Moses by Michelangelo

The marble sculpture of Moses is the centerpiece of the tomb of Pope Julius II, located in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome. It was completed around 1515 for a much grander, scaled-down version of the original tomb. The church is easily accessible near the Roman Forum.

The horns are based on a mistranslation in the Latin Vulgate Bible of the Hebrew word "karan," which means to shine or radiate light, but was misread as "keren," meaning horn. Thus, Moses was traditionally depicted with horns in medieval and Renaissance art. Michelangelo followed this established iconography for his 16th-century sculpture.

The tomb project was plagued by decades of delays, arguments, and revised contracts between the impatient Michelangelo and Pope Julius II. Originally planned to feature over 40 statues, the final scaled-down structure was finally completed in 1545. Michelangelo considered the tomb project the tragedy of his life.

Michelangelo captures the exact moment Moses returns from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and discovers the Israelites worshipping a golden calf. His muscular body is tense, his right foot is tucked back ready to stand, and his fingers stroke his beard in suppressed rage. Sigmund Freud famously analyzed this pose in a 1914 essay, suggesting Moses is restraining himself from breaking the tablets.