Was Michelangelo As Talented As His Reputation Says He Is?

Yes. 

End of argument.

(Editor: Nobody, and I mean nobody!, argues that Michelangelo wasn't talented.

Writer: You've got a point.  On the other hand, I'm probably the only person who has ever even raised that question.

Editor: And you are proud of that?)

Cecilia took us to the Church of Santa Maria sopra Minerva, which has what Rick Steves describes as "a little-known Michelangelo statue, Christ Bearing the Cross."  

This is the church with the famed elephant and obelisk in the front of it (see earlier blog post for pictures of that).  It's only the only Gothic church within the ancient walls of Rome.  I had missed it the last time that the church had a Michelangelo statue, so I paid a LOT more attention to it this time.  The church also has a stunning arched ceiling that is painted blue with gilded stars and has bright red trim.

Apparently, for a short time starting in 1255, the church was home to a community of repentant prostitutes ("Community of Repentant Prostitutes" would be a great name for a rock band.)

(Editor: Are you going to let your readers know you ripped off the "great name for a rock band" from the great Dave Barry?

Writer: If they don't know that, I'm not going to tell them!)

The Dominicans took over the church in 1266.  

Finished in 1521, this is

Michelangelo's Cristo della

Minerva.  The loincloth

wasn't part of the original

sculpture, it was added

by an overzealous 

priest years later.

Here's a close-up of 

Michelangelo's treatment

of the feet and legs.  Look

at the perfection in the

sculpture!

Part of the ceiling.

The stunning ceiling.

One of the beautiful

stained glass windows.

The elephant (and base of

the obelisk) in daylight.

Okay, I googled the expression "Michelangelo wasn't that talented" to see if it is a Googlenope (never been written/said, and it appears it is.  Here's how Google's Artificial Intelligence put me in my place:

The statement "Michelangelo wasn't that talented" is widely considered inaccurate; he is widely recognized as one of the greatest artists in history, renowned for his exceptional skill in sculpture, painting, and architecture, showcasing a level of mastery that few have achieved across multiple artistic disciplines.

Given how AI messed up the question about when the Pantheon became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, I'm glad it got one right.  But I'm watching you AI, I'm watching you.