| Back to Home Page | Back to
Book Index |
Gifts
of Works
Bertoldo de Giovanni is a
name even the most enthusiastic lover of art is unlikely to recognize. He was
the pupil of Donatello
the greatest sculptor of his time
and he was the
teacher of Michelangelo
the greatest sculptor of all time. Michelangelo was
only 14 years old when he came to Bertoldo
but it was already obvious that he
was enormously gifted. Bertoldo was wise enough to realize that gifted people
are often tempted to coast rather than to grow
and therefore he kept trying to
pressure his young prodigy to work seriously at his art.
One day he came into the
studio to find Michelangelo toying with a piece of sculpture far beneath his
abilities. Bertoldo grabbed a hammer
stomped across the room
and smashed the
work into tiny pieces
shouting this unforgettable message
"Michelangelo
talent is cheap; dedication is costly!"
Gary Inrig
A Call to
Excellence.
We have nothing to do with
how much ability we've got
or how little
but with what we do with what we
have. The man with great talent is apt to be puffed up
and the man with little
(talent) to belittle the little. Poor fools! God gives it
much or little. Our
part is to be faithful
doing the level best with every bit and scrap. And we
will be if Jesus' spirit controls.
S.D. Gordon
The
Bent-knee Time.