Continuing last week’s Sculpture Saturday theme, this week I chose another famous Michelangelo sculpture, Moses.

In 1505, Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to design and build his tomb. The tomb was Michelangelo’s first architectural project.

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Moses is the centerpiece of the tomb’s two-story facade. The tomb is  housed in the church of San Pietro in Vincoli in Rome, Italy.

Pope Julius II wanted his tomb to be located at the Vatican in St. Peter’s Basilica. After the Pope’s death in 1513, plans changed. Michelangelo worked for two years on this marble sculpture finishing the work in 1515. Construction of the tomb wasn’t finished until 1545.

Moses is a powerful, larger-than-life figure. The dimensions are 235 cm x 210 cm (92.5 in x 82.6 in). If standing, Moses would be more than eight feet tall.

View Moses, the Pietà, and other great works by Michelangelo when you visit Rome. Centuries after their creation they still make quite an impression on even a person such as myself who knows little about sculpture.

Sculpture Saturday is hosted by Sally Kelly’s Ruined for Life: Phoenix Edition.