Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

Evening: Interpretations of the Sculpture

Evening (Twilight) is a marble allegorical sculpture by Michelangelo Buonarroti, created between 1524 and 1531. It represents the allegory of Evening, or Twilight, and is part of the tomb of Lorenzo II, Duke of Urbino, in the Medici Chapel in Florence. Its paired sculpture is Morning. The work measures 155 × 170 cm, with a maximum diagonal length of 195 cm. The figure is shown as an elderly muscular man whose face is barely defined, contrasting with the polished marble of the body. He appears to be falling asleep, with one arm scarcely supporting him and his head inclined toward his chest. Commentators have described the sculpture as conveying drowsy thought, unrest, and the oppressive atmosphere of old age and nostalgia.

Michelangelo’s Evening, a reclining marble male figure with a bearded face in the Medici Chapel.
Michelangelo’s Evening reclines on the tomb in the Medici Chapel at San Lorenzo, Florence.
June 2019 © George M. Groutas · CC BY 2.0
Evening, a reclining marble male figure from the Tomb of Lorenzo de\' Medici.
The marble sculpture Evening from the Tomb of Lorenzo de\' Medici at the Cappelle Medicee.
June 2014 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Michelangelo’s Evening, a reclining marble figure on the tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici.
Michelangelo’s Evening, shown here as a reclining figure on the tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Reclining marble statue of Lorenzo II de Medici by Michelangelo, shown with a downward gaze and bent arm.
Michelangelo’s tomb sculpture of Lorenzo II de Medici in the Medici Chapel, shown reclining on the sarcophagus lid.
August 2014 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Michelangelo\'s Crepuscolo, a reclining nude marble figure with a beard beneath ornate architectural details.
Michelangelo’s Crepuscolo from the Tomb of Lorenzo de’ Medici, shown in a sepia-toned photograph.
© Fratelli Alinari · Public domain
Michelangelo’s Evening, a reclining marble figure resting on one arm and holding drapery.
Michelangelo’s Evening in the Medici Chapel, shown here in a sepia-toned photograph.
© Rijksmuseum · CC0
Close-up of Michelangelo’s Evening showing the reclining marble figure’s bare legs and foot.
A close-up of Michelangelo’s Evening in the Medici Chapel, focusing on the reclining marble figure’s legs and foot.
June 2019 © George M. Groutas · CC BY 2.0
Close-up of Michelangelo’s Medici Chapel sculpture showing a bearded male figure with his head angled downward.
A close-up of one of Michelangelo’s sculptures in the Medici Chapel, with the figure’s head lowered against the chapel’s classical stone setting.
© · CC BY-SA 4.0
Michelangelo’s Dusk, showing two reclining marble figures beneath a seated figure in the Medici Chapel.
Michelangelo’s Dusk in the New Sacristy of Florence’s San Lorenzo, with reclining figures beneath a seated sculpture.
June 2019 © · CC BY 2.0
Close-up of Michelangelo’s Dusk showing a marble male figure with a tilted head, textured beard, and shadowed eyes.
Detail of Michelangelo’s Dusk in the Medici Chapel, showing the figure’s head and upper torso in marble.
June 2019 © · CC BY 2.0

Identification

TitleDusk
SubjectAn allegory of Evening (or Twilight); one of the four allegories of the Parts of the Day; a male personification of dusk; an elderly male figure of athletic build; an elderly man
Original titles"Evening" (Twilight); "Evening"; Le Crépuscule; Le Soir; Il Crepuscolo; El Crepúsculo; Puesta del sol; Tramonto
TypeMarble allegorical sculpture; sculpture; marble statue; sculpture / statue; personification statue; allegorical sculpture; statue / deity

Creator

Artist nationalityItalian
ArtistMichelangelo Buonarroti; Michelangelo

Historical context

Date of creation1524–1531; 1524-1531; between 1524 and 1531; datable to 1524-1531; 1524–1534; 1524-1534; 1524 to 1534
Work period1524–1534
Work phaseSecond phase of the work
Completion statusNearly completed by March 1526; visibly unfinished in 1534; still visibly unfinished in 1534; completion date unknown; started in 1524; not known when it was completed
Historical notesIt was begun after the resumption of work on the Sagrestia following the election of Clement VII to the papal throne; Michelangelo had to work on it substantially again after the interruption caused by the Siege of Florence in 1531; in 1534, the year of Michelangelo's definitive departure from the city, the sculpture was still visibly unfinished

Discovery and provenance

Associated monumentTomb monument of Lorenzo II de' Medici; New Sacristy (funerary chapel)
Model sourceDescribed in Christoph Gottlieb Murr's 1797 catalogue; described in Christoph Gottlieb von Murr, Description Du Cabinet de Monsieur Paul de Praun Nuremberg (1797), Nabu Press, 2011, 548 pages
Later history of modelNothing has been known about the terracotta model since 1802, when the collection was sold
Part ofDecoration of the New Sacristy in San Lorenzo, Florence; the tomb of Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino
Intended purpose of monumentMemorial chapel for Giuliano de' Medici and Lorenzo, his nephew, both of whom died young
Associated figureLorenzo II, Duke of Urbino (grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent); Giuliano de' Medici, brother of Pope Leo X
Original conceptionan idea of Pope Leo X
ModelA terracotta model existed for the sculpture
Commissioned forthe New Sacristy (Sagrestia Nuova), conceived as a memorial chapel
Commissioned byPope Clement VII; Cosimo I de' Medici

Location and ownership

LocationMedici Chapel, Florence; Basilica of San Lorenzo, Florence
Location on tombOn the left side of the sarcophagus of the tomb of Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino
Location contextthe New Sacristy
Related locationSagrestia

Physical characteristics

BuildAthletic
Maximum length195 cm
Dimensions155 × 170 cm; not specified in the fragment

Materials

SurfacePolished marble; polished
MaterialMarble

Technique

Support and adjustmentDid not fit perfectly on the sarcophagus lid; had to be adapted to the tilt using a little filler material
Completion techniqueFace, hands, and feet were consciously left unfinished; deliberately left unfinished in the face, hands, and legs; unfinished parts in the limbs and head; face, hands, and feet unfinished

Appearance

Arm positionOne arm loosely resting on the thigh and holding a veil that falls backward; the other arm bent with the elbow folded, supporting the figure; left arm barely supports the body
Leg positionThe right leg appears as if it will straighten in a few moments, after which the figure will lie flat in complete oblivion
Head positionLeaning down onto the chest
Body positionBody extended with one leg placed over the other for greater dynamism; body stretched out with one leg crossed over the other for greater dynamism
Gaze / expressionLooks thoughtfully; looks pensively downward; the figure is immersed in vague reflections; the limbs seem about to settle down wearily; the body seems to have lost strength; the figure is falling asleep
Facial featuresBearded face; bearded; face barely indicated; unfinished; sunken eyes, a bony nose, and a bearded face
PoseHalf-reclining / half-stretched out, nude; semi-reclining and nude; asleep with the left arm barely supporting the body, the head leaning on the chest, and the right leg thrown over, as if about to lie flat; body elongated with one leg crossed over the other; one arm resting on the thigh holding a veil that falls backward; the other arm bent at the elbow to support the figure

Iconography and meaning

Depicted figureA male personification of dusk; an allegory of Evening (or Twilight); one of the four allegories of the Parts of the Day
Companion figureMorning; Aurora
InterpretationsEmblem of the phlegmatic temperament; emblem of the element water; emblem of the element earth; personification of George Berkeley; the face was described as a portrait of Michelangelo's own face; the sculpture's face was said to be a portrait of the sculptor's own face; the unfinished features were intended to emphasize that dusk is approaching, when all objects seem covered with a veil; it is very difficult to see elements or temperaments in this deity; the statue was interpreted as conveying old age and nostalgia; Michelangelo deliberately left the face, hands, and feet unfinished to emphasize dusk, when all objects seem veiled
Possible model or inspirationMay have been modeled on the mountain and river deities on the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome
Related contrastIf Aurora is waking up, Dusk should be lying down

Significance

Scholars mentionedErnesto Steinmann (1907); Erwin Panofsky (1997); V. N. Lazarev; M. Ya. Libman; Herbert von Einem; Viktor Lazarev; Libman; Ainem
Cultural referencesMentioned in Irving Stone's biographical novel The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961); appears in the Japanese anime series Ergo Proxy (2006)

Other

Anime interpretationServes as a counselor to the ruler of the city of Romdo; appears as one of four allegorical statues serving as advisers to the ruler of the city of Romdo; personification of George Berkeley; George Berkeley was an influential Irish philosopher known for works on subjective idealism; work referenced: "Being is to be felt"; work referenced: "To Be Is to Be Perceived"
Source noteChristoph Gottlieb von Murr, Description Du Cabinet de Monsieur Paul de Praun Nuremberg (1797), Nabu Press, 2011, 548 pages