shows as usual Michelangelo's supreme
contempt for the sentiment of the subject. He has filled the background
with graceful nude figures simply because he considered them to be
beautiful--"per mostrare maggiormente l'arte sua essere grandissima,"
says Vasari, and except for the type of face used for St. Joseph there
is nothing religious about the group of the Holy Family. The impression
is religious, nevertheless, through its grace, sweetness and proud
strength. We feel that Michelangelo desired to contrast the puritan and
virile sobriety of this work with the voluptuous languor of the art of
Lionardo.

The calm Madonna of Bruges belongs also to this period. This was bought
in 1506 by two Flemish merchants, John and Alexander Mouscron, who
placed it in their chapel where Duerer had already seen it during his
travels in Belgium in 1521.

CHAPTER II

MICHELANGELO AND JULIUS II

(1505-1513)

In March, 1505, Michelangelo was called to Rome by Pope Julius II. Then
began the heroic period of his life and the "tragedy" of the monument of
Julius II which was not to end until forty years later. The pope and the
artist, both of them proud and violent, were well fitted to work
together--so long as their ideas did not conflict. Their brains seethed
with tremendous ideas. The first years of their friendship were a
feverish delirium of plans. Julius II was on fire with enthusiasm for
the plan for his tomb which Michelangelo submitted to him. It was to be
a mountain of architecture with more than forty statues, some of them of
colossal size, and with many bronze reliefs. "Michelangelo's design
pleased the pope so much," says Condivi, "that he sent him at once to
Carrara (April, 1505) with an order to cut as much marble as he
needed.... Michelangelo stayed more than eight months in the mountains
with two servants and a horse." He was the victim of superhuman
exaltation and in his enthusiasm dreamt of carving a whole mountain. In
December, 1505, he returned to Rome, where the blocks of marble which he
had chosen had already begun to arrive from Carrara. They were unloaded
at La Ripa and then transported to the Piazza di San Pietro behind S.
Caterina, where Michelangelo lived. "The mass of the stones was so great
that they aroused the wonder and joy of the pope." Michelangelo set to
work. "The pope in his impatience came constantly to see him and
conferred with him over the monument and other works, with as much
familiarit