Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master

by Hugo Chapman

One of the best known and most influential artists in the history of art, Michelangelo was a prolific sculptor, painter, architect, and draftsman. This lovely book focuses on more than 250 of his drawings executed in chalk, charcoal, and pen and ink. Distinguished art historian Hugo Chapman examines this array of works and discusses how the act of drawing figured prominently in Michelangelo’s work.Chapman considers the artist’s training and his choice of various techniques in a close investigation of the central role of drawing in  Michelangelo’s career. The author describes the artist’s frugal use of paper, explaining how he often recycled letters and drawings (working on both the front and back of the sheet) throughout his career. Organized chronologically, the book looks at Michelangelo’s early development in Florence and Rome, his accomplishments as papal artist for the Sistine Chapel ceiling with its myriad preparatory studies, and his drawings for the tomb of Julius II, the Medici tombs, the Laurentian library, and the Last Judgement. The fascinating history of the fate of Michelangelo’s drawings after his death is also explored in detail.

Genres: Art

320 pages, Hardcover

First published November 11, 2005

Reviews

[K.S. Trenten · Rating 4 out of 5]

A walk through Michelangelo’s life as an artist, a literary art tour with glimpses of Michelangelo’s personal life amidst the events of history, this was a slice of life in several senses. Filled with photographs of not only Michelangelo’s own sketches along with some of his sculpture and painting, this book gives the reader not only a taste of his work, but of other artists who influenced him. The majority of illustrations are sketches, even though there are detailed aspects of his paintings and sculpture. Some of the sketches are fairly basic for they’re showing Michelangelo’s progress as an artist, the beginnings of his creative process. Assumptions are made. It’s hard not to. Even so, this offers the reader a chance to get closer to Michelangelo along with a taste of the times in which he lived. It was inspiring to see the opportunities he seized to create, heartening to read of how he dodged, missed, and collided with obstacles, trying to pursue his path. If you’re curious about Michelangelo, this isn’t a bad starting point to learn about him, especially if you wish to focus on his artistic development.