Dying Slave
| Dying Slave | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Artist | Michelangelo |
| Year | 1513–1516 |
| Type | Sculpture |
| Medium | Marble |
| Dimensions | 215 cm (84.6 in) |
| Location | Louvre, Paris |
| Preceded by | Rebellious Slave |
| Followed by | Young Slave |
The Dying Slave (L'Esclave mourant, Lo Schiavo morente) is a marble sculpture by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo, created between 1513 and 1516. It was intended to accompany another figure, the Rebellious Slave, as part of the design for the Tomb of Pope Julius II.[1] The sculpture stands 215 centimeters (7 ft 1 in) tall and is housed in the Louvre Museum in Paris.
History
The Dying Slave was produced during the second design phase of Julius II's tomb, a project that went through several revisions over many decades.[2] Early plans show the slave is positioned on the lower monument.[3] Art Historians suggest that the two finished slaves were intended for prominent placement near the central axis of the tomb, with the Dying Slave in front of the left-center pilaster.[2]
However, the overall design evolved significantly. The inclusion of slave figures appears to have been partly practical, as they were among sculptures already in progress and incorporated as a temporary solution.[3]: 189 As the project developed, Michelangelo reconsidered their role and ultimately proposed himself to replace them with the figures Rachel and Leah.[3]: 189 By the 1540s, the slaves were fully excluded from the final tomb.[2]: 97
Although Michelangelo initially planned a larger series of figures, only two, the Dying Slave and the Rebellious slave, were brought to close completion. The others, the Young Slave, the Bearded Slave, the Awakening Slave, and the Atlas Slave remained unfinished and still partially embedded in their marble blocks, reflecting on what some scholars say is the ambitious but ultimately unreasonable scale of the project.[4]
Provenance
After the tomb plans changed, the sculptures left Michelangelo's possession. Around 1546, he gifted the two slave figures to Ruberto Strozzi in gratitude for hospitality during periods of illness. The works subsequently passed through several prominent French owners, including King Francis I and Anne de Montmorency, who installed them at the Château d'Écouen.[2]: 97
Over the following centuries, the sculptures were relocated multiple times, including to the Château de Richelieu. By the late eighteenth century, they had arrived in Paris, where they were acquired for the French state during the revolutionary period. Since then, they have remained in the Louvre Museum.
Description
The figure is depicted nude, bound loosely across the torso, and shown in a state of apparent physical and psychological surrender.[5]: 207 The front of the sculpture is highly finished, with smooth, polished surfaces that emphasize the idealized anatomy. In contrast, areas such as the back, hair, and parts of the limbs retain visible chisel marks, revealing Michelangelo's working process and the incomplete state of certain areas.[2]: 97
A portion of the original marble block remains attached behind the figure, particularly near the right arm, reinforcing the sense that the figure is emerging from the stone. Evidence suggests that assistants by a garzone or helper may have contributed to some areas, such as the detailing of the foot.[2]: 97
A small, partially carved monkey figure, or sometimes referred to as "the ape," appears behind the leg, often overlooked due to its unfinished condition. This detail, along with drill marks and rough carving, provides insight into both the sculpture's symbolic meaning and its material techniques.[2]: 97
Interpretation
The meaning of the Dying Slave has been widely debated since the sixteenth century. Early accounts, including those by Giorgio Vasari and Ascanio Condivi, offer different explanations.[5]: 207–208 Condivi suggests that the figures represented the liberal or creative arts, symbolizing their connection to death alongside the pope.[5]: 207 Other early interpretations proposed that they embodied territories conquered by Julius II.
Some more modern scholars have expanded these interpretations. Some historians have argued that the figures represent the human soul trapped within the physical body, an idea influenced by Neoplatonic philosophy.[5]: 208 Others have suggested that they symbolize spiritual struggle or bondage to sin, drawing on Christian theological themes.[5]: 215
The presence of the monkey has also contributed to interpretive debates. It has been linked to the Renaissance concept of "art as the limitation of nature" (de Tolnay), with the ape functioning as a symbolic reference to artistic mimicry. At the same time, the sensuality of the figure, its relaxed pose and expressive form, complicates purely moral or religious readings.[5]: 213
As noted by modern scholars, the sculptures do not closely resemble traditional depictions of bound captives from antiquity, which are typically rigid and restrained. Instead, the Dying slave presents a more ambiguous figure, suggesting that its meaning extends beyond one single interpretation.[5]: 207
Legacy
Although the sculpture was originally intended for a monumental tomb, the Dying Slave has become appreciated as an independent piece. Its combination of polished and unfinished elements, expressive pose, and layered symbolism shows Michelangelo's innovative approach to sculpture and continues to generate scholarly discussion.
See also
- List of works by Michelangelo
- St. Quentin (Pontormo)
- Representation of slavery in European art
References
- ^ Bergstein, Mary. "The "Dying Slave" at Berggasse 19." American Imago, vol. 60 no. 1, 2003, p. 9-20. Project MUSE, https://dx.doi.org/10.1353/aim.2003.0001.
- ^ a b c d e f g De Tolnay, Charles (1954). Michelangelo. Vol. 4. Princeton University Press. p. 97.
- ^ a b c Panofsky, Erwin (1939). Studies in Iconology: Humanistic Themes in the Art of the Renaissance. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 190.
- ^ Bloch, Amy (2015). Di Dio, Kelly Helmstutler (ed.). Making and Moving Sculpture in Early Modern Italy ('revised' ed.). Farnham, Surrey: Ashgate Publishing. pp. 59–64. ISBN 978-1-4724-6090-5.
- ^ a b c d e f g Motzkin, Elhanan. "MICHELANGELO'S SLAVES IN THE LOUVRE ." Dec. 1992.