In the mind of the Renaissance genius: Michelangelo’s drawings, in a limited edition

ARTIKA presents Michelangelo: Drawings, an artists’ book to delve into the most important collection of drawings by the Renaissance genius housed at the British Museum. This is the only art book that offers an intimate look at how Michelangelo Buonarroti breathed life into his ideas.

 

Drawing as its own art form

Michelangelo’s art captivates audiences worldwide with his sculptures like the Pietà, architectural marvels like St. Peter's Basilica, and the iconic frescoes of the Last Judgment adorning the Sistine Chapel.

Michelangelo’s Last Judgement (detail), 1536-1541. Fresco, 13.7 x 12.2 m. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

 

Sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, Michelangelo also pioneered the use of drawing as an independent form of artistic expression.

Michelangelo Buonarroti proclaimed that drawing was “the source and soul of painting, sculpture, and architecture, as well as the root of all the sciences”. His meticulous works in pencil or pen stand as artistic masterpieces in their own right, rather than mere blueprints for other artistic endeavours.

The tapestry of Michelangelo’s entire life is woven into his drawings. However, this crucial part of his artistic legacy was perilously close to being lost forever.

Left: Study for the three crosses, 1521–1524. Red chalk with some wash on the crossbar of Christ’s cross, 393 × 280 mm.

Right, sup.:  Study for the Medici tombs in the new sacristy, c. 1520–1521. Black chalk, 262 × 187 mm.

Right, inf.: Study of head and shoulders of a satyr, 1501–1503. Pen and brown and grey-brown ink, 130 × 130 mm.

 

The luminary’s most valuable legacy

Drawing was a constant companion throughout Michelangelo’s career. These sketches encapsulate fleeting moments, explore effects and textures, always in pursuit of inventive solutions to encapsulate an entire three-dimensional world on paper.

Left: Michelangelo’s Erythraean Sibyl, c. 1508–1510. Fresco, 360 × 380 cm. Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museums, Vatican City.

Right: Study for the drapery of the Erythraean Sibyl, 1508–1512. Brown wash and pen and dark brown ink over a black chalk underdrawing, 384 × 258 mm.

 

So integral was this process to the artist that, to protect his findings, he often destroyed many of his drawings himself. Fortunately, a few hundred such works have survived. Today, the most complete collection is safeguarded in the British Museum, although it is not accessible to the public.

Michelangelo's drawings are kept in the study room of the drawings and prints department of the British Museum.

 

That is what makes Michelangelo: Drawings so important as a meticulously crafted art book that curates this exclusive collection of masterpieces. Rendered in exquisite detail, these drawings are accompanied by expert analyses, and both books come in a hand-crafted case.

 

The book that provides a close-up look at Michelangelo

Delving into this collection of drawings is like stepping into Michelangelo’s personal studio. Every page offers a glimpse into Michelangelo’s meticulous process, as he painstakingly refines the representation of movement and perspective with every stroke.

These drawings showcase Michelangelo’s diverse array of techniques and styles, from the precise anatomical studies for the Sistine Chapel’s Adam to the delicate portrayals of Christ’s crucifixion during his later years.

 

Study of Adam for the Sistine Chapel, c. 1511. Red chalk over some stylus underdrawing, 193 × 259 mm.  Purchased with contribution from Art Fund (as NACF), Joseph Duveen, Baron Duveen of Millbank and Henry Van den Bergh.

 

Today, these treasures captivate viewers with the expressiveness of their lines, the dynamism of their forms, and ultimately, the harmonious blend of perfection and compositional beauty that only Michelangelo could achieve.

 

ARTIKA and the British Museum

Michelangelo: Drawings stands as a singular masterpiece, both as a collector’s item and a work of art in its own right, presented in a uniquely designed sculpture-case that features a scaled reproduction of the most celebrated sculpture ever, the iconic David, emerging from marble on its front.

 

Presented by ARTIKA in collaboration with the British Museum, it offers a privileged glimpse into the mind of the Renaissance genius. With each print, we see the raw energy with which Michelangelo’s ideas took shape, following the rhythm dictated by his boundless inspiration. This is the art book that defines everything that makes Michelangelo unique.

 

Michelangelo, unprecedented insight into genius  

ARTIKA has compiled the most important collection of drawings by the Renaissance genius, housed at the British Museum, in a spectacularly designed art book.

• Numbered and limited edition of 8,998 copies.
• It comes with two books presented in a sculpture-case that includes a scaled reproduction of David.
• The hand-bound Art Book includes 75 drawings, 35 of which are reproduced in their original size.
• All prints have the museum’s copyright and numbering on the back.
• It features drawings that span his entire life, starting from as young as 20.
• In the Study Book, British Museum experts unravel the nuances of each of the pieces included in this selection.
• The essays offer a deeper understanding of Michelangelo’s drawing style, tracing its historical trajectory and technical innovations.

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