LEONARDO & MICHELANGELO
A Clash of Egos

When Leonardo returned to Florence after 16 years in Milan, a lot of things had changed in the city, including that there was a new star on the artistic scene - Michelangelo.
Leonardo had his first run-in with him around 1503, and it was one of those that would go down in art history…

The eyewitness account of the chance meeting between Leonardo and Michelangelo made it into the biography by the Anonimo Gaddiano, one of the first that were written about Leonardo:

“Leonardo was walking with P. da Gavine through Piazza Santa Trinita, and they passed the Pancaccia degli Spini where there was a gathering of citizens arguing over a passage of Dante; and they called out to Leonardo, asking him to explain the passage. At that point, by chance, Michelangelo was passing by, and Leonardo answered their request by saying, “There’s Michelangelo, he’ll explain it for you.” Upon which Michelangelo, thinking Leonardo had said this to insult him, retorted angrily, “Explain it yourself – you who designed a horse to cast in bronze, and couldn’t cast it, and abandoned it out of shame!” And so saying he turned his back on them and walked off. And Leonardo was left there, his face red because of these words…”

And that was not the only time this happened. There is another incident of Michelangelo’s jeering tone towards Leonardo:

“On another occasion Michelangelo, wanting to hurt Leonardo, said to him, ‘So those idiot Milanese actually believed in you?!’”

It is easy to say that Michelangelo was simply rude, attacking Leonardo for no reason. But let’s backtrack a little:

Not long before this, Leonardo was part of a committee that was to decide where Michelangelo’s ‘David’ should be displayed. It seems that the overall consensus was it should be placed in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, but Leonardo had other things in mind (seconding another member of the committee).

Leonardo’s words about the David were recorded verbatim during the meeting:
“I say that it should be placed in the Loggia (dei Lanzi opposite the Palazzo Vecchio) as Giuliano has said, behind the low wall where the soldiers line up. It should be put there, with suitable ornaments, in such a way that it does not interfere with the ceremonies of state.”

Needless to say, the ‘David’ took its place centre stage on a platform outside the main entrance to the Palazzo Vecchio (where a copy still stands today), and no doubt Michelangelo was informed of the various opinions of the committee members…