Back to Methuselah · Character

Martellus

A sculptor of the far future who carves the new humanity's self-image, and argues with Pygmalion about what those figures ought to mean.

supporting

Also known as Martellus Calling, Martellus Rising, Martellus Impossible, Martellus Rises, Martellus Enslaved, Martellus Contemplating the Figures

First appearance: part v as far as thought can reach

As a supporting figure in Back to Methuselah, Martellus is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

See Martellus in part v as far as thought can reach Book page

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Martellus works in a world where art has outlived the passions that once drove it, shaping figures meant to represent what the long-lived have become rather than what they once desired. His exchanges with Pygmalion turn on the question of whether sculpture should flatter the new humanity or hold it to account, and he is willing to be difficult about it. He matters because he gives the play's abstract argument about evolution a workshop and a pair of hands, and because his quarrels with a fellow artist are the closest the future comes to ordinary human friction.

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The fuller portrait of Martellus sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Martellus in part v as far as thought can reach