--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo…" description: "\"“To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo, translated from the Italian by Joel Agee | 144 words (On painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel) 1509 I’ve grow..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/anonymous-1_good-place_to-giovanni-da-pistoia-michelangelo-tran_278811.jpg" --- # To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo, translated from the… ![“To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo, translated from the Italian by Joel Agee | 144 words (On painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel) 1509 I’ve grown a goiter from this trap I’m in, as cats do from foul water in Lombardy, or some such place, wherever it may be. My stomach’s almost up against my…” quote by Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/anonymous-1_good-place_to-giovanni-da-pistoia-michelangelo-tran_278811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/anonymous-1_good-place_to-giovanni-da-pistoia-michelangelo-tran_278811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/2c8/anonymous-1_good-place_to-giovanni-da-pistoia-michelangelo-tran_278811.jpg) > ““To Giovanni da Pistoia Michelangelo, translated from the Italian by Joel Agee \| 144 words (On painting the vault of the Sistine Chapel) 1509 I’ve grown a goiter from this trap I’m in, as cats do from foul water in Lombardy, or some such place, wherever it may be. My stomach’s almost up against my chin, My beard points skyward, at my nape the store of memory dangles, I’ve grown a harpy’s breast, and from above, my dripping brush, for jest, transforms my face into a mosaic floor. And while my haunches press into my gut, my ass serves as a steady counterweight. My feet tread blindly somewhere down below. In front I feel my skin stretched lengthwise, but in back it crimps and folds. This is my state: arched and indented like a Syrian bow. Not to be trusted, though, are the strange thoughts that through my mind now run, for who can shoot straight through a crooked gun? My painting’s dead. I’m done. Giovanni, friend, remove my honor’s taint, I’m not in a good place, I cannot paint.”” [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The artist describes physical strain and creative frustration, likening his body to a warped bow and his mind to a chaotic canvas. **In simple terms:** Artist feels trapped and exhausted. Key Takeaway Seek balance between physical health and artistic drive. Themes art health creativity Mood melancholic introspective Type literary personal When to use this quote - studio work - physical injury - mental fatigue - artistic deadlines Key Concepts embodiment creative block Questions to Reflect On - How does physical discomfort affect artistic expression? - What practices restore creative flow? A Different Perspective Physical limits may impede creative output without rest and support. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Dead Giovanni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dead-giovanni-2708905/) [Good place](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/good-place/) [Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michelangelo/) [Michelangelo Translated](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/michelangelo-translated-2708902/) [Painting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painting/) [Pistoia Michelangelo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pistoia-michelangelo-2708903/) [Sistine chapel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sistine-chapel/) [Translated Italian](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/translated-italian-2708904/) ## Related quotes > [“Adam'e arm reaching towards God. When I first stood in the Sistine Chapel I wondered if Michelangelo was aware of his blasphemy. 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Only he ended up with the Sistine Chapel and I got a sooty ceiling in a minor mansion…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelley-noble/now-i-know-how-michelangelo-felt-only-he-ended-up-with-the-sistine/) [Shelley Noble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelley-noble/) > [“that) but because God thought the whole thing up first. Fran illustrates this with the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where Michelangelo portrays the creation…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-edgar/that-but-because-god-thought-the-whole-thing-up-first-fran/) [William Edgar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-edgar/) > [Let me tell you, though: being the smartest boy in the world wasn’t easy. I didn’t ask for this. I didn’t want this. On…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-me-tell-you-though-being-the-smartest-boy-in-the-world-wasn-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You are the Michelangelo of your own life. The David you are sculpting is you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-are-the-michelangelo-of-your-own-life-the-david-you-are-sculpting/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“You ever seen that painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel in Rome, where God’s reaching out and touching the finger of an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chance-carter/you-ever-seen-that-painting-on-the-ceiling-of-the-sistine-chapel-in/) [Chance Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chance-carter/) ## More by Anonymous > [And a tear rolled down her cheek, as she said goodbye; because she's walking away, and she's never looking back](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/and-a-tear-rolled-down-her-cheek-as-she-said-goodbye-because-she-s/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Life is full of change. That's how we learn and grow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-is-full-of-change-that-s-how-we-learn-and-grow/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. 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I have been through a lot, but I still manage to have a smile on my face. Im not worried about the past…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/me-i-have-been-through-a-lot-but-i-still-manage-to-have-a-smile-on-my/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Distance is a test of love. many will fail for those who can't withstand it, but for those who can, theres only one answer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/distance-is-a-test-of-love-many-will-fail-for-those-who-can-t/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Im sorry I ever tried...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/im-sorry-i-ever-tried/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Being betrayed by the one you love is the worst feeling in the world...](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/being-betrayed-by-the-one-you-love-is-the-worst-feeling-in-the-world/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The only person I've ever purposely caused pain here is myself...By simply sharing, caring too much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-only-person-i-ve-ever-purposely-caused-pain-here-is-myself-by/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Start a business, not a startup”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/start-a-business-not-a-startup/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The truth is, of course, that the curtness of the Ten Commandments is an evidence, not of the gloom and narrowness of a religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/the-truth-is-of-course-that-the-curtness-of-the-ten-commandments-is/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) [Explore all 162,899 Anonymous quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More Good place quotes > [Come to think of it, Pasadena's as good a place to die as any.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tolkin/come-to-think-of-it-pasadena-s-as-good-a-place-to-die-as-any/) [Michael Tolkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tolkin/) > [You want to remain hungry and stay in a good place as a competitor; at the same time, you want to be confident but…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lamar-odom/you-want-to-remain-hungry-and-stay-in-a-good-place-as-a-competitor-at/) [Lamar Odom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lamar-odom/) > [I don't feel I have to write deep and meaningful songs; they can be light and meaningless. 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Not a good place to be.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-cantwell/today-was-my-forty-fifth-birthday-impending-old-age-and-a-problem/) [Karen Cantwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-cantwell/) > [There's a side to reality TV that is part education, as well. I've seen that since doing "MasterChef Junior," in terms of the effect…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gordon-ramsay/there-s-a-side-to-reality-tv-that-is-part-education-as-well-i-ve-seen/) [Gordon Ramsay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gordon-ramsay/) > [“I agree that it's a shame some books have to suffer ratings that clearly are invalid. However I can't think of a way to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otis-y-chandler/i-agree-that-it-s-a-shame-some-books-have-to-suffer-ratings-that/) [Otis Y. 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My stomach’s almost up against my chin, My beard points skyward, at my nape the store of memory dangles, I’ve grown a harpy’s breast, and from above, my dripping brush, for jest, transforms my face into a mosaic floor. And while my haunches press into my gut, my ass serves as a steady counterweight. My feet tread blindly somewhere down below. In front I feel my skin stretched lengthwise, but in back it crimps and folds. This is my state: arched and indented like a Syrian bow. Not to be trusted, though, are the strange thoughts that through my mind now run, for who can shoot straight through a crooked gun? My painting’s dead. I’m done. 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