The Agony and the Ecstasy: A Novel of Michelangelo

The Agony and the Ecstasy by Irving Stone is a 1961 biographical historical fiction novel that details the life of Michelangelo Buonarroti, one of the most notable artists in history. Set against the backdrop of Renaissance Italy, the novel details Michelangelo’s intense relationships with his family, rivals, and patrons, including the Medici family and various popes. The novel, which explores themes including Art as a Tool of Political Power, The Divinity of Creativity, and The Power of Platonic Love, was adapted into a film in 1965.

This guide is based on the 1987 Signet edition of The Agony and the Ecstasy.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide feature discussions of death and suicide.

Plot Summary

The Agony and the Ecstasy begins in Florence in the mid-15th century. During this time, the city is nominally a republic, but in truth, it is ruled by the powerful Medici family. Lorenzo de’ Medici, the family patriarch, is a humanist and noted sponsor of the arts. A young man named Michelangelo, from a storied but not wealthy family, wishes to become an artist. He sketches himself in his room, studying his profile. In defiance of his father’s hopes that he will become a successful businessman, Michelangelo instead accompanies his friend Granacci to the studio of the famous artist Ghirlandaio. Michelangelo boldly asks Ghirlandaio to hire him as an apprentice. This would allow him to placate his father by receiving a small wage while learning to paint frescoes. Ghirlandaio is interested in the precocious young Michelangelo, who shows himself to be a talented draftsman and composer, though Michelangelo is more interested in sculpture than painting. Michelangelo wants to depict the true human form beneath clothing, as the Greeks and Romans did in antiquity.

Michelangelo’s talent is noted, and he is brought into a school organized by Lorenzo de’ Medici, who seeks to bring the lost art of sculpture back to Florence. Lorenzo introduces Michelangelo to the poets, writers, philosophers, and artists who attend his humanist school. Though Michelangelo is intimidated by Lorenzo, the school nurtures his talent as a sculptor. Finally, Michelangelo is permitted to carve marble. His first forays into sculpture are amateurish but reveal his natural talent. During this time, he also meets Lorenzo’s youngest daughter, Contessina. Their initial awkward interactions give way to a meaningful friendship; she is Michelangelo’s first love, though their relationship must be strictly platonic.

When Michelangelo sculpts his first work—a depiction of Madonna and child—the humanists in Lorenzo’s school praise him for his ability to fuse Christian themes with classical styles.

The death of Lorenzo de’ Medici leaves Michelangelo in a difficult position. He is unsure of his place in his former benefactor’s palace and unsure of how he will be able to pursue his artistic ambitions. Contessina is arranged to marry a nobleman, and Michelangelo leaves the Medici palace in search of inspiration and opportunity. He is struck by the idea of carving a marble statue, but he wants to be able to infuse the human form with a new kind of naturalism. To accomplish this, he feels that he must understand the human body. However, the dissection of corpses in Florence is strictly forbidden. Michelangelo receives secret help from the prior of the Santo Spirito monastery, allowing him to sneak into the monastery each night to dissect dead bodies and study their anatomy. He learns a great deal from these secret dissections, but he fears reprisal. When Ghirlandaio dies, the sight of his mentor’s body brings Michelangelo to the conclusion that he has seen enough dead bodies and must stop.

Piero, the son of Lorenzo, has a strained relationship with Michelangelo. He invites Michelangelo back to the Medici court and offers him commissions, allowing Michelangelo to practice his art. Whatever money Michelangelo makes, however, is taken by his demanding family. At the same time, the people of Florence turn against Piero. He does not inspire the public adulation that his father Lorenzo enjoyed. A priest named Savonarola has also risen in popularity during this time. His captivating speeches rally against the corruption of the clergy and the decadence of the Florentine state; Michelangelo’s own brother falls under Savonarola’s sway and urges Michelangelo to give up his heathen art. Savonarola organizes mass burnings of works of art, known as the Bonfires of the Vanities. When the people of Florence storm the Medici palace, Michelangelo does what he can to protect the priceless artworks. The Medici family flees, while Michelangelo spends a year in the nearby city of Bologna. Eventually, he receives an invitation to Rome, which he accepts.

Michelangelo finds Rome in a dilapidated state. The former glories of the city have long gone, though the ruins of the ancient buildings and the artworks are seen everywhere. Michelangelo struggles with the complicated politics of the city, in which the cardinals and popes are in a constant state of competition. Michelangelo just wants to carve his statues, but he finds himself obliged to forgo money and work to satisfy his social and political obligations. He meets Jacopo Galli, who becomes his patron, and he carves several statues that quickly earn the attention of the art world. He is given the opportunity to carve a pietá—a traditional depiction of the Virgin Mary cradling the body of Christ after the crucifixion—for which he produces his greatest work yet, though this too is mired in political wrangling, and his patron dies before the artwork can be installed. Michelangelo installs the statue in the dead of night; the next day, he sees people praying before the statue but debating who could have produced it. He carves his name into the base of the statue, announcing himself to the world.

In Florence, a competition is held to carve a giant statue. Many of the world’s foremost sculptors compete for the honor, including Leonardo da Vinci, with whom Michelangelo has a rivalry. Eventually, Michelangelo wins the commission, and he reinterprets the Biblical story of David so that David represents the assured, emerging state of Florence as it takes on powerful enemies. Though there is initial controversy surrounding the statue, Michelangelo’s work is quickly adored by the people of Florence. The David becomes the symbol of the city. As he receives a flood of commissions and faces the chance to finally dedicate himself fully to the carving of marble, Michelangelo is summoned back to Rome. Pope Julius II wants Michelangelo to carve his tomb, a project that will take many years and will distract Michelangelo from his true passions. Michelangelo does not dare defy the Pope, but he struggles to collect the fees he is owed. The Pope is unsure of his intentions and distracted by politics, much to Michelangelo’s fury. When Michelangelo does try to defy the Pope, returning to Florence without permission, he is forced to return and made to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. This takes many years, but Michelangelo’s work again earns him great respect.

Pope Julius dies, leaving Michelangelo in limbo. He is caught in the midst of unfinished projects and his own ambitions, as well as a complex social network of rivals and enemies. With the changing of the Popes, Michelangelo’s fortunes ebb and flow. During years of delay, Michelangelo is tasked with designing the armaments for a siege of Florence and building a new quarry to extract marble. He is given the commission for the Medici chapel in Florence and carves giant statues to celebrate his old patron, Lorenzo. Returning to Rome, Michelangelo struggles with the politics of the city. He meets Vittoria Colonna and Tommaso dei Cavalieri, falling into intense platonic relationships with both.

Now an old man, he is celebrated for his painting of the Last Judgment, but he worries that the conservative Popes will try to destroy his work. He is also given the commission to rebuild St. Peter’s Basilica. Though this project makes him the target for many rivals, his later years are spent on a radical redesign that is not completed before his death. Michelangelo dies as the official architect of the Vatican and the world’s most celebrated artist.