His old sad face, surrounded by the heavy cowl, looks down for ever with a tenderness beyond expression, repeating mutely through the years how much of anguish and of blood divine the redemption of man's soul hath cost.
The history of this great poem in marble, abandoned by its maker in some mood of deep dejection, is not without interest.

We are told that the stone selected was a capital from one of the eight huge columns of the Temple of Peace.

Besides being hard and difficult to handle, the material betrayed flaws in working.

This circumstance annoyed the master; also, as he informed Vasari, Urbino kept continually urging him to finish it.

One of his reasons for attacking the block had been to keep himself in health by exercise.