2025-26 Downtown Sculpture Gallery – City of Auburn, WA
NWSSA Staff
December 18, 2024
Which sculptor wrote the following poem?
As a trustworthy model for my vocation,
at birth I was given the ideal of beauty,
which is the lamp and mirror of both my arts.
If any think otherwise, that opinion's wrong:
for this alone can raise the eye to that height
which I am preparing here to paint and sculpt.
Even though rash and foolish minds derive
beauty (which moves every sound mind
and carries it to heaven) from the senses,
unsound eyes can't move from the mortal to the divine,
and in fact are fixed forever in that place
from which to rise without grace is a vain thought.
Which sculptor wrote the following poem?
As a trustworthy model for my vocation,
at birth I was given the ideal of beauty,
which is the lamp and mirror of both my arts.
If any think otherwise, that opinion’s wrong:
for this alone can raise the eye to that height
which I am preparing here to paint and sculpt.
Even though rash and foolish minds derive
beauty (which moves every sound mind
and carries it to heaven) from the senses,
unsound eyes can’t move from the mortal to the divine,
and in fact are fixed forever in that place
from which to rise without grace is a vain thought.
ANSWER:
Poem 164, ca 1541-44. Written by Michaelangelo for Vittoria Colonna who inspired many of his works and with whom he shared a passionate friendship.
The painting of Michelangelo is a self portrait and his drawing of Vittoria was done when Michelangelo was 65 and Vittoria was 50.
We need some kind of descriptive text here.