A New Work by Michelangelo in Florence

It may seem impossible, yet there is a new work by Michelangelo to see in Florence. Though not a recent discovery, but for a long time it was not accessible to visitors. Now it is finally displayed in the hall of the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno, exhibited as it deserves.

This work is the River God, also known as the River Deity. It is the only surviving model created by Michelangelo, and this fact alone gives the piece extraordinary importance.

The River God

The River God is a large model made of unfired clay (raw earth), created by Michelangelo between 1525 and the early 1530s. It was conceived as a preparatory model for a sculpture intended for the New Sacristy of the Medici Chapels.

The River God is represented as an old man reclining. This symbolic image—a river divinity —was meant to represent not only the flow of life, but also its origin.

The Model

Before carving marble, it was—and still is—common practice to create a model of the sculpture. The creation of the model is the first essential phase of the work. By shaping a pliable material, the sculptor gives form to the idea, granting it a three-dimensional presence that preparatory sketches cannot provide.

In the model, the artist defines proportions and measurements. The model is therefore the first fundamental stage of the creative process. Models can be made from various materials: clay, raw earth, or plaster.

Entering the Sculptor’s Workshop

For this reason, the River God is of fundamental importance. We strongly encourage visitors to see it: it reveals Michelangelo’s creative moment.

Walking around the large reclining figure, one can truly imagine the moment when the idea first took shape. Seeing the River God is like witnessing the powerful moment of creation: the materialization of an idea, the true birth of a work of art.

To see the River God is truly like entering Michelangelo’s workshop.

The Only Model by Michelangelo

No other models by Michelangelo survive. Therefore, only by visiting the hall of the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno can one discover a side of Michelangelo’s art that is usually hidden.

Even more, it allows us to glimpse what he did not like to show: the long and demanding creative process. Michelangelo—who believed his talent to be a divine gift—wanted to present only the finished work, the perfection achieved. This is what we admire in the museums where his sculptures are displayed.

Here, however, by observing the River God, Michelangelo’s only surviving model, we can see the process that led him to that perfection.

The River God at the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno

The River God is currently on display in the hall of the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno, on Via Orsanmichele. It is important not to confuse it with the Galleria dell’Accademia, which houses the famous David.

In 1534 the River God was in the New Sacristy. It was meant to serve as the model for a marble sculpture. After Michelangelo moved to Rome, it remained in the possession of Grand Duke Cosimo I de’ Medici. Later Cosimo gave it to Bartolomeo Ammannati. On April 28, 1583, Ammannati in turn generously donated it to the Accademia delle Arti del Disegno “for the benefit of young people who wished to study.”

The River God has had an adventurous history. Considered lost, rediscovered in 1791, then exhibited in different locations. Now is finally back to its home at the Accademia delle Arti e del Disegno, which has carried out the necessary restoration and created an excellent display for the work.

Visiting the River God

The River God can be visited as part of a city tour. Or added to our guided visits on Renaissance sculpture or Michelangelo, on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday from 10:00 am to 1:00 pm, or from 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm.

It is a unique opportunity to enter deeply into the world of art—and above all to witness the creative act of the divine Michelangelo.

And who would have thought it: now there truly is a new work by Michelangelo to see in Florence.