Michelangelo's Moses

Michelangelo's Moses, San Pietro in Vincoli

                  This sculpture was one that I was so looking forward to seeing. However this setting for this sculpture is one that is not ideal. It is part of a tomb for a former pope. This tomb is setting within a small church called San Pietro in Vincoli, meaning Peter in chains. St. Peters chains that he was freed from are located within this church as well. 
                    However this sculpture is part of a tomb, and it is roped off to where you cannot get very close to the tomb. Also the lighting that the church has set up for this tomb is one that is not ideal. It creates a harsh light that just allows the sculpture to get lost within all the other marble. It was not the experience that I was hoping for. The church seemed to not like visitors coming into the church just to see the sculpture. I understand how frustrating it can be having tourist come into a church, and ruin a wonderful experience that someone might be having with their creator. However the tourist that are coming to experience this maculate sculpture want to have a spiritual experience. At least I do. Especially this sculpture is one that is very important to the christian, and jewish faiths. So I want to be able to go into a church and see a sculpture in its natural setting, and let it do what it was intended to do. This sculpture might have been created out of greed from a controversial Pope, however now it is used as a memory to what is taught in the old testament. It is one that is suppose to remind us christians that Moses stood in front of God, and when he came off the mountain he had a heavenly ora. Its suppose to remind us that the Israelites were traveling through the dessert for a very long time, and that these people God's people were resilient, and faithful. They had little bumps along the way, but they mad it to the promised land. This sculpture is suppose to encompass the idea of a manly leader that was not going to put up with any thing that was not God's plan for these people. This sculpture would do that, if it was in a little different setting. All in all I love this sculpture, just not the location, or the tomb that it is attached too.