More Than One Pieta

Inside the Sforza Castle, seen above, was another work of Michelangelo, and one that surprised me. Of course we saw The Pieta in Rome; it is one of the most important sculptures in history. I had no idea, though, that Michelangelo returned more than once to the subject of The Pieta, which had been sculpted when the artist was a young man. Here we see a later work, executed more than half a century later. We see characters more rough-hewn and stark. He was working on this one at the time of his death at 89,

Opposites of Art

Outside the Sforza Castle in Milan, we see a fabulous modern work of public art, as the two portions of the needle and thread seen here are across the street from one another. The image then appears to have the sculpture continue under the street. Inside, the ceiling was painted by Michelangelo five hundred years ago; most impressive is the small section cleaned and restored to the original colors in recent years.