The four unfinished sculptures of prisoners or slaves were sculpted by Michelangelo between 1519 and 1534. They were intended to adorn the tomb of Julius II in the Basilica of St Peter in Rome. However the project was scaled down and the sculptures remained with Michaelangelo. They were given to Cosimo I de Medici when he died.
Awakening Slave
Young Slave
Atlas Slave
Bearded Slave
It has been suggested that Michelangelo left the statues in various stages of completion intentinally to depict the human struggle to free itself from materialistic desires i.e the prisoner trying to break out of the marble block.
Palestrina Pieta
The Virgin and St John the Evangelist holding up the lifeless body of Christ
St Matthew
This was intended as one of the 12 Apostles for the Duomo in Florence
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