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194 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS CATALOGUE 36be sent to the French king, one well known through
Marcantonio Raimondi’s engraving after it. However, a
figure recoiling in fear from a salamander seems more
likely to have been planned with some kind of temporary
political significance. Michelangelo noted in the autumn
of 1525 on a sheet in the British Museum (W 35 /Corpus
227 ; pen and ink, 137 × 209 mm) the (false) rumour that
Francis I had died whilst in captivity in Spain, and one
might conjecture – among other possibilities – that the
present drawing was made in response to this news.
The present drawing has generally, and surely rightly,
been linked with a sketch on a sheet in the British
Museum, which might have formed one with the present
sheet (W 50 /Corpus 305 ;black chalk, 127 × 92 mm). The
British Museum sketch, reproduced horizontally by all
scholars save Hartt, should, as he realised, be orientated
vertically with the left edge as base; it shows a fantas-
tic animal, with a greyhound’s body – like the present
drawing – and, apparently, a dragon-like head, sitting on
its haunches in right profile, extending its right forepaw.
The drawing is assumed by Wilde also to represent a sala-
mander, which may be correct but is far from certain.
It is made in a style reminiscent of Pontormo’s loosest
sketches, which might suggest some stylistic exchange.
Wilde suggested that the present drawing might have
been done to assist Mini with potential commissions in
France, but there is no evidence that the present sheet was
ever part of Mini’s cache, which one might have expected
had that been so, and the presumed Casa Buonarroti
provenance would count against it. Furthermore, neither
of the animals resembles any of the sprightly salaman-
ders placed above the frescoes in the Grande Galerie at
Fontainebleau.
It seems likely that this drawing was part of lot 268 in
Ottley’s sale of 1804 and part of lot15 8 7in 1814 ,inwhich
case Ottley would have remounted it in the interim.History
Casa Buonarroti; William Young Ottley (his sale, 11 April
1804 , part of lot 268 (“Ten – ditto [i.e., studies of legs and
thighs from the Martelli collection at Florence], and arms
etc. – 2 arms, one foot, red chalk, three arms and one leg
and thigh, in black chalk; an arm, pen; a horse’s head and
a monstrous animal in black chalk – from the Buonarroti
collection – on the back of one are some verses auto-
graph of this great artist”); his sale, 6 June 1814 , etc;
part of lot15 8 7(“Two black chalk studies on one leaf
[see Cat. 62 ]...and a doglying in the midst of flames,
an emblematic design. From the Buonarroti collection
at Florence”; £ 10. 10. 0 ); Sir Thomas Lawrence (L. 2445 );
Samuel Woodburn.References
Ottley sale, 11 April 1804 , part of lot 268 (“Ten – ditto
[i.e., studies of legs and thighs from the Martelli collec-
tion at Florence], and arms etc. – 2 arms, one foot, red
chalk, three arms and one leg and thigh, in black chalk; an
arm, pen; a horse’s head and a monstrous animal in black
chalk – from the Buonarroti collection – on the back
of one are some verses autograph of this great artist.”).
Ottley sale, 6 June 1814 ,etc., lot15 8 7(“Two black chalk
studies on one leaf [see Cat. 62 ]...and a dog lying in the
midst of flames, an emblematic design. From the Buonar-
roti collection at Florence.”). Lawrence Inventory, 1830 ,
M. A. Buonaroti Case 3 , Drawer 3 [ 1830 - 108 i] (“Two
studies in black chalk, one [Cat. 62 ] the other a repre-
sentation of a Dog.”). Woodburn,184 2,no. 75. 2 (“Two
studies upon one mount... also for a dragon.”). Wood-
burn,184 6,no. 52 (As184 2.). Robinson,187 0,no. 53. 1
(Michelangelo, c.153 0. “[P]ossibly...made with a view
to some work projected for King Francis I.”). Black, 1875 ,
p. 213 ,no. 48 a. Gotti, 1875 ,II,p. 239. Berenson, 1903 ,no.
15 6 8(Probably by Michelangelo, c.153 0.). Thode, 1908 ,
II, p. 112 (For the candelabra of the New Sacristy altar.).
K. Frey, 1909 – 11 ,no. 178 (Perhaps an allegory; period of
Cavalieri drawings.). Thode, 1913 ,no. 433 (Linked with
BM W 50 ;rejects Frey’s interpretation; doubtful whether
animal and figure connected. c.153 0.). Berenson, 1938 ,
no.15 6 8 (Perhaps done in connection with New Sac-
risty.). Wilde, 1953 a,p. 86 (A Salamander, connected
with BM W 50 .Perhaps made for a colleague working
for Franc ̧ois Ier, or for Mini, who hoped to do so.).
Wilde, 1953 exh., no. 124 (A salamander, c. 1531 – 3.
Similar animal decorates helmet of Count of Canossa.).
Parker, 1956 ,no. 320 (c. 1531. Relation to BM W 50. Idea
that they link with device of Franc ̧ois Ier and Mini’s trip
to France has “much to recommend it” but “the fact
remains however that the animal bears very little resem-
blance to the salamander as it was normally represented.”
Any relation to figures either side “is rather doubtful.”).
Dussler, 1959 ,no.34 6(Ascribed. Unlikely to be con-
nected with Franc ̧ois Ier. Similarities with BM W 50 and
device of Count Canossa.). Berenson, 1961 ,no.15 6 8
(As 1903 / 1938 .). Berti, 1965 ,p. 465 (Salamander, linked
with BM W 50 ; perhaps related to work for Franc ̧ois Ier.).
Hartt, 1971 ,no. 188 ( 1517 – 8 ?. A salamander. The sub-
sidiary figures could hardly have been intended as an addi-
tion to the design. Probably [together with BM W 50 ]
for an ornamental figure to go on the bases of the six
great columns of the lower storey of the San Lorenzo
fac ̧ade.). De Tolnay, 1973 ,p. 4 (c.153 0. Salamander of
Franc ̧ois Ier taken over by the artist for a personal alle-
gory showing himself burning with the flames of love.