Michelangelo Life Drawings - Dover Fine Art Collection

Throughout his long life, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) never stopped practicing drawing with pen, pencil, or chalk. In the 60 years of his artistic career, the artist created numerous sketches, drawings, and studies covering a wide range of subjects — from nudes, heads, and figure studies to Madonnas, anatomical drawings, studies of children and animals, mythical representations, and religious works. This volume showcases 46 of his best drawings, representing most of his artistic themes and techniques, all done in his preferred mediums of pen and ink, red and black chalk. The sheer strength, elegance, and precision of his work are beautifully displayed on each page. The reproductions, printed on high-quality paper, include pieces ranging from early studies inspired by ancient sculptures and Renaissance frescoes to the ethereal religious pieces from his later years.

Many of these drawings are preliminary sketches related to some of his most significant projects: the marble David created between 1501 and 1504; the well-known cartoon made in 1504 for the planned fresco in the Palazzo Vecchio, The Battle of Cascina; the masterpieces on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel completed between 1508 and 1512; and the grand fresco of The Last Judgment in the same chapel finished between 1535 and 1541. Additionally, there are a few highly detailed allegorical drawings from the early 1530s. Some of these drawings, such as The Battle of Cascina, are the only remains of lost artworks. Each drawing in the book comes with a brief description including the date it was created, the medium used, its size, and where it is currently located.

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