Page:The Life of Michael Angelo.djvu/13

 PREFACE

the National Museum in Florence is a marble statue which Michael Angelo called "The Victor." It represents the beautiful nude figure of a young man, with curly hair over a low forehead. Standing erect, he has placed his knee on the back of a bearded prisoner, who bends and, like an ox, stretches his head forward. But the victor looks not upon him. When about to strike he stays his hand, and turns away his sad mouth and irresolute eyes. His arm falls back towards his shoulder. He throws himself backwards. A desire for victory no longer fills his heart—it is repulsive to him. Though he has conquered, he in turn is vanquished.

This representation of heroic Doubt, this victory with shattered wings (which was the only one of all the works of Michael Angelo to remain in his Florence studio until the day of his death, and which Daniello da Volterra, the bosom friend who was acquainted with his thoughts, wished to use in the ornamentation of his catafalque) is Michael Angelo himself and the symbol of his whole life.

Suffering is infinite and assumes a multitude of forms. At one time it is caused by the blind tyranny