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MICHELANGELO’S DRAWINGS 47be imagined that the following classification corresponds
to the way Michelangelo might have thought about his
work.Figural
1 .Concetti– drawings that embody the first ideas, usually
roughly and on a small scale, of figural projects (Cats.
10 , 13 ).
2. Loose sketches – somewhat more developed drawings
for a pose or a composition (Cat. 15 ).
3. Compositional draughts – laying out an arrangement
in some detail but not to the level of precision of amodello
(Cat. 5 , Corpus 45 and 73 ).
4. Individual figure sketches – experimenting with poses
within an ensemble that is more or less determined (Cor-
pus 75 and 76 ).
5. Figure studies – bringing to a fairly finished and precise
level single or small groups of figures whose pose and
place in a composition is now determined (Cats. 1 recto,
7 recto, 17 ).
6. Studies of parts of figures, some of which might pre-
cede and some of which might follow 5 – such drawings
might be made to experiment with the most effective
solution for a particular movement or pose of part of the
body, a shoulder, a wrist, and so on (Cats. 18 , 26 ).
7. Studies of drapery (Corpus 119 verso,15 4recto).
8. Amodello–laying out the arrangement of individual
figures in detail and finalising the composition. Although
Michelangelo certainly made drawings of this type, it is
questionable whether any survive, although at least one
precise copy by Giulio Clovio of a lost drawing of this
type, made for Sebastiano del Piombo’sFlagellation,is
known (Windsor Royal Collection, PW 451 ).
9. The cartoon – a full-size version of, usually, a compo-
sition to be painted, from which points or lines are trans-
ferred to the surface of the support or, more likely, to an
intermediate cartoon which would actually be used for
this task, thus preserving the cartoon proper from damage
(Corpus38 4and38 9).
10. A(primarily) outline drawing on a surface to be
painted (Cat. 21 ).
11. Close to and at times indistinguishable from 8 is
a category of drawings that, although not invented by
Michelangelo, was much exploited by him: the Presen-
tation Drawing, made as gifts for the artist’s friends and
considered by him and them as independent works of
art. They are usually elaborately finished, and some-
times planned as carefully as a painted composition, with
preparatory studies (Corpus 333 and 336 ). Slightly looser
types of drawing probably made as gifts also survive (Cats.
31 , 35 ).12. Anatomical drawings, made to extend the artist’s
knowledge of human anatomy and not specifically related
to any project (Corpus 111 and 112 ).
13. Copies after other artists, which can vary from
slight annotations to elaborately finished studies. Some
of these may have been made as gifts (Corpus 3 , 4 ,
and 5 ).
14. Record drawings (ricordi) after the artist’s own three-
dimensional models or sculptures (Cat. 18 recto?; Corpus
57 recto)
15. Copies after the artist’s own models to establish the
most effective angle of vision, or to test the particular
emphasis required for lighting (reported by Vasari, but no
certain surviving examples, although Louvre Inv. 694 and
699 /J 49 , 48 may be copies of such exercise).
16. Teaching drawings (Cats. 28 verso, 30 ).Architectural and/or Decorative Designs
1 .Concetti– small drawings that adumbrate roughly archi-
tectural, decorative, or multi-media projects. In the case
of architecture these might be ground plans and elevations
(Cat. 54 verso).
2. More developed sketches plotting a project in some-
what more detail, with general articulation more
advanced (Cat. 39 , Corpus 274 ).
3. Individual sketches of architectural membering or dec-
orative forms designed to be placed within an ensemble
that is more or less determined (Cat. 53 verso,Corpus
198 and 199 ).
4. Studies, bringing to a fairly finished level single or
groups of elements whose place within a project is now
determined (Corpus 202 recto and 554 ).
5. Studies of parts of members or decorative forms, for
example, capitals and the shapes of volutes, some of which
might precede and some of which might follow 4 (Corpus
530 ).
6. Amodello,laying out the project in detail including all
the parts – or half in the case of symmetrical bi-axial com-
positions, both elevations and ground plans. This would
probably be followed by a three-dimensional model of
wood or clay (Cat. 38 recto, Corpus 608 and 610 ).
7. Diagrams of the dimensions of the elements required
for the wood or clay model for architectural schemes or
decorative objects determining the size and shape of the
individual units of which the ensembles are composed
(Corpus 504 ).
8. Block sketches, diagrams of the dimensions of the
blocks of marble required for the architectural or dec-
orative projects determining the size and shape of the
individual units of which the ensembles are composed
(Corpus 508 and 509 ).