Biagio da Cesena | seidenadvertising.com |
Michelangelo painted The Last Judgement — the altar wall directly below his ceiling — almost 30 years after he finished the ceiling. While Pope Julius II had commissioned the ceiling and intended Michelangelo to paint the wall, Pope Paul III was on the papal throne when the wall was actually painted.
Pope Paul III | wikipedia.org |
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Pope Paul III was astonished and angry, and he said that he'd excommunicate anyone who touched the wall.
Biagio da Cesena | seidenadvertising.com |
"You see, Holy Father," cried the Master of Ceremonies, "the report was true. Buonarroti has painted me into the fresco. With some kind of repulsive serpent for my genitalia."
"It's a covering," replied Michelangelo. "I knew you would not want to be portrayed wholly naked."
"A remarkable likeness," observed the Pope, his eyes twinkling. "Michelangelo, I thought you said you could not do portraiture?"
"I was inspired, Holiness."
Biagio da Cesena hopped up and down on either foot as though it were he instead of his picture standing over the fires of hell.
"Holiness, make him take me out of there!'
"Out of hell?" the Pope turned surprised eyes on the man. "Had he placed you in purgatory, I should have done everything in my power to release you. But you know that from hell there is no redemption."
censorshipinamerica.com |
Here's a quotation I found from Michelangelo; it could well be in reference to Biagio da Cesena:
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