Judgement day. Within the walls of San Pietro in Vincoli in Roma, sits Michelangelo’s Moses and the tomb of Pope Julius II. After working and studying this piece for so long, we finally get to see it in life. Aside from the main sculpture itself, it’s the structure and design of the tomb as a whole that really makes this piece. Surprisingly Moses sits quietly tucked away from the main center, and only a handful of tourist who know about its existence, and a few locals come passing by. It only made the experience that much more powerful. Notice the size and mass of stone in comparison to Jose to the right.
Done in the early/mid 15th century, this is one of Rome’s most important pieces to date. Fast forward in Rome to the 21st century and we end up at the Roma international expo – 2 to 300 artists from across the globe come together yet again. Our friend Romain sailed from Corsica to work his lower left leg sitting through a tough two day session. With tattooing continuing to grow globally in industry, styles, and trends, it’s interesting to see many of the people still sharing the same connection to the old master works centuries later. The impact goes hand in hand, emotionally, mentally….and with this piece, physically. So to be in the presence of the masterpieces themselves here in Rome, there’s no excuses – go in strong.
To wrap up, Romain took home the Best of the Show award for his piece, and made a great start to his future collection. A big thanks to Romain and Aurelia for traveling the distance and sitting through a tough session, and thanks to all the support across Europe.
