Today is the birthday of the amazing Michelangelo. His first major work of art was the Pietà, a marble statue of Mary holding the dead Jesus in her arms. Supposedly, after the statue had been put on display, he went to see it and heard a crowd of people praising its beauty. When someone asked who had made it, another replied that the artist was il Gobbo, from Milan. That night, Michelangelo locked himself in with the statue and carved this inscription on Mary’s robe: “Michelangelo Buonarroti the Florentine made this.” It was the only work he ever signed.
(taken from the Writer’s Almanac)
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There’s another story about his response to a comment about David. While everyone was ooohing and aaahing at the unveiling, one critic commented that the statue’s nose was too big. Michelangelo grabbed a chisel with one hand and, surreptitiously, some marble dust with the other. He pretended to chip a bit away from David’s schnoz, but merely dropped the dust on the floor. The opinionated chap declared the work improved to his satisfaction, and everyone was happy.
that’s hilarious.