Michelangelo intentionally damaged his Florentine Pietà due to a complex mix of personal frustration, primarily stemming from the constant insistence of his servant Urbino to finish the sculpture, and an inherent problem he encountered with the marble itself. This drastic action was viewed by others as "ruining such a marvelous work."
Michelangelo's Stated Reasons for Destruction
When questioned about why he had "ruined such a marvelous work," Michelangelo offered what were described as "a tangle of incongruous motives," pointing to a combination of immediate pressures and material challenges that led to his frustration.
The Importunity of His Servant Urbino
A significant reason Michelangelo provided was the incessant and daily "importunity" of his servant, Urbino. Urbino's continuous nagging and persistent demands for the artist to complete the Pietà weighed heavily on Michelangelo. This constant pressure from his servant reportedly contributed significantly to his exasperation, pushing him to a breaking point where he lashed out at the sculpture itself.
Inherent Flaws in the Marble
Beyond the external pressure, Michelangelo also alluded to a specific issue with the marble from which the sculpture was being carved. He mentioned that "a piece of the..." sculpture posed a problem, implying a defect or an unforeseen difficulty with the stone material itself. Such challenges with the raw material could have deeply frustrated the sculptor, compounding his overall irritation and contributing to his decision to abandon and damage the work.
Michelangelo's act of damaging his own creation, though born from his personal struggles and artistic challenges, resulted in the significant alteration of what was widely recognized as a remarkable piece of art.
