Masterpiece or Monstrosity?

Michelangelo’s Florence Pieta (The Deposition) is considered a masterpiece. A beautiful example of Michelangelo’s lifelong commitment to his art. The sculpture, carved from hard marble, depicts Christ after death being pulled from the cross by three other figures.

The way Michelangelo made hard marble look as though the garments on the figures were actually soft fabric that could fall off the sculpture any minute is mind-boggling. The way Christ’s body is contorted in a pose that no living being could strike, and the perception of holding the weight of a lifeless, cold body on the other three figures’ expressions makes the viewer feel that the portion of marble that resembles Christ could fall over at any minute.

It’s stunning.

It’s also a personal work from Michelangelo meant for his own tomb. This wasn’t a commission. This was meant for no one else except for Michelangelo himself and his personal reasons for completing it. He also loathed the work and after eight years of working to complete the piece, Michelangelo, in a fit of rage, attempted to destroy the almost completed piece. This wasn’t a quick, frustrated hammer taken to the piece either. He lost his senses, destroying the limbs of Christ and Mary Magdalene. The masterpiece was commissioned to be restored and one can still view the cracks where the limbs were separated from the bodies. In its present form, the piece can be viewed at Museo dell’Opera del Duomo in Florence and Christ is still missing a leg.

There are many theories as to the reason Michelangelo would destroy a work that took him eight years of his life to almost complete. Some say he destroyed it because the pose of Christ’s leg was in a shape too suggestive of an intimate relationship between Christ and The Virgin Mary. Others say he was frustrated with the makeup of the marble not allowing him to finish what he envisioned. Whatever the true reason, I believe if I showed a picture of Florence Pieta to a group, the majority would be shocked to learn that the artist attempted its destruction and thought of it as less than a beautiful piece of art.

“Yea, but I’m not Michelangelo and my work really isn’t worthy to be seen by anyone. Who cares if I scrap it?”

Says who? Are we really the best judges of our own work?

The temptation to hide or destroy our own work close to completion is a sign that as we near the finish line, fear is manifesting in the thought of completing our project. We don’t fear what our work is as an object. We didn’t create a bomb that would physically harm anyone. We fear what emotion our work will elicit when we reveal to the world what we’ve been working on.

We fear opinions and how those opinions will shape our self-worth.

We fear the work doesn’t live up to our inflated self-perceptions.

Self.

It’s wonderful to create for a cathartic release, but when we horde our creative work for reasons like fear and ego, it becomes selfish. If you knew the work you’ve hidden from the world could change just one person for the better, would it remain hidden?

Likely not. But it’s 100% likely to not change anyone if you hide it.

**Portions of this blog were taken out of my book, UNFINISHED. You can buy it on Amazon HERE.