Why I became a model

Standing in front of Michelangelo’s David was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. Allowing my eyes to feast on the perfect proportions and magnificently modeled contours of Michelangelo’s masterpiece was one of the very few times I’ve been genuinely awestruck and emotionally moved by a work of art. Of course I was not alone, and the crowd surrounding the sculpture – from all continents and speaking a wide variety of languages – were overwhelmed by David as well. Japanese men snapped photos from every conceivable angle, Brazilian women gestured emphatically in admiration, and children from all over smiled and pointed.

Part of what moved me about David was the intense scrutiny and admiration of a sculpture that represented an actual living, breathing person. Yes, Michelangelo’s unrivaled artistic ability gave birth to David and his other works, but the model immortalized in marble represents the mental image we conjure when we think of Michelangelo and his sculptures. When we think of David, we think of the man whose likeness is carved in marble, not the artist who sculpted it. When the myriad of people admired the man in the marble, they were viewing a representation of the model. Thus when looking at David, we were conscious of the model who provided inspiration, the actual human being who stood completely nude and exposed before Michelangelo 500 years ago.

It occurred to me later as I drifted to sleep at the hotel that I could be David – or at least the man who inspired David. Michelangelo’s model was simply a man who knew how to hold a good pose. No lengthy training or specialized instruction was required – simply an ability to stand still and the willingness to stand naked before other people. The man who modeled for Michelangelo did not perfect his craft over the course of his entire life the way a musician does, nor did he complete the rigorous training required of physicians. No, this man loved art and was fortunate enough to be Michelangelo’s muse. I loved art and was willing to drop my robe, so why couldn’t I be someone’s muse?

When I returned home I took my first steps toward becoming a muse. I called several local art stores and after several days of phone calls I finally got in touch with the monitors of a handful community drawing groups. I will post more on my first modeling experiences in a future post, but the impetus to make those phone calls and buy the drawing books to come up with good poses came after that trip to Italy and a visit to David’s home in Florence. I loved art before that trip, but after seeing David I wanted to become art. Ten years later, thousands of hours on the platform, and countless drawings on paper, paintings on canvas, and sculpture in clay later, I think in some small way I’ve succeeded…