Title: Drawings of Michelangelo
Author: Charles de Tolnay
Publisher: George Braziller, 1965
Introduction by Charles de Tolnay, critical notes by Paolo Barocchi; 120 pages, 103 plates with protective tissue guards
In the troves of literature devoted to the Renaissance architect, draftsman, painter, and sculptor, Michelangelo, this tremendous volume stands out as it showcases facsimile drawings in burnt umber on custom pressed paper, lending a sense of elegant timelessness to this exceptional book. The introductory text provides a brief explanation of the characteristics of each distinct phase of Michelangelo’s prodigious career, ranging from his anatomical studies, to the heavy musculature that characterizes his work on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to his preparatory sketches for the Tomb of Julius II, and ending with the soft chiaroscuro techniques that rival his Quattrocento contemporaries. This significant volume successfully captures the monumentality of Michelangelo’s inimitable oeuvre and will certainly make a superb addition to any art library.
