For the last twenty years of his life, Michelangelo worked on the dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. From age 68 to 88, when most people are retired, the master worked non-stop.
The only concession he made to his age was to allow his students to assist him in his workshop, something he never permitted earlier in life. Though he was an old man he could sculpt more in a few hours than his students could accomplish in a week. It is said that he worked so furiously the marble dust looked like snow falling in the studio.
More and more, researchers are coming to the conclusion that age is a “state of mind.”
Aleteia recently published a story about middle age being the prime years for creativity. It is a very intriguing read.
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Pontifex University is an online university offering a Master’s Degree in Sacred Arts. For more information visit the website at www.pontifex.university
Lawrence Klimecki is a deacon for the diocese of Sacramento as well as a working artist, he writes on art and faith at www.DeaconLawrence.org
The Journal for Catholic Culture & Arts 