Drawings by Michelangelo: 60 Plates

Drawings by Michelangelo is a digital PDF edition containing sixty selected plates from the series The Great Masters of Drawing. The selection is by Maria Vittoria Brugnoli, with translation by Helen and David Friedman.

This archival art publication is available as an instant download. It presents Michelangelo’s figure drawings alongside a concise discussion of attribution, chronology, technique, and artistic expression.

Book Overview

This art history volume focuses on Michelangelo’s figure drawings and the challenges they present to scholars. The discussion considers disputed attributions, dating problems, copies, imitations, and the changing understanding of works associated with the artist.

The text examines drawing as an independent form of expression. It addresses Michelangelo’s use of pen, black crayon, and red crayon, as well as his treatment of movement, plasticity, tension, light, darkness, and the human figure.

Published by Dover Publications in 1969, this edition is a new translation of a work originally published by Aldo Martello in Milan in 1964. It contains the original illustrations and adds a List of Plates.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• Sixty plates presenting selected drawings by Michelangelo.
• A discussion devoted to Michelangelo’s figure drawings rather than his architectural drawings.
• Analysis of attribution and chronology, including disputed works and changing scholarly opinions.
• Observations on pen, black crayon, and red crayon as graphic media.
• Consideration of movement, modeling, light, shadow, plasticity, and expressive force.
• Examples connected to works and subjects including The Battle of Cascina, The Dream, drawings for Cavalieri, a Resurrection, and a Sacrifice of Isaac.

Why This Book Matters

Michelangelo’s drawings are presented as fundamental to the study of his art, rather than merely complementary studies for sculpture or painting. The volume shows how questions of attribution, imitation, and artistic purpose shape the interpretation of Renaissance drawings.

Its focus on the figure, gesture, composition, and the tension between energy and mass makes the book relevant to students, researchers, artists, and readers of art history. The plates also provide a focused visual record of works discussed in the text.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, not a physical book. There is no physical shipping, and access is available after purchase.

The PDF works with appropriate Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and compatible reading apps. Display quality may vary by device and application.

FAQ

When can I access the book?
Access is available after purchase through an instant digital download.

Will I receive a physical copy?
No. This product is a digital PDF, and no physical copy is shipped.

Which devices can open the file?
The PDF can be used with compatible Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and reading apps.

Download this digital edition to consult its sixty Michelangelo drawing plates and accompanying art-historical discussion.

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