P 1 : KsF
0521551331 c 01 -p 3 a CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 11 , 2007 10 : 18
260 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS CATALOGUE 54forms into a single plastic entity. On the other hand, these
sketches also relate to a drawing in the British Museum
(W 84 /Corpus 623 ;black chalk, 241 × 210 mm), which
is usually believed to be a project for the Sforza Chapel; a
connection with that project, however, is far from certain
because the building depicted in the BM drawing does
not seem to be attached to a larger structure. Any con-
nection with St. Peter’s, whose plan had long been deter-
mined when these sketches were made, seems entirely
misguided.
The elevation J (inverted), a variant of the part eleva-
tion D, seems to be that of the interior of one of the radi-
ating chapels. It is articulated on two levels with the top
probably seen as a shell semi-dome, like Bramante’s design
for the choir of Santa Maria del Popolo, an indication of
Michelangelo’s senescent reconsideration of his erstwhile
adversary’s work. The lower section of the chapel contains
three round-topped niches. This elevation [ J] seems com-
pressed and plastic, its columns or pillars resting directly
on the floor, without pedestals. There is also a corre-
spondence between this elevation and what may be con-
jectured about the elevation of the sacristies in CB 121 A,
which would also have been flanked by paired pilasters.
The compiler can see no plausible connection between
these and either Michelangelo’s design for the Duomo at
Padua or for thenicchioneof the Belvedere.
The temptation to connect elevation J with the section
[K; also inverted] immediately to its right, should proba-
blyberesisted. The scales do not correspond and none of
the salient features seems to match. This drawing, moving
from right to left, seems to show the section of an annular
aisle of, presumably, a round structure – or conceivably a
lantern – with tall columns or pillars set on bases, with a
lower form, perhaps a chapel? opening off it. This chapel?
contains a lower curved form that might be intended to
represent a niche but that does not correspond to any
possible position of one. It could equally represent a sec-
ond passageway. At the far right rises a curved line, which
presumably indicates a dome, but without a drum. Were
it not for this, it would be very tempting to see the section
as representing an aisle of a Latin cross church with open
shallow interconnecting chapels in an arrangement famil-
iar in both Roman and Florentine quattrocento churches.
However, this temptation too must be resisted, since the
versoofasketch made for the ground plan of CB 124 A
(CB 36 Averso/B 161 /Corpus 611 ;black chalk, 142 × 177
mm maximum; see Fara, 1997 , fig. 29 ), is clearly an ele-
vation section corresponding to the ground plan on the
recto, and this employs a curved line of exactly the same
type to indicate the dome. It must be concluded, there-
fore, that this section, K, does represent an idea for SanGiovanni dei Fiorentini, but the compiler is unable to
interpret it coherently or to make a connection between
it and any of the other sketches on this side of the sheet,
or to any other drawings by Michelangelo.
The elevation H is quite similar to J but seems to be
higher. It shows an apse with three square-headed niches,
a stretch of unarticulated wall above them, surmounted
bya wide frieze, above which rises a pointed segment of
a semi-dome. In this project, Michelangelo seems to have
considered a building higher than in the other elevation,
and it remains possible that this is for the Sforza Chapel:
It is instructive to compare it with a view of one of the
“transepts” of the chapel.
Finally, the elevation of an arch I flanked by pilasters
or pilaster strips and surmounted by an entablature does
not seem to connect with any of the other drawings on
this page. Nor does it bear any relation to the Porta Pia,
on which Michelangelo began to work early in 1561.
The single possibility that occurs to the compiler is that
it could be a preliminary project for the entrance to the
Sforza Chapel, opening from the left aisle of Santa Maria
Maggiore, but this is no more than conjecture.History
Casa Buonarroti; Jean-Baptiste Wicar; William Young
Ottley, his sale 11 April 1804 , part of lot 265? (“Three
[i.e., drawings] – two studies, in black chalk; and one
ditto, masterly pen – on the back of the last is an
account of money, in the writing of the celebrated artist –
bought from the family of the artist, still resident in
Florence.”); his sale, 6 June 1814 , and following days,
lot 260 , leaf 2 iii? (“Two leaves of architectural designs,
etc from the Buonarroti Collection...the other for the
cupola of St Peter’s. A specimen of his handwriting
on one.”); Samuel Woodburn; Sir Thomas Lawrence
(L. 2445 ); Samuel Woodburn.References
Ottley sale, 11 April 1804 , part of lot 265? (“Three
[i.e., drawings] – two studies, in black chalk; and one
ditto, masterly pen – on the back of the last is an
account of money, in the writing of the celebrated artist –
bought from the family of the artist, still resident in Flo-
rence.”). Ottley, 6 June 1814 , etc., lot 260 , leaf 2 iii? (“Two
leaves of architectural designs, etc from the Buonarroti
Collection...the other for the cupola of St Peter’s. A
specimen of his handwriting on one.”). Lawrence Inven-
tory, 1830 ,M.A.Buonaroti Case 3 , Drawer 3 [ 1830 - 95 ]
(“An interesting leaf of Studies for St. Peters Church
with an autograph of M. Angelo.”). Woodburn,184 2,
no. 56 (“A slight marking in of a design for the dome