Tomb Monument of Giuliano di Lorenzo de' Medici by Michelangelo Buonarroti is one of the great funerary monuments of the Italian Renaissance. Created for the Medici Chapel in Florence, it combines the seated figure of Giuliano with the allegorical sculptures of Night and Day.
About the Tomb
The monument forms part of Michelangelo's New Sacristy, now known as the Medici Chapel, at the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Florence. Architecture and sculpture are designed as a single monumental environment.
Giuliano de' Medici
The seated figure represents Giuliano de' Medici, Duke of Nemours. Michelangelo presents him in an idealized and authoritative manner rather than as a strictly naturalistic portrait.
Night and Day
Night and Day recline above the sarcophagus beneath Giuliano. Their contrasting forms symbolize the passage and cyclical nature of time, transforming the tomb into a meditation on mortality.
The Four Times of Day
Night and Day correspond with Dawn and Dusk on the neighboring tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici. Together the four figures create a continuous cycle of time across the Medici Chapel.
Architecture and Sculpture
Michelangelo integrates niches, columns, cornices and sculptural figures into a unified composition. The vertical architecture contrasts with the horizontal movement of the reclining allegories.
Renaissance and Mannerist Influence
The monument is a major achievement of High Renaissance sculpture and architecture. Its complex poses, idealized anatomy and unusual spatial relationships also influenced the development of Mannerism.
Original Location
The original tomb remains in the Medici Chapel in Florence, where it forms part of Michelangelo's New Sacristy.
The monument offers a powerful representation of Michelangelo's ability to combine portraiture, allegory and architecture into a meditation on power, time and mortality. Alpha Art Gallery offers contemporary reproductions in available presentation formats, with free worldwide shipping on orders.