Michelangelo "Il Pensieroso"

 

Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici Sculpture by Michelangelo

Michelangelo worked on the tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, between 1520 and 1534 at the same time he worked on the tomb of Giuliano de' Medici. Medici
Chapel of San Lorenzo in Florence.

 The two tombs, while similar in overall composition, present subtle contrasts and in many ways comment on the public persona of each man. While Giuliano is posed in an extroverted manner, Michelangelo portrays Lorenzo receding into the shadows, his body closed, his legs crossed, and his mind deep in thought. It is a figure deserving of his nickname Il Pensieroso, "The Thoughtful One."