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May 9, 2008
Hidden in plain sight
New book reveals messages within Vatican art.
RON FRIEDMAN
Anybody who has read the wildly popular The Da Vinci Code is familiar with the notion that artists may embed secret messages into their paintings. A newly published book, co-written by Rabbi Benjamin Blech and art historian Roy Doliner, argues that, like Da Vinci, master Renaissance sculptor and painter Michelangelo used his art to pass on secret messages.
The Sistine Secrets (Harper Collins, 2008) tells how the revered artist, commissioned by the Vatican to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel for the glory of the pope and the Catholic Church, actually used it to hide Judaic teachings and show contempt for Julius II, pope at the time.
The book came about as a result of a fortunate meeting between Blech and Doliner, when the rabbi was in the Vatican for a meeting with Pope John Paul II.
Doliner is a Jewish art scholar, who for the last 20 years has been giving tours of the Vatican to visitors. Over the years, he came to realize that Michelangelo incorporated a great deal of Jewish knowledge and kabbalah lore into the Sistine Chapel, in coded ways. Upon meeting Blech and learning of his background – Blech is a professor of Talmud at Yeshivah University and the author of 11 books – he offered a partnership to which Blech enthusiastically agreed.
In The Sistine Secrets, the authors recount the life story of Michelangelo. Born to a prestigious but poor family in 15th-century Florence, he was adopted into the powerful de Medici clan. From a tender age, his skill became apparent and the head of the family invested heavily in his development, providing him with an education equal to his own son's.
Florence at the time was a city relatively respectful of Jews. Cosimo de Medici and his circle were eager to learn from the Jews their knowledge and culture, particularly the wisdom of Jewish mysticism. It was in this environment that Michelangelo came to be aware of Jewish scripture and Judaic teachings by the likes of Rashi, Maimonides and S'adia Ha-Gaon. "When he got the opportunity to do the Sistine Chapel, he wanted to include many of these teachings, in order to let Christianity realize that their ancestors, their source, was Judaism," said Blech in a phone interview with the Independent.
The bulk of the book is an intricate examination of the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. The writers go over the massive artwork frame by frame and point out what they believe are messages hidden in plain sight. The reason Michelangelo needed to hide the messages, they argue, is that what he was saying would have put him in danger had it been understood by the church.
"In times of intolerance and religious persecution, art very often did not dare openly declare what the artist so urgently wanted to communicate. Codes, hidden allusions, symbols and veiled references comprehensible only to a very limited circle of peers were the only recourse available to those who broke with the traditional dogmas of their age – especially if the artist knew his ideas would be anathema to his patron or to the authorities," write the authors.
Blech and Doliner claim that they have been able to break the code and, as they describe the various methods Michelangelo used, an overarching theme comes through. "The remarkable thing is that Michelangelo had been asked to do the Sistine Chapel ceiling in commemoration of Jesus and Mary," said Blech. "He, however, who was very upset with the church of the time for the fact that it had ignored its Judaic roots, wanted to build a bridge between Judaism and Christianity."
Unlike The Da Vinci Code, which was written as a work of fiction, The Sistine Secrets is meant to be taken seriously. Blech hopes that readers take from the book a new understanding of the relationship between Judaism and Christianity, and acknowledge that Judaism is the source of Christianity. "Modern Christianity, under the leadership of Pope John Paul II, who I met and spoke with, and under Pope Benedict now, stress these very ideas and it is our contention that Michelangelo, 500 years ago, was guided and motivated by the very same concepts that the modern church today acknowledges," said Blech.
So far, The Sistine Secrets has been granted wide publicity. On the weekend of its publication, it was featured on all three American network news programs, including an hour special on 20/20, ABC's primetime news show.
But, together with the good publicity, there is a risk that this book will stir up a good deal of controversy. Many of Michelangelo's messages were extremely critical of the Pope Julius II, a man who was notoriously corrupt and hypocritical – neglecting his oath of celibacy and promoting nepotism – and Michelangelo's criticism was sometimes expressed vulgarly. Some might balk at the suggestion that Michelangelo painted an angel giving the pope an obscene hand gesture, or God "mooning" him. "One has to be very careful making clear that Michelangelo was critical of the leadership of the church in his time ... however, this book is not a book attacking the church today," said Blech.
Whether or not Michelangelo meant to embed hidden ideas in his masterpiece – some of the purported codes seem a bit strained – this book is sure to promote discussion on some important issues and, at the very least, should bring renewed attention to one of the world's most gifted artists.
For those interested in hearing more about The Sistine Secrets, Blech will be in Vancouver on Thursday, May 15, 7:30 p.m., at the Norman Rothstein Theatre as part of a lecture series called Scholars Speak Presents. For details, call 604-781-3215.
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