In the case of Michelangelo it is a relevant question though.
At the time it was seemingly impossible to create these kinds of statues using conventional sculpturing techniques. If you try to chisel these shapes in large blocks off marble it would absolutely break in unintended places from chiseling.
Had he used a special tool, then that would have been the simple explanation.
He didn’t use special tools though, so having him confirm that he did indeed use a regular round chisel (and a rasp) is crucial to understanding how it was done.
The confirmation is the key information to even start thinking of the follow-up question “how the hell did you do that then?”
Answering “bro, it’s my talent” is of very little use to anyone.
From studying his unfinished works historians have been able to figure it out. He used knowledge of counter weight. By leaving large parts of the marble block untouched until the end he managed to balance the marble so that it would not break unintentionally.
A curious fact is that he always kept his unfinished works secret or covered. Nobody was allowed to see it before he was done. He intended to keep his technique secret.
In the case of Michelangelo it is a relevant question though.
At the time it was seemingly impossible to create these kinds of statues using conventional sculpturing techniques. If you try to chisel these shapes in large blocks off marble it would absolutely break in unintended places from chiseling.
Had he used a special tool, then that would have been the simple explanation.
He didn’t use special tools though, so having him confirm that he did indeed use a regular round chisel (and a rasp) is crucial to understanding how it was done.
The confirmation is the key information to even start thinking of the follow-up question “how the hell did you do that then?”
Answering “bro, it’s my talent” is of very little use to anyone.
From studying his unfinished works historians have been able to figure it out. He used knowledge of counter weight. By leaving large parts of the marble block untouched until the end he managed to balance the marble so that it would not break unintentionally.
A curious fact is that he always kept his unfinished works secret or covered. Nobody was allowed to see it before he was done. He intended to keep his technique secret.