Michelangelo: The Sistine Chapel Ceiling, The Prophet Jeremiah
To me, Jeremiah is the most human of all the prophets on the Sistine Chapel Ceiling. The prophet exhibits weakness, weariness and despair, his posture reveals diffidence and inner suffering. This is a potent psychological portrait, and the artist channels every surrounding element towards bringing out the mentioned traits, to make it such. I think that looking at this old man may be particularly gratifying, because every human being can sympathize with anguish, finding similar sentiments inside their souls. This figure epitomizes emotional pain, and demonstrates universal appeal as a consequence. Michelangelo chose the most basic device to establish the general mood: almost every loose object in this scene points down, as if symbolically echoing Jeremiah’s torment and “down” feelings; the man himself hangs his head, his gaze is downcast, his right shoulder is drooping. Furthermore, his beard points directly downwards, as is his under clothing and the fingers of his left hand. The prophet’s mirror companion replicates his position, with the lock imitating the beard.
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Unlike in the other prophets, who display broad hand movements, Jeremiah’s limbs perform actions that provide insight into their owner’s inner state. The right hand covers the mouth, as if blocking harsh words or even cries — the man would not speak because he has already said everything he could. The left hand plays with the clothing, a clear sign of insecurity and absent-mindedness. Finally, the legs are crossed to form an “X,” an evidence of low self-esteem or reticence. I once read a guide on psychology of bodily positions, and most of my knowledge is derived from there. I doubt that Michelangelo had the benefit of reading the same guide, but he was obviously well familiar with its contents. He was as sensitive a psychologist as a stylist; I imagine that this is an indispensable quality for any all-round artist, particularly of the caliber of Michelangelo. Overall, it seems that thematically, Jeremiah’s portrayal is the closest of the prophets to a portrait.
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Perhaps, symbolically, it is. The portrait of a nation which has just witnessed the destruction of its capital and temple, the portrait of the people who lost everything they cherished and loved. Have you noticed the pathos? I am merely trying to find a verbal equivalent to what I see in front of me. It seems that the pre-restored version adds a crude realistic touch: the feet appear blackened — and it is easy to conjure up the black of the debris and scorched ruins of Jerusalem covering the other colors, instead of the candle smoke accumulating on the fresco. In fact, the process of restoration may withhold a symbolic prediction — a prophecy — of what is to occur in the future. This hypothesis marks Jeremiah as a still active prophet, at least in the minds of concerned people. But I will quietly walk out of this theological conundrum. From purely artistic point of view, this figure stands out as the least pretty physically, yet the most accomplished psychologically. Michelangelo proved himself to be as keen an observer of internal events as he was of the external.
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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 21st, 2007 at 10:38 pm and is filed under Michelangelo, Religious, Renaissance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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