MOSES AND THE TABLETS Photo

Photographer’s Note

MOSES AND THE TABLETS

One of Michelangelo’s surpassing masterpieces depicts the Old Testament prophet Moses who climbs Mount Sinai, and returns with a pair of tablets containing the ‘Ten Commandments.’ Michelangelo Buonarotti (1475-1564) carved the marble statue between 1513-1515 for the tomb of Pope Julius II, which was originally planned for St. Peter’s Basilica. But after the pope's premature death, the tomb — and "Moses" — were placed instead in the lesser Church of San Pietro in Vincoli ("St. Peter Chained") on the Esquiline in Rome.

After taking the subway from the Chiesa di Santa Maria dell Popolo (see the earlier image, “Angels and Demons”), we arrived in the area of the Esquiline. It was necessary to ascend these steps to see the remarkable statue, which Michelangelo himself considered the most life-like among his astonishingly rich output. Tradition has it that, mesmerized by the face of his own creation, Michelangelo suddenly brought his hammer down on the statue’s knee, ordering it, “Speak!” And indeed, the statue still bares the damage that might have been created by a mighty stroke of the sculptor’s hammer. I am including the Statue of Moses here as a workshop.

In the present photograph, one can see the steps ascending to the church, with a young man descending — not with the tablets — but the ubiquitous cell phone.

phwall, dareco, saxo042, bakes888, Clementi, yedirenk, jwmunro, ChrisJ, BWJ, alvaraalto, bostankorkulugu, jhm, JCG, paololg, belido, stego, Bluejeans, Didi, isabela_sor, Focales, danos, Charo, pablominto, ghilain, Graal, stelli, Wandering_Dan, PixelTerror, Docarmo, Henryk_Bilor, ahmetgedikli, daddo has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

phwall (5562) 2009-06-26 21:30

Hi Bulent,
Well at least the cell phone has ten numbers and a lot of commandments.
These look like well worn steps going by the shine and the worn down leading edge. The handrail too looks like it has helped many a traveler reach the top.
Very nice composition from an excellent POV.
I like what you have done to the sky at the top of the stairs, the threatening cloud looks spectacular against the small area of blue.
I hope you have an enjoyable weekend.
Regards
Peter

mesutilgim (36803) 2009-06-26 22:43

Günaydın sevgili Bülent,
Fotoğraf karesi olarak mükemmel de, hikayesi daha da müthiş !
Nereden aklına gelir bur paralellikler.
Tepedeki kemerin içinden gözüken bulutlu gökyüzüne bayıldım.
Gözüne gönlüne sağlık, tebrikler
Selam ve sevgilerle
MESUT ILGIM

dareco (17104) 2009-06-26 23:11

I love the textures and detail of this stairway!! Incredible depth and lovely to have the sky showing. The ws is of course a fabulous work of art. A very interesting post. TFS

saxo042 (15650) 2009-06-26 23:47

Hi Bulent,
A very good POV! I like the strong upward line along the stairs. The view through the top opening gives another perspective line. The inclusion of the man here is also very good, for giving life and vitality to the picture!
Kind regards
Gunnar

bakes888 (18189) 2009-06-27 0:57

Hi Bulent. Nice capture, good handling of light to retain detail in the tunnel and sky. Well composed also with great depth. Thanks also for the WS.
Have a good weekend, Paul.

feather (49860) 2009-06-27 3:28

Well handled exposure of a scene with a high dynamic range no doubt. You captured excellent detail and front to back sharpness. Good idea to include the man on the steps. I think it would look a bit bare without him and he helps your analogy! :D
Kath

Morac (20397) 2009-06-27 4:55

Bonjour Bulent,

Quel superbe travail grâce à la maîtrise de la lumière.
L'effet de profondeur est particulièrement bien rendu.
Amicalement
Marc

TGULUMSER (12512) 2009-06-27 7:45

Bulent Hocam merhaba,
Nefis bir kare, bakis aciniz super,
Elinize saglik,
Tulay

Clementi (44047) 2009-06-27 13:06

Ciao Bulent,
very interesting this splendid note that accompanies this spectacular photo, perhaps in this epoch the ten commandments could comfortably arrive with a sms, rather than to make to climb Mosè to the mountain.
next time that you return in Rome do me him to know have like immense to take a photowalk with you, and the others of the group in Rome.
Have a Nice week end
Giorgio

windosil (770) 2009-06-28 11:16

What a lovely gradation of slate/brown/blue. Many white touches in right places, good off-centre POV.
Just beautiful, thanks,
Winifred

yedirenk (7351) 2009-06-28 12:24

Bülent hocam merhaba,
dikey kadrajda enfes bir derinlik ve doku.bakış açınızla çok etkileyici görünüyor.ellerinize sağlık.selamlar,sevgiler

Cevdet

jwmunro (6575) 2009-06-28 13:59

Hello Bulent -

Isn't that the common thread of all street images in Europe and possibly the US - someone is talking on the cell phone. Interesting perspective and link here and waiting for one pedestrian to descend was a stroke of genius in my book. The one details I see here that takes this image up a notch is the clouds and blue sky in the archway. Well composed and presented.

Thank you for sharing.

John

ChrisJ (70203) 2009-06-29 0:15

Hi Bulent

I guess if Moses was around today, He'd be using a cellphone? A good upward pov on the steps, & the man adds a welcome human element. Superb diminishing linear perspective. Tfs!

BWJ (1773) 2009-06-29 6:54

Hello Bulent,

This elegant image has a lot of appealing elements. The vertical leading lines take the eye up the steps and through the opening at the top to the beautiful sky beyond. There is a rich variety of shapes and textures and the light reflected on the worn stone steps is handled well. The young man walking down with his cell phone gives good perspective, adds interest, and is a perfect final touch to the photo. Your note and workshop are outstanding as well.

Kind regards,
Betty

alvaraalto (5231) 2009-06-29 13:42

Dag Bulent,

As usual an interesting info and a humoristic illustration with this guy using his mobile phone to tell his friends about this special place.

Groet Rob

bostankorkulugu (33536) 2009-06-29 21:31

insanı içine çeken bir derinlik, ve yine nefis bir not... elinize sağlık profesör, selamlar... bu sene istanbul yok mu?...

jhm (82487) 2009-06-30 3:55

Hello Dear Bulent,

Every picture with a stair in foreground make absolutely impression.
Fantastic combination withthe old testament and the modern GSM user, perhaps have to Mozes come back for a new testament with PC!
Very nice perspective good depth aso a nice view depth in background.
Nice done, TFS.

Best regards,
John.

JCG (25315) 2009-06-30 6:31

Hello Bülent,

Tunnel which gives the impression of a rise in the third dimension !!! Interesting low-angle shot with a beautiful management of the ambient lights. I like much this small piece of blue sky which gives a pleasant relief to the image. The presence of this unconditional of the cellphone is welcome in the composition… and thank you for the photograph of this so famous representation of Moses in WS.

With all my friendships and with soon,

Jean-Charles

paololg (13757) 2009-06-30 14:26

Ciao dear friend,
excellent example of good perspective, emphasized by a small portion of the sky that shows all its drama. In reading your interesting note, we can understand the feeling of the sacred and the profane. The sacred of the old stairs that saw Michelangelo go up and the profane of this young boy that go down with the cell phone in hand. It's true, the world changes, the masterpieces remain.
Ciao dear Bulent, have a beautiful day!
Paolo

belido (16455) 2009-07-01 5:21

Olá Bulent,

there are two features in this shot those please me: the well chosen angle with the strong perspective and the exposure management in this hard light condition. Well, the human inclusion was essential and you knew about it. Great job!
Regards,
Carlos

stego (22352) 2009-07-01 17:21

Hello Bülent,

Indeed it's a curious coincidence that we posted almost at the same time two photos taken the same day almost 1 year ago. And both feature a slope... I just hope you didn't get a hard rain that day. :D

I like very much the perspective, the "tunnel effect" and the light that makes the stones glow, even below the arch. The young man is very well place compo wise. It's a very original and surprisingly appropriate way of illustrating the educative note.

Friendly regards,
José

Bluejeans (32269) 2009-07-02 6:00

Ola Bulent,
Lindos os detalhes capturados nas paredes e no chão , ficou interessante o homem ao telemovel a descer as escadas, bom controle de luz, parabéns!!
Um abraço Gonçalo

anokutan (7599) 2009-07-02 11:55

Bülent bey merhaba,
Bakışınız muhteşem.Sonuç süper.Bulutlu gökyüzünün katkısı mükemmel.Sevgiler.

leonorkuhn (13559) 2009-07-02 17:04

Hi Bulent,

There is much symbolism in this image, a parallel between the climb of Moses and the climb of the stairs.
Excellent POV, good colors and textures.

Greetings
Leonor

aadilj (17950) 2009-07-02 22:50

Thats a superlative shot Bulent that has been very artistically composed and nuances the textures and hues so well. the view is great

danyy (68738) 2009-07-02 22:56

Bonjour Bulent,
tu n'as pas choisi la facilité ici mais, la réussite de cette contrez plongée dans des lumières difficiles est totale. Même de la profondeur avec le ciel à l'horizon.
Amicalement.
Daniel.

jaywalker (12190) 2009-07-03 5:09

Hi Bulent, A nicely composed photo with the view up the stairs working perfectly, the glaze on the stone adds some beauty & excellent depth assisted by the touch of sky & the whole picture is finished off greatly by the man half way up, kind regards Wilson.

bukitgolfb301 (4616) 2009-07-04 4:04

Hello my dear Bulent

What a meaningful shot, nice framework, composition and thick color balance.
Congratulation on your good job !

Thanks for sharing and best regards,
Have a nice weekend!
Takero

Didi (36084) 2009-07-04 23:25

Hello Bulent
Nice position for showing the stairs.
Very good DOF and good lights balance in shades.
I think this picture is an introduction for what we will see upstairs.
Best regards

isabela_sor (42150) 2009-07-04 23:38 [Comment]

Show Comment

Focales (514) 2009-07-05 3:41

Hello Bulent,
Belle maîtrise de la lumière sur ce passage qui nous coduit vers le ciel bleu. Intéressante note également.

rodgerg (24029) 2009-07-05 9:32

Hello Bulent,

A POV very well selected and an xecllent framing give a greta propsect effect to the the littel beautiful blue sky with a nice cloud. Compoistion well balalnced too with the youg man well located in the image. I like too the excellent managment of light ( not easy here).
Best regards,
Roger

berek (28901) 2009-07-05 10:37

Merhaba Bülent bey,
Dünyadaki en sevdiğim şehir Roma neden bilmiyorum ama kendime çok yakın hissediyorum bu şehri. harika bir kare. güzel ışık kontrolü ve derinlik. elinize sağlık. selamlar.
Burak

danos (32432) 2009-07-05 12:31

hi Bulent,
nice perspective of the steps ascending to the church and the depth that created from them and lead the eye to the church..The young man adds life at the scene.Well done.

Regards,Danos

Charo (31671) 2009-07-05 17:03

Hello mi amigo Bulent,
Superb depth and graphics in this screenshot. Rome offers much to those we love photographing everything. Excellent composition and details.
Best wishes,
Charo

AiresSantos (42080) 2009-07-05 23:56

Hi Bulent
Great details like textures of stairs effect
Excellent low POV and light management
TFS and have a nice week
Aires

pablominto (40634) 2009-07-05 23:56

Hello Bulent,

The scene is nicely framed and the stairs leave no choice where to go!
Seems like this guy is using more up to date means of communication hehehe...
A detail I appreciate is the glimpse of the sky through the staircase..!

Greetings,
Pablo

ghilain (1714) 2009-07-06 1:36

Hi Bulent,

Excellent perpective and colors! I like the range of the gray towards the brown. This accentuates the prospect !
Thanks for the note!

TFS

brigitte

Fis2 (45799) 2009-07-06 13:10

Witaj Bulent!
A very beautiful place.
I like the frame and perspective.
Good light and colors.
The sky add savor of photo.
Warm regards.
Krzysztof

jafadabret (39591) 2009-07-06 23:22

Bonjour Bulent.
Les temps changent et Moïse descendrait aujourd'hui du Sinaï avec son portable à l'oreille !
La photo est très réussie malgré les conditions de lumière peu favorables. J'aime cette perspective qui débouche sur le ciel (tout un symbole !)
Amicalement
Jacques

Graal (57909) 2009-07-06 23:46

Hi Bulent,
nice perspective, good shot and composition with of the lone man. An interesting note. Well WS also. Solid work.
Gr., Aleksander

gunbud (27851) 2009-07-07 8:02

Hi Bulent,
Love the stunning contrast between the ancient well worn steps and the young man on the cell phone talking to someone many miles away.
Beautiful rich texture to the walls and steps and a lovely bit of blue sky showing through the arch.
As usual a fine historic note.
Regards, Tom

gokanlam (6429) 2009-07-08 1:54

Merhaba Bulent Bey,
derinligi oyle guzel vermissiniz ki gozlerimi yukariya kadar goturuyor.. sag duvardaki ayrintilar cok sey katmis fotografa.. iyi ki model var, dediginiz gibi cep telefonu ile.. gokyuzunun gorunmesi de guzel detay.. elinize saglik, selamlar..
rela

stelli (2941) 2009-07-08 2:19

You chose a very good angle for this photo but what makes it unique is the capture of part of the sky at the top of the stairs and through the arch! Thank you for sharing! Regards Stella

Greg1949 (8507) 2009-07-09 6:55

Bulent, nice work, I look forward to the shot of Moses you promised. This one shows a fine daily life scene from the eternal city and the shot is crisp and nicely composed. Fine work.

Greg

MLINES (10884) 2009-07-10 14:08

Hi Bulent, An unusual and interesting POV. The angles and textures is what i find appealing here. The man provides scale. The cloud and blue skies in the background throws some colour to this scene. Creative work. TFS. Murray.

Wandering_Dan (3221) 2009-07-11 10:19

Merhaba. Bulent -

I have just returned - not from Sinai, but from Jerusalem - so this seems an appropriate photo to comment on just on that. At first, I thought this was from the Old City, but frankly, none of the streets there look as good as this one does. Interesting contrast of ideas - descent with cell phone! Nice bit of sky in the back, too, with good light control.

On the WS photo: Do you notice the horns Michelangelo put on Moses' head? That was a common misconception, lasting - in my own personal experience - into the 1960s, and is the result of a mistranslation of the Hebrew word keren (קרן), which can mean "horn" but which in this case means "ray" - ray of light.

Best,
Dan

PixelTerror (86088) 2009-07-14 2:24

Hi Bulent,
Nice upwards perspective, well oriented forward and luminous, the guy on the phone is a strong eye anchor point, even more given the white t-shirt
Have a nice day jY

Docarmo (8834) 2009-07-15 21:54

Hi Bulent,
Nice duo of images. This one looks like 3D. Fantastic!
Thanks for the informative note.
Docarmo

Henryk_Bilor (20365) 2009-07-20 15:10

Hi Bulent
Excellent perspective up the stairs! Great light and details. The lines of the walls converging in the upper part and the proportions at the image reminds me works of Leonardo a bit :).
Regards

ahmetgedikli (21901) 2009-07-25 13:04

Merhaba Hocam,
Arkada bulutlu göğün görünmesi ve telefonla konuşan kişinin varlığı ile başarılı, dikkat çeken bir kompozisyon.
Ellerinize sağlık, saygılar.
İyi bir haftasonu dilerim.
ahmetgedikli

archimatica (13262) 2009-07-30 1:43

Hi, Bulent.
Great composition, effective perspective and description of materials of construction.
Absolutely Italian: the boy "hung" to its mobile phone ;)
Ciao
Renzo

carper (64804) 2009-09-22 9:57

Marvelous Bulent,
what a shot, good perspective, fine composition, well handled the light, good photo job here and your lesson in history very nice, have a good day my friend.
regard jaap

daddo (11350) 2009-10-13 15:54

Merhaba Bulent Bey. A clever title, enigmatic and puzzling-all at the same time. I had a feeling it had to do with the modern tiny communication tablet and on reading your note I could see the connection with Moses more clearly. As for the photo, the exposure is extraordinarily balanced when one considers the range of light and shade. I presume you used the flashlight. The opening to the sky and steps leading to it give the scene an extra dimension.Regards. Klaudio.