Michelangelo: Mind of the Master
Curators guide you through an intimate exploration of Michelangelo's drawings, sharing insights about his process as he conceived of great works of art.
Tour preview:
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NARRATOR: The works of Michelangelo Buonarroti are enjoyed by audiences today as much as they were when first celebrated in the sixteenth century. A hugely successful artist of the Italian Renaissance, he is known for creating some of the most iconic works in the history of Western art, from the marble statue of David to the frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Curators Julian Brooks and Edina Adam from the Getty Museum:
JULIAN BROOKS: There’s something amazing to see an artist of the stature of Michelangelo, to see them at work through drawings such as these, is an extraordinary privilege.
EDINA ADAM: And this group that we have here illustrate his use of drawings in his creative process.
NARRATOR: This exhibition brings together more than two dozen original drawings, giving us the rare opportunity of standing before the designs for his triumphant projects in painting, sculpture, and architecture. For Michelangelo, drawing was essential to his preparation for larger projects but also a way to invent and explore concepts. His sketches revolutionized the practice of drawing. Curator Emily Peters from the Cleveland Museum of Art:
EMILY PETERS: In the following galleries you’ll see how Michelangelo enlivened the figure, infusing it with movement and bold energy on a scale no one had seen before.
NARRATOR: Fiercely protective of his designs, Michelangelo burned his sketches and preparatory drawings throughout his long career. Today, roughly six hundred drawings by Michelangelo survive. Considering the number and scope of his groundbreaking commissions, this figure is surprisingly low. We are proud to present this fascinating glimpse into Michelangelo’s process through drawings, many on view in the United States for the first time, and grateful to fellow exhibition organizers at the Teylers Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Curators Julian Brooks and Edina Adam from the Getty Museum:
JULIAN BROOKS: There’s something amazing to see an artist of the stature of Michelangelo, to see them at work through drawings such as these, is an extraordinary privilege.
EDINA ADAM: And this group that we have here illustrate his use of drawings in his creative process.
NARRATOR: This exhibition brings together more than two dozen original drawings, giving us the rare opportunity of standing before the designs for his triumphant projects in painting, sculpture, and architecture. For Michelangelo, drawing was essential to his preparation for larger projects but also a way to invent and explore concepts. His sketches revolutionized the practice of drawing. Curator Emily Peters from the Cleveland Museum of Art:
EMILY PETERS: In the following galleries you’ll see how Michelangelo enlivened the figure, infusing it with movement and bold energy on a scale no one had seen before.
NARRATOR: Fiercely protective of his designs, Michelangelo burned his sketches and preparatory drawings throughout his long career. Today, roughly six hundred drawings by Michelangelo survive. Considering the number and scope of his groundbreaking commissions, this figure is surprisingly low. We are proud to present this fascinating glimpse into Michelangelo’s process through drawings, many on view in the United States for the first time, and grateful to fellow exhibition organizers at the Teylers Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Seated Male Nude, and a Study of His Right Arm (detail), 1511, Michelangelo Buonarroti, red chalk, heightened with white. Image: Teylers Museum, Haarlem. Purchased in 1790. © Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Michelangelo: Mind of the Master
Curators guide you through an intimate exploration of Michelangelo's drawings, sharing insights about his process as he conceived of great works of art.
Tour preview:
Update Required
To play the media you will need to either update your browser to a recent version or update your Flash plugin.
NARRATOR: The works of Michelangelo Buonarroti are enjoyed by audiences today as much as they were when first celebrated in the sixteenth century. A hugely successful artist of the Italian Renaissance, he is known for creating some of the most iconic works in the history of Western art, from the marble statue of David to the frescoed ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Curators Julian Brooks and Edina Adam from the Getty Museum:
JULIAN BROOKS: There’s something amazing to see an artist of the stature of Michelangelo, to see them at work through drawings such as these, is an extraordinary privilege.
EDINA ADAM: And this group that we have here illustrate his use of drawings in his creative process.
NARRATOR: This exhibition brings together more than two dozen original drawings, giving us the rare opportunity of standing before the designs for his triumphant projects in painting, sculpture, and architecture. For Michelangelo, drawing was essential to his preparation for larger projects but also a way to invent and explore concepts. His sketches revolutionized the practice of drawing. Curator Emily Peters from the Cleveland Museum of Art:
EMILY PETERS: In the following galleries you’ll see how Michelangelo enlivened the figure, infusing it with movement and bold energy on a scale no one had seen before.
NARRATOR: Fiercely protective of his designs, Michelangelo burned his sketches and preparatory drawings throughout his long career. Today, roughly six hundred drawings by Michelangelo survive. Considering the number and scope of his groundbreaking commissions, this figure is surprisingly low. We are proud to present this fascinating glimpse into Michelangelo’s process through drawings, many on view in the United States for the first time, and grateful to fellow exhibition organizers at the Teylers Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Curators Julian Brooks and Edina Adam from the Getty Museum:
JULIAN BROOKS: There’s something amazing to see an artist of the stature of Michelangelo, to see them at work through drawings such as these, is an extraordinary privilege.
EDINA ADAM: And this group that we have here illustrate his use of drawings in his creative process.
NARRATOR: This exhibition brings together more than two dozen original drawings, giving us the rare opportunity of standing before the designs for his triumphant projects in painting, sculpture, and architecture. For Michelangelo, drawing was essential to his preparation for larger projects but also a way to invent and explore concepts. His sketches revolutionized the practice of drawing. Curator Emily Peters from the Cleveland Museum of Art:
EMILY PETERS: In the following galleries you’ll see how Michelangelo enlivened the figure, infusing it with movement and bold energy on a scale no one had seen before.
NARRATOR: Fiercely protective of his designs, Michelangelo burned his sketches and preparatory drawings throughout his long career. Today, roughly six hundred drawings by Michelangelo survive. Considering the number and scope of his groundbreaking commissions, this figure is surprisingly low. We are proud to present this fascinating glimpse into Michelangelo’s process through drawings, many on view in the United States for the first time, and grateful to fellow exhibition organizers at the Teylers Museum and the Cleveland Museum of Art.
Seated Male Nude, and a Study of His Right Arm (detail), 1511, Michelangelo Buonarroti, red chalk, heightened with white. Image: Teylers Museum, Haarlem. Purchased in 1790. © Teylers Museum, Haarlem