You do not currently have permission to view the full text for this document. Please sign in to an account with an active subscription or contact support.
In this large and impressive volume, Dr Liebert has made a most comprehensive study of Michelangelo's life and his work in all its facets. Psychoanalytically he makes two kinds of observation; firstly he relates characteristics of the individual works of art to Michelangelo's experiences and fantasies, and secondly he interprets the ups and downs of his turbulent life to the relationships with powerful father figures in the persons of the Medici family and various Popes who were his patrons during his long life. In order to do this Liebert has made an exhaustive study of Michelangelo's sculptures, paintings, architecture and poems, as well as of the available literature from his letters, the writings of his contemporaries and those of other biographers. It would be difficult for anyone fully to appreciate all the details of this book unless he had a similar interest in and knowledge of Michelangelo, but even for the uninitiated it would form a stimulating introduction to the subject.
The book contains 182 monochrome illustrations, mainly of Michelangelo's carvings, with a few relevant examples from other artists for comparison. For the representation of the carvings the monochrome is probably as good as possible, but the absence of any colour detracts from the