Hommage à Michel-Ange
(Tribute to Michelangelo)

1955, oil painting on canvas, 97 x 146 
Coll. Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, Brussels
N° inv. 717

During his visit to the San Lorenzo Church, Bertrand discovered the burial chapel of the Medicis, which is one of the most striking architectural testimony of Michelangelo’s genius. Bertrand liked the stark and melancholic solemnity of the place, which corresponded to his own temper. The white marbles contrast with the stone elements of the structure which guided the first drawings of the Belgian artist. The shadows are emphasized by the protrusions which inspired the recesses and coloured planes characterizing Bertrand’s works on that theme. Bertrand stated: “this is a perfect thing” ; and he went on with such accurate terms : “a contained tragedy, a razor sharp moulding, large solid surfaces bounded by thin vertical or horizontal lines and an overall feeling of mechanical perfection at a human scale”.
During his visit, Bertrand made several drawings which were for many years an object of meditation and reflection.