The Awakening Slave

The four sculptures known as the Prisoners, more commonly referred to in English as "slaves" were produced between 1519-1534 and were part of the original decoration ordered for the magnificent mausoleum of Pope Julius II of the Della Rovere family. However, since the project was not completed and never reached an advanced stage of development, these pieces remained at Michelangelo's workshop. After his death, they went into the possession of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici who placed them with other works in Grotta del Buontalenti from Boboli Gardens. There they stayed until 1909 when they were transferred to Galleria dell’Accademia where today one can admire these sculptures as part of enriched collection in main corridor that leads towards Tribune.

Among the Slaves, it is considered one of the most eloquent and dynamic pieces. On the left as you walk through, this is the first and least well-defined of the four Prisoners. The body appears to be twisting against its bonds, striving to emerge free from the block of marble that contains it. It speaks volumes of some tremendous potential energy. Michelangelo himself stated that he only chiseled away what held back his vision of the forms already captured within the block of stone. In obvious metaphorical terms, it could represent man's constant battle against his own physical restrictions on himself or flesh on spirit. A closer look reveals some chisel marks around this block, especially towards where he would have been working when finishing up from behind.

The shape of this Prisoner is just beginning to emerge from the marble block; the powerful muscles and torsion of the chest and head indicate that the figure is striving to free himself from the material's weight, from his limitations, in order to ascend. This was a key notion in Michelangelo’s philosophy of art. Tool marks left by the sculptor's chisels and rasps make the marble almost into a picture surface by giving it value and, at the same time, enhancing its play with light.