Given the Freedom to Bring Any Guest, Essay Example

Given the freedom to bring any guest of my choosing to a place special to me, I would not hesitate in summoning Michelangelo to accompany me on a tour of Florence. It may seem odd to want to escort a Renaissance genius around the birthplace of the Renaissance, yet I feel that the many benefits to Michelangelo himself would rival those I would receive.

While I would wish us to explore much of that extraordinary city randomly, I would have one specific destination in mind as our starting point; I would insist he view the depiction of Hades on the ceiling of the Duomo. The beauty, terror and artistry of that work will stay with me always, and I would be fascinated to hear what the great Michelangelo thought of it. Even as I first viewed this art, I wondered if Michelangelo, that master of subtlety, would have thought it magnificent, or overdone and garish.

From there, I would be intrigued to see how this genius took in what had become of his beloved Florence. I would want him to understand how revered his work has been in the centuries since he created it; I suspect Michelangelo would shrug off the worldwide acclaim given him over the years as his due, but I may be surprised.

Then, I would be fascinated to hear his accounts of his own creative process, as well as the political turmoil that both enabled and thwarted the art of his era. I could also learn how he felt about the thrilling dichotomy of Florence today, with its unique mix of the modern world with ancient splendors down every street. I am quite sure as well that, as our time together ended, I would beg Michelangelo to stay with us, and in Florence.