You may have seen images of Michelangelo’s work. His ceiling in the Sistine Chapel has inspired visitors for over 500 years. And his statue of David unfailingly outshines every other sculpture in the Galleria dell’Accademia in Florence.
It’s an easy trap to fall into: looking at the finished product—of the artist, the founder, the Olympian, the speaker on the stage—and finding it hard to imagine how they got there.
However, when we look at Michelangelo’s unfinished work, it puts his completed works into perspective.
“In every block of marble, I see a statue as plain as though it stood before me, shaped and perfect in attitude and action. I have only to hew away the rough walls that imprison the lovely apparition to reveal it to other eyes as mine see it.” – Michelangelo
Michelangelo turned up every day, without fail, slowly revealing the masterpiece hiding inside the marble. When we look at the finished product, we only see what remains.