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"In 'The Stock Market of the Spirit: The Power of Art in Everyday Life' [TIA, Vol. 19, No. 4], I made reference to the psychological dividends that a work of art can pay.

Take, for example, a sculpture that portrays a creative genius in a moment of pride in his own work. Viewing such a piece for a moment at a gallery or in a museum provides a great deal of fuel, reminding you of the pride you seek in contemplating your own work and reviving a sense of joy in achievement that might have been dampened by a grinding work schedule. It is amazing that such a refueling can occur from just a brief moment's viewing—but imagine what is possible if that same work sits next to you in your office, providing that same sense-of-life refueling every day, in every moment that you look up from your desk.

"This was not a hypothetical example. I was referring to Sandra Shaw's 1994 bronze portrait bust of Michelangelo….

"Let us carefully observe the details of this piece.

"Here is a man with powerfully rugged features and an intensity of expression in his face. The strong muscles of his chest and shoulders, the wiry tendons in his neck and the veins running across his throat all indicate that this is a man of immensely powerful physical strength. But he is not a brawny, unthinking brute; that same powerful physical strength we see is matched by the intense mental concentration in his expression. The eyes are deeply and confidently focusing on something, and the evaluation of that something is clearly evident on his face. There are slight creases at the corners of his eyes, little curves at the corners of his mouth, which add up to give the impression of a 'twinkle' in his eyes. This is a man who sees something that makes him extremely pleased. This is a man of joyous self-confidence, combined with a great physical and mental strength.

"Without knowing who the figure is, we are able to determine much about this man. But to gain a full understanding of this piece, we need to take into account who is depicted. This is a portrait of the genius artist Michelangelo as a relatively young man, captured in the act of contemplating his own work. This sculpture depicts the very act of a man valuing himself—his own talents and his own creation. Armed with just a basic knowledge of who Michelangelo was, each detail of this piece now takes on a greater, more profound meaning.

"Michelangelo was famous for his ability to carve into stone at unheard-of speed—and without the aid of today's power tools, a feat that requires great physical strength. This portrait celebrates the legendary strength of this man. But notice how the artist shows us that for this man, each blow on his chisel was an act of careful thought. Though we see him in a moment when his hair is tousled, his strong but elegant features, his expression, and most importantly his eyes convey a powerful intelligence and a thinking mind.

"Knowing a little about Michelangelo's history helps us to appreciate another subtle detail. Notice the slight curve and bump on the bridge of his nose, indicating that it was once broken. It is a famous story that when Michelangelo was young, his nose was broken when he was punched by a less-capable sculptor who was jealous of his abilities.

"Nearly every work depicting Michelangelo puts great emphasis on his broken nose, making it the most striking feature of his face. This emphasis on what others had done to him conveys a sense that no matter how great a genius is, he will always be attacked or injured by those who are less capable. To show a genius obviously broken and disfigured puts the emphasis on what harm others can inflict, not on what Michelangelo could achieve. It emphasizes the power of evil.

"But Michelangelo's broken nose was indeed part of his facial features; to completely ignore this detail would require ignoring the facts about his face, so that it would no longer be a portrait of a specific man.

"In this portrait bust of Michelangelo, notice that his nose is shown as broken, but subtly so. The artist's emphasis is not on what injuries this man may have suffered. The emphasis is on what the man has accomplished—on what the man proudly and happily views in front of him. The artist acknowledges that a jealous man once broke the genius's nose, that evil exists, but also that it is ultimately inconsequential in the life of a genius.

"Instead of deeply disfiguring the portrait, the subtly broken nose merely adds to the sense of this man's rugged strength, along with the strong cheekbones, the prominent ridge of the brow line, and the vigorously modeled chunks of hair. But again, this is not just a mindless physical strength; each detail equally stresses the mind of the creative genius: the head held proudly, the eyes intent and focused, and each facial muscle reflecting his emotion on seeing and judging his own creation.

"The qualities of strength and intelligence are thus integrated together in his contemplation of their result: his pride in his work.

"In all the artworks in history, I can think of no better work of art to place in your office, to look up at—as I do—throughout the day, as a constant reminder of what is possible if we hold our own work to the highest of standards."

—Sherri Tracinski, The Intellectual Activist, Vol. 19, Nos. 5 & 6