Oil and Marble: A Novel of Leonardo and Michelangelo

The Florentines celebrate Piero de’ Medici’s death in battle. However, a new generation of Medicis now schemes to retake Florence. Michelangelo rebuilds his family’s house. His family doesn’t help him, and they must sleep in the basement of the Basilica of Santa Croce alongside other unhoused families. In a moment of frustration, he returns to his work shed for the first time since his illness. He examines his “rough and unpolished” (236) statue. He throws his coat over the statue’s face, grabs his tools, and leaves. Days later, Granacci warns that the Operai threaten to rescind the future contracts they offered Michelangelo. The Operai, under Machiavelli’s guidance, opened up the shed to show the statue to the city council. Michelangelo is horrified that people have seen it. While Machiavelli hoped to turn them against the statue’s nudity, they believe that it symbolizes Florence. They plan to put it on display, polished or not, maybe even in place of a beloved Donatello statue. Michelangelo reiterates that he’s no longer an artist. Only by mentioning that Leonardo might take over the project can Granacci convince Michelangelo to intervene.