Jo Lee Magazine - Luxury Edition 2020

NOSTALGIA AND YOU —————————————————————————————
La Nostalgie Et Vous | Nostalgia Y Usted | Nostalgia Und Sie |
When A Scrawled Note Is Precious
By Kerry Baker
Brisbane – Australia
Michelangelo was often called Il Divino, “the Divine One”, based on his staggering artistic ability to inspire
awe. Sculptor, artist, poet and architect, this Titan of the Arts is remembered for his genius in creating the
Pietà, the David, The Last Supper, the Sistine Chapel, work on St. Peter’s Basilica and so very much more.
He, along with Da Vinci and Raphael, were the triumvirate of jewels in the crown of Florence during the
High Renaissance. But testament to his artistic prowess can also be found in much more mundane and
disposable items.
In Italy in 1500, the literacy rate was 15%, noticeably higher than the 11% that was representative across
Western Europe at the time. This may be indicative of the fact that it was usually confined to nobles, clergy,
officials and some merchant classes. Italy possessed large numbers of these categories. For the servant class
and especially women, illiteracy was a fact of existence. Thus, when Michelangelo required his servants to go
to the market for provisions, a standard shopping list as we know it would be useless. Consequently, he
would illustrate his list, drawing pictures of bread, fish, wine etc. This is an example of one such picture
drawn on the back of an envelope. That it has survived for so long is truly remarkable. Only 600 of
Michelangelo’s sketches remain as in 1518 he burned many of his early drawings and 48 years later ordered
many of his papers to be torched in anticipation of his demise.
Michelangelo – master of both the exceptional and the basic.
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