The Drawings of Michelangelo and His Followers in the Ashmolean Museum

P 1 : KsF
0521551331 c 01 b CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 11 , 2007 6 : 36

CATALOGUE 27 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS 155

There is discolouration from adhesive residues, foxing,

and local staining.

Description

At the right edge are three short horizontal lines, two

of which are placed closely together just above half the

page’s height, while the third is near the upper edge.

Nearer the figure, running down the page, is a longer

irregularly curving line, terminated above by a short hor-

izontal, which corresponds in length to the figure’s right

calf: This is labelledcoscia(thigh) in the artist’s handwrit-

ing. Nearer to the calf are two further short horizontals

and the inscription5P(palmi) in the artist’s handwrit-

ing. These lines and inscriptions were clearly made by

Michelangelo with a view to determining the dimensions

of the marble block.

Discussion

The remarks made in Cat. 26 apply also to the drawing

on the recto of this sheet, which must be en-suite with

it and with those in Haarlem. Each of these drawings

emphasises slightly different effects. In the present draw-

ing, Michelangelo was concerned primarily to work out

the relation of the torso, established with rich modelling,