The Rebellious Slave by Michelangelo
Rebellious Slave is a 2.15m high marble statue by Michelangelo, dated to 1513. It is one of the 'Prisoners', the series of unfinished sculptures for the tomb of Pope Julius II. It is now held in the Louvre in Paris.
Michelangelo undertook the project for the tomb of Pope Julius II in 1505, and began to carve the Slaves in 1513, as part of a modified project. On the pope's death, the project changed once again, for financial reasons. Michelangelo donated the Slaves to Roberto Strozzi, who brought them to France.
The slaves were designed as part of the initial project for the tomb (in 1505), and Michelangelo began to carve them in 1513 when a second project was developed. A fourth, less grandiose project, elaborated after the pope's death, saw them rejected for financial reasons. Julius II, who had dreamed of a freestanding mausoleum at Saint Peter's in Rome, was buried in San Pietro in Vincoli in a wall tomb, albeit one adorned with Michelangelo's famous Moses (a contemporary of the slaves). Despite being unfinished, the two great marbles were already admired. Michelangelo donated them to the Florentine exile Roberto Strozzi, who presented them to the French king. The Slaves thus reached France during the sculptor's lifetime, and first occupied two niches at the Château d'Ecouen (constructed by the constable Anne de Montmorency) before Cardinal de Richelieu took them to his château in Poitou. The two Slaves had originally been intended to feature on the pope's tomb alongside similar figures, including the four marble Slaves in the Academy of Florence, carved (and also left incomplete) in 1531–32.
Released: April 13, 2013
Model Version: 1.0
Credits: Digitally Reconstructed by New Masters Academy
Overview: A complete and accurate digital reproduction of the Rebellious Slave, a 2.15m high marble statue by Michelangelo, dated to 1513.
Process: Digitally reconstructed