Day 25 - June 9, 2010 - Marble or Skin?

“A pile of rocks ceases to be a rock when somebody contemplates it with the idea of a cathedral in mind.” ~Antoine de Saint-Exupery

I've really come to appreciate art over the years. Particularly sculptures. It is beyond me how an artist can make something as cold and lifeless as stone look as soft and supple as skin and cloth. Michelangelo's "Madonna and Child" are a perfect example. Her clothing drapes realistically, the baby's hair looks wind-tossed, and their expressions, although somber, are alive. They were brought to life under the care of an artist's hands.

"David" is one of Michelangelo's most celebrated art pieces. I've been told that it is displayed quite simply. Along the pathway leading up to the statue rests an assortment of rocks with hands, arms, feet, and faces carved into them. The story goes that Michelangelo would simply begin carving a statue out of a piece of marble, trying to find and free the image within. Some of these images he chose to complete, and others he left unfinished. He saw the potential within a rock: what it could be. Then, he set the image free.