loss to the artist’s competitor Bartolommeo Bandinelli supposedly for the purposes of reducing his increasing popularity. The painting is of immense importance to Michelangelo in the sense that it ranks among the most popular works ever done by him particularly regarding his subject of male nakedness. To Florence, the painting depicted a war that signified its conquest and victory over Pisa in a war that became historically relevant in the medieval era nation because of the victory over the adversary represented by the destruction of the enemy and capture of other fighters. Male nakedness was Michelangelo’s most preferred theme throughout his artistic career because nudity was present in most of his paintings (Wadley 67-70). The Battle of Cascina was no exception in the sense that Michelangelo’s choice of episode of the war represented nudity of the male as a multitude of Florentine soldiers bathing in a brook and were treated to surprise attack by the Pisans who ambushed them in the midst of their recreation. The event characterized a perfect opportunity for Michelangelo to explore male nakedness as the bathing soldiers are portrayed nude responding to the Pisan attack. The painting depicts naked soldiers on a rock by the brook surprisingly facing and gesturing towards the direction of the attack. Michelangelo’s painting portrays an incident at the onset of the war when the Florentine soldiers were taking a shower at a brook Arno; the painting particularly illustrates the fighters’ urgent response to a trumpet communicating the imminence of Pisan unprecedented attack. Further, the artwork portrays the soldiers’ movement from the river as they are met with shots from the enemy; one of them is seen badly wounded and fallen in the brook as the rest jump into action. The painting is in sequence with many of Michelangelo’s works of art that were centered on nakedness of the male gender. The Battle of Cascina 1505 was incomplete in the sense that Michelangelo did not finish working on the artwork and only a cartoon edition was developed by him that serves as the original artwork (Wohl and Condivi 99). The cartoon was reproduced by a number of artist including Michelangelo’s student Sangallo though the novel cartoon was ruined allegedly by Marcantonio Raimondi, a challenger of Michelangelo who was perturbed by the artist’s growing reputation. After receiving an order to work on the painting in 1504, Michelangelo embarked on the work, however this great prospect was never fulfilled to the end since only a cartoon was completed in early 1505. This was attributed to calls by Pope Julius II which made it impossible for the artist to finish his work on the painting (Crispino 11-16). Overall analysis and representation of the artwork have relied on the few paintings that survived along with the cartoon. Though Michelangelo never completed the painting, the few traces that remained along with the cartoon have been evaluated over time to represent the conflict on medieval Florence and Pisa as well as to signify Michelangelo’s passion for nudity as an artistic expression. In conclusion, The Battle of Cascina 1505 is a significant painting by Michelangelo that vanished and only copies of the same could be traced. The artwork was important in two diverse aspects, first as a depiction of the history of conquest in the medieval Florentine nation as well as the popularity and success of Michelangelo’s career as an artist. The painting particularly portrays the battle of Cascina that occurred in 1364 pitting Pisa and Florence which resulted into victory for Florence therefore asserting the state’s supremacy in the medieval era. Cascina along with Anghiari were two decisive battles in the history of Florence both of which resulted in the triumph of the republic. Michelangelo’s painting was ordered by the state to coincide with Leonardo da Vinci’s depiction of Anghiari placed side by side at Palazzo Vecchio. As a result, the painting was intended to preserve the memory of decisive military conquest in the minds of the natives of Florence. Moreover, the painting was relevant to Michelangelo’s artistic career in the sense that it represented an opportunity for him to pursue his preferable theme of male nakedness. Michelangelo intentionally selected to explore the initial event of the battle in which the Florentine soldiers were ambushed by Pisan fighters while bathing in a brook. The artist exploited this avenue to depict the soldiers naked and surprised at the attack as they launched a counter-offensive. Works Cited Aldrich, Robert and Wotherspoon, Garry. Who's Who in Gay and Lesbian History: From Antiquity to World War II. New York: Routledge, 2002. Print Contardi, Bruno and Argan, Gulio. Michelangelo. Washington: Giunti Editore, 1998. Print Crispino, Enrica. Michelangelo. Washington: Giunti Editore, 2001. Print Tartuferi, Angelo. Michelangelo. Pittore, scultore, architetto, con gli affreschi restaurati della Cappella Sistina e del Giudizio universale. Ediz. Inglese. Rome: ATS Italia Editrice, 2001. Print Wadley, Nicholas. Michelangelo. London: Castle Books, 1974. Print Wohl, Hellmut and Condivi, Ascanio. Life of Michelangelo. New York: Penn State Press, 1999. Print Read More