- Museum number
- 1859,0625.545
- Description
-
The Medici tombs in the New Sacristy: studies for a free-standing sepulchral monument. 1520
Black chalk
Verso: Head of a youth; three vertical lines - the section of a column
Black chalk; red chalk (the three vertical lines)
- Production date
- 1520
- Dimensions
-
Height: 217 millimetres
-
Width: 208 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- In 1520 the commission to build the façade of the Medicean church of San Lorenzo in Florence to Michelangelo's design was dropped in favour of the plan of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, later Clement VII (1523 34), to build a funerary chapel, the 'Sacrestia nuova' (New Sacristy), for four members of his family: the two recently deceased Dukes and the two Magnifici, Lorenzo and Giuliano. The chapel was an addition to the right transept and thus formed a counterbalance to Brunelleschi's 'Sacrestia vecchia' (Old Sacristy) in the opposite, left transept.
The drawings of W25 recto are early 'invention' studies for the Medici tombs to be placed in the chapel and form part of the BM's unique sequence of four sheets (W25 8) illustrating the breadth of Michelangelo's solutions (intimately bound to the surrounding architecture): they envisage a monument free standing in the centre of the chapel containing a sarcophagus to each of its four sides. This plan was subsequently rejected since it would have required a monument reduced in size and would have obscured the view of the altar, thus interfered with the essential liturgical and intercessory functioning of the chapel (Ettlinger, 1978).
In the top l. an octagonal structure containing an attic and coupled columns is lightly sketched. A variant, also lightly sketched, is in the middle field, to the r., containing an arch with sarcophagus. Below is a section perhaps for the study above showing the four tombs equally distributed to each side and flanked by coupled pilasters. Two studies are more finely drawn: that to the l. displays three sides, with the sarcophagus in the front elevation seen end on, its length disappearing inside the monument. The graceful scroll like lid of the sarcophagus is reflected in the curving sides of the sarcophagus below. To either side sit youthful nudes, mourners, similarly composed as the Sistine Ignudi, precursors of the reclining figures on the tombs as executed. The matching nudes on the other sides are seen in profile, demonstrating the intended free standing nature of the tomb. Below this drawing is a scale with compass holes at either end. To the r. is an alternative solution to the last drawing, very faintly drawn. In the other finely drawn study in the top r., the sarcophagus is turned ninety degrees parallel to the viewing plane, and is a solution close to that adopted for the Ducal tombs. The lid of the sarcophagus is formed by distinctive inverted volutes supporting a medallion with a tripartite storey above.
This sheet is demonstrably cut and once formed a piece with two sheets in the Casa Buonarroti (de Tolnay 182 and 183), equally containing tomb studies in black chalk on their rectos, including variants of the two finely drawn studies on this sheet, and the plan of an octagonal free standing tomb. That the sheets were one is demonstrated by the matching of the red chalk lines on the versos of these sheets, forming the section of a Corinthian column reconstructed by Hirst (1988, p. 188, pl. 201) who considers the original large sheet to have been a working drawing to be followed by the maker of the wooden model of the façade of San Lorenzo. Upon the model's completion in 1517, the drawing would have had no further purpose and Michelangelo used the blank verso (now the recto) for the tomb studies.
The head on the verso is reminiscent of that of Adam, in the 'Creation of Adam' depicted on the vault of the Sistine Chapel, especially of the outline indented on the plaster for the cartoon.
Lit.: J. Wilde, 'Italian Drawings in the BM, Michelangelo and his Studio', London, 1953, no. 25, pp. 47-51 (with previous literature); L. Dussler, 'Die Zeichnungen des Michelangelo', Berlin, 1959, no. 155, p. 99; P. Barocchi, 'Michelangelo e la sua scuola: i disegni di Casa Buonarroti e degli Uffizi', Florence, 1962, I, under nos. 58-9 (de Tolnay 183, 182), pp. 81-3; F. Hartt, 'The Drawings of Michelangelo', London, 1971, nos 78 (= verso), p. 82, and, 212 (= recto), pp. 167-8; J.A. Gere and N. Turner, in exhib. cat., London, BM., 'Drawings by Michelangelo', 1975, no. 48, p. 53; C. de Tolnay, 'Corpus dei disegni di Michelangelo', Novara, 1976, II, no. 184; L.D. Ettlinger, 'The Liturgical Function of Michelangelo's Medici Chapel', "Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institues in Florenz", XXII, 1978, pp. 287-304; C. Elam, 'The Site and Early Building History of Michelangelo's New Sacristy', "Mitteilungen des Kunsthistorischen Institues in Florenz", XXIII, 1979, pp.155-86; N. Turner, in exhib. cat., London, BM, 'Florentine Drawings of the sixteenth century', 1986, no. 71, p. 107; M. Hirst, 'Michelangelo and his Drawings', New Haven and London, 1988, pp. 97, 99, 103; G.C. Argan and B. Contardi, 'Michelangelo architetto', Milan, 1990, pp. 175-81, fig. 228; A. Morrogh, 'The Medici Chapel: The Designs for the Central Tomb', 'Studies in the History of Art. 33. Michelangelo Drawings', Washington, 1992, pp. 143-59, fig. 4; Ibid., 'The Magnifici Tomb: A Key Project in Michelangelo's Architectural Career', "The Art Bulletin", December 1992, LXXIV, no. 4, fig. 5; C. Davies, 'Michelangelo, Jacone and the Confraternity of the Virgin Annunciate called 'dell'Orciuolo'', "Apollo", CLVI, 487, September 2002, pp. 22-9, fig. 14; H. Chapman, in exhib. cat., BM, 'Michelangelo Drawings: closer to the master', 2005, no. 39, pp. 168, 170 (recto) and p. 168 (verso)
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
-
1964 BM, Michelangelo, no.21
1975 Feb-Apr, BM, Drawings by Michelangelo, no.48
1986 BM, 16thC Florentine Drawings , no.71
2005/6 Oct-Jan, Haarlem, Teylers Museum, 'Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master'
2006 Mar-Jun, BM, 'Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master'
- Acquisition date
- 1859
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1859,0625.545
