Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master

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 Michelangelos work.

Chapman considers the artists training and his choice of various techniques in a close investigation of the central role of drawing in Michelangelos career. The author describes the artists frugal use of paper, explaining how he often recycled lettersand drawings (working on both the front and back of the sheet) throughout his career. Organized chronologically, the book looks at Michelangelos 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 Michelangelos drawings after his death is also explored in detail.