from the Last Judgment, but criticising the picture as “licentious and likely to cause scandal with the Lutherans, by reason of its immodest exposure of the nakedness of persons of both sexes in heaven and hell.”  It is not clear what Aretino expected from Enea Vico.  A reference to the Duke of Florence seems to indicate that he wished to arouse suspicions among great and influential persons regarding the religious and moral quality of Michelangelo’s work.

This malevolent temper burst out at last in one of the most remarkable letters we possess of his.  It was obviously intended to hurt and insult Michelangelo as much as lay within his power of innuendo and direct abuse.  The invective offers so many points of interest with regard to both men, that I shall not hesitate to translate it here in full.

“Sir, when I inspected the complete sketch of the whole of your Last Judgment, I arrived at recognising the eminent graciousness of Raffaello in its agreeable beauty of invention.

“Meanwhile, as a baptized Christian, I blush before the license, so forbidden to man’s intellect, which you have used in expressing ideas connected with the highest aims and final ends to which our faith aspires.  So, then, that Michelangelo stupendous in his fame, that Michelangelo renowned for prudence, that Michelangelo whom all admire, has chosen to display to the whole world an impiety of irreligion only equalled by the perfection of his painting!  Is it possible that you, who, since you are divine, do not condescend to consort with human beings, have done this in the greatest temple built to God, upon the highest altar raised to Christ, in the most sacred chapel upon earth, where the mighty hinges of the Church, the venerable priests of our religion, the Vicar of Christ, with solemn ceremonies and holy prayers, confess, contemplate, and adore his body, his blood, and his flesh?

“If it were not infamous to introduce the comparison, I would plume myself upon my virtue when I wrote La Nanna.  I would demonstrate the superiority of my reserve to your indiscretion, seeing that I, while handling themes lascivious and immodest, use language comely and decorous, speak in terms beyond reproach and inoffensive to chaste ears.  You, on the contrary, presenting so awful a subject, exhibit saints and angels, these without earthly decency, and those without celestial honours.

“The pagans, when they modelled a Diana, gave her clothes; when they made a naked Venus, hid the parts which are not shown with the hand of modesty.  And here there comes a Christian, who, because he rates art higher than the faith, deems it a royal spectacle to portray martyrs and virgins in improper attitudes, to show men dragged down by their shame, before which things houses of ill-fame would shut the eyes in order not to see them.  Your art would be at home in some voluptuous bagnio, certainly not in the highest chapel of the world.  Less criminal were it if