#25 Trapped in stone 🔲
The Takeaway is back for Season 2!
A rejected block of marble laid exposed to the elements for a quarter-century.
Until a 26-year-old took on the challenge and converted it into the world's most famous sculpture.
He did so by converting constraints into advantages.
The block of marble was from a long-running decorative project of the Cathedral of Florence.
In the early 15th century, the committee in charge opted to decorate the roof with colossal statues of biblical figures.
In 1464 they commissioned a statue of David, the biblical hero that slew Goliath.
Photo by Jonathan Körner on Unsplash
Two of the best sculptors of the time attempted to use the block of marble owned by the cathedral but abandoned the project almost immediately.
They blamed the low quality of the marble, claiming it had too many imperfections and was too narrow to produce a successful figure.
But, where many saw flaws, a young Michelangelo saw potential.
Portrait of Michelangelo by Daniele da Volterra
In 1501, he began to work on his interpretation of David.
Since the block was of low quality, Michelangelo faced many constraints that were out of his control. His genius success was turning such constraints into advantages and going beyond.
Photo by Igor Ferreira on Unsplash
For example, because a previous sculptor had carved a hole where he intended to place the legs, Michelangelo had to work around the limited space.
He did so by giving David the classical pose contrapposto, where most of the weight is one leg while the other is more relaxed.
Also, because of the shape of the marble, Michelangelo had to be precise. Since the marble was too narrow, David had to look to the side and had to be slender because there was not enough space for him to look forward. There was no room for error.
This led to David's dynamic and daring look and Michelangelo's revolutionary interpretation of David's story.
All artist before Michelangelo conveyed the story of David after the battle, holding or stepping on Goliath's head.
But he chose to depict David before the battle- alert, concentrated and full of reason and intelligence.
Interpretations of David’s story by Donatello, Verrocchio, Michelangelo and Bernini.
What continues to captivate us to this day is the incredible amount of detail in David and Michelangelo's pride to deliver the absolute best.
Although David was intended to be seen 80 meters above street level, Michelangelo worked with the perfection and detail as if it were to be seen from up close.
Photos by Taylor Smith on Unsplash.
In 1504, Michelangelo revealed David to the committee, who decided that it was far too perfect to be placed in the roof of the cathedral. And so they set David in Florence's main square, Piazza Della Signoria.
It was a defining moment for Michelangelo's career. He would go on to create the Sistine Chapel, his Moses and The Last Judgement.
The Takeaway:
While frightening and uncomfortable, constraints stimulate our creativity and lead us to better and more inventive results.
Understand what elements are not under your control and find ways to use them to your advantage. (Read my Takeaway on how musician David Bowie used constraints to create his music here.)
Work hard, add value and strive to deliver your absolute best, even when you feel no one is watching or that it will not make a difference.
Sometimes it just takes one person to notice and open a wide range of opportunities. And believe me, someone will always notice.
Let me know what you think.
It's nice to be back!
-María Albert (@maria_albert13)
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