But the magnanimous Roman gentleman replied that he was entirely satisfied with the one he had received.

He regarded and esteemed it "as a thing of gold," and, in refusing Michelangelo's offer, added that "this proved his noble soul and generosity, inasmuch as, when he had already made what could not be surpassed and was incomparable, he still wanted to serve his friend better." The price originally stipulated was paid, and Varj added an autograph testimonial, strongly affirming his contentment with the whole transaction.
These details prove that the Christ of the Minerva must be regarded as a mutilated masterpiece.

Michelangelo is certainly responsible for the general conception, the pose, and a large portion of the finished surface, details of which, especially in the knees, so much admired by Sebastiano, and in the robust arms, are magnificent.

He designed the figure wholly nude, so that the heavy bronze drapery which now surrounds the loins, and bulges drooping from the left hip, breaks the intended harmony of lines.

Yet, could this brawny man have ever suggested any distinctly religious idea?
Christ, victor over Death and Hell, did not triumph by ponderosity and sinews.