“If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” -Michelangelo
Classic imagery of the old masters has become a common theme and source of inspiration to translate in today’s tattooing. But it’s one thing to follow a trend, copy and exploit images – truly dissecting, respecting the craft and understanding tradition is another. My obsession with process has a lot to do with how the old masters obsessed about their creative process, and the relentless work they took to arrive at a final piece of art. When it comes to sculpture, Bernini is the most transparent to study. A constant process of trial and error through use of maquettes and bozzettos are applied to study every shape, structure, space and form before any attempts on the final piece. The most important thing to observe here is his perseverance and acceptance of failure. While his peers would be concerned with trying to shortcut to a masterpiece, Bernini ‘s ruthless focus was on the building up, and breaking down cycle of study that is mandatory to break through previous results. Take a look at some of the old models he created that led up to some of the greatest pieces in human history…
“The models of the Angels, now undergoing restoration, testify to Bernini’s enormous commitment in creating the grand monument of the Altar for the Cathedra in St. Peter’s Basilica. It took the artist more than ten years to complete the work, which he modified several times during the course of the years. Different kinds of material were used to create the models, which differ according to their function: the clay mix and the internal and external framework. The material used to sculpt the Angels is composed of a mix of clay and dry grass, applied in layers, varying in thicknesses and composition, so as to avoid the creation of cracks whilst the clay is drying. The several layers of clay are heavy and therefore are in need of internal and external frameworks which are made up wrought iron, wire, organic material, such as vines tied together with twine, and numerous wooden elements. The areas which are lacking the outer finishing clay layer are extremely fragile and present multiple cracks and fissures. These surfaces enable one to study the different layers as they reveal the method used by Bernini during the creative process.”
source: The Vatican
