Subject: Michelangelo’s Revenge
Bonjourno!
I'm actually writing this email from the top deck of a cruise ship in the Mediterranean sea.
I just finished up four days in Rome, and now we're headed to Athens, Santorini and a few other stops along the way.
I've been learning some super cool things and having some amazing experiences on this trip.
I've always believed that one of the best content creation formulas is to do cool things and then write about them.
So of course....I've been writing about my experiences and sharing the lessons, stories and photos over on my social media accounts.
And that leads me to the purpose of today's email.
I wanted to share with you the one I just published today called Michelangelo's revenge.
Cue dramatic music.... da, da, daaaahhhh!
In my experience, it has a lot to do with creating success in life and business.
If you like the story, you're welcome to visit my social media profiles and read some of the other ones i've put up and follow along with my journey over the next couple of weeks as I will be publishing more content throughout this trip..
For now,
**Michelangelo's Revenge***
Did you know that Michelangelo took four years to complete his work on The Last Judgment painting on the altar wall of the Sistine Chapel?
Yes it's true.
He started at age 61, finished at 65, and forbade anyone from looking at the painting until it was finished.
His rival, Raphael, managed to sneak a peek while he was working nearby in the Vatican.
Raphael was so impressed with what he saw in the “stolen” glance that he paid tribute to him in his own work.
He incorporated a likeness of Michelangelo as the figure of Heraclitus in his famous fresco "The School of Athens," located in the Vatican's Apostolic Palace.
*I put a pic of this up with the media version of this post.
This inclusion is seen as a mark of respect and acknowledgment of Michelangelo's genius, despite their rivalry.
But wait, there’s more…
Michelangelo received intense criticism for his work on The Last Judgment painting. He painted his response to the critics in a way that generations in the coming centuries were sure to see.
👉 His own face, in the painting, positioned on the body of St. Bartholomew’s flayed skin. 🤯
*this pic also on social media version of this post.
This is seen as a complex and deeply personal response to the criticism and controversy surrounding his work.
The Last Judgment faced significant criticism for its extensive use of nude figures.
Critics, including some within the Catholic Church, deemed the fresco indecent and inappropriate for a religious setting.
The Council of Trent, which addressed issues of church reform, later led to the "Fig-Leaf Campaign," where parts of the fresco were painted over to cover the nudity.
Michelangelo also faced personal attacks from his contemporaries.
One notable critic was Biagio da Cesena, the Pope's Master of Ceremonies, who described the fresco as more suited to a public bathhouse than a chapel.
In response, Michelangelo painted Cesena's likeness as Minos, the judge of the underworld, with donkey ears, signifying foolishness. 🤪
Apparently, when this guy complained to the pope, he was told, “I’m sorry, you’re in the underworld now. I have no power there.” 🤣
I’ll always remember this story of Michelangelo and the flayed skin as a reminder that even one of the world’s great masters received such intense criticism, that he felt like it metaphorically skinned him alive.
Critics like to think they function as a signal to stop doing something. Maybe they better serve as one that says, “keep going.”
🤔
Paul
PS: As far as the nude figures in The Last Judgment painting go, when our tour guide was describing this, her face lit up as she described what she thought was one of the most beautiful meanings one could derive from this.
The idea that we humans are all naked before God, stripped of outer masks and costumes we sometimes like to wear to project something different than what we are inside.
She had the biggest smile as she expressed her love for the idea of our divine equality that she thought Michelangelo’s decision to paint the figures without any clothes communicated.
I couldn’t help but feel like she was onto something.
Thanks for reading! You can see the image associated with this post along with my last few posts on my trip to Rome over at....
or
or even over at
good to have choices right? 😉