Paige Carpenter Illustration

He’s shocked that she actually came to find him, that she’s concerned, that she’s asking him to let her help. You can see the tears in his eyes, the way his expression changes from “don’t think about anything, just stay numb” to complete shock that someone is being kind to him. But there is also a moment of “no, you can’t be here, he’ll find you”

And look at this scene in the mall, one we’re all intimately familiar with by now. Look, he’s crying again. And look how he just melts into her hand, because she’s being kind to him. She understands.

Look at all of this, then tell me that this is not the face of a boy, a mere eighteen years old, let me remind you, who has known nothing but violence and cruelty for far too long. Tell me that this is the face of a monster who deserved a slow death that left him confused, terrified, and in agony. Look and tell me that this is a person who finds joy in cruelty and not a child who has been taught that cruelty is the only way to live, who is desperate for any sort of control outside of a home where he is constantly hurt and treated like the muck on the bottom of his father’s boot.

A pair of woman’s knitted gloves (Italian, 1650–1700).

Silk; embroidery.

Michelangelo was born on this day in 1475 in Caprese near Florence, Italy. The painter, sculptor, architect and poet is widely considered to be one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance period.⁠ ⁠ Here, Michelangelo drew in pen and ink to shape a winged fire-breathing dragon. If you look closely, you can see two drawings of faces below the final sketch - these were drawn by a student of Michelangelo’s before they we’re abandoned and drawn over by the artist.⁠ ⁠ Works on paper fade quickly when exposed to light and are extremely fragile, making it impossible to keep them on permanent display. Our Western Art Print Room offers access to beautiful and significant drawings, watercolours and prints by a wide range of artists from the fifteenth century to the present day including Michelangelo, Rubens, Ruskin and Degas, among others. Find out more on our website.⁠