Michelangelo, the greatest of Renaissance artists, was active as a sculptor, painter and architect. Aside from a few unfinished paintings and a handful of marbles north of the Alps, his genius can only be appreciated outside of Florence and Rome through his work as a draughtsman. This exhibition and book combine the best examples from the British Museum with studies of comparable quality from the Ashmolean Museum, and also from the small but very high-quality holdings of the Teyler Museum. An introductory discussion covers topics such as Michelangelo's life and contemporary fame, his training and choice of drawing technique, and the history of his drawings after his death. The book is then structured chronologically around the various important projects that punctuated the artist's career, illustrating the way in which his ideas evolved in the creation of such iconic works as the two Sistine Chapel frescoes. Each stage in his life is set against the backdrop of the continually changing political situation, Michelangelo's patrons, and the pupils and contemporary artists whom he so heavily influenced. The book includes colour illustrations of 90 drawings in the show, as well as comparative illustrations of the finished works and related studies showing their evolution.
