P 1 : KsF
0521551331 c 01 -p 2 CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 11 , 2007 10 : 5
CATALOGUE 38 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS 201Sketch 2. Casa Buonarroti CB 61 Fverso/B 137 /Corpus
261 ;black chalk,38 0× 252 mm.
Sketch 3. Casa Buonarroti CB 66 F/B 136 /Corpus 262 ;
black chalk, 331 × 198 mm.
Sketch 4 a. Windsor, PW 429 verso, r ight side/Corpus
345 ;black chalk, 149 × 252 mm.
Sketch 4 b. Windsor, PW 429 verso, left side/Corpus 345 ;
black chalk, 149 × 252 mm.
Sketch 5 .Archivio Buonarroti (now in Casa Buonarroti)
AB VI, fol. 24 verso/B34 6/Corpus 259 ;black chalk,
210 × 138 mm.
Sketch 6 .Archivio Buonarroti (now in Casa Buonarroti)
AB XIII, fol. 148 verso/B36 7/Corpus 252 ;black chalk,
267 × 195 mm.Sketches 1 – 4 aprobably prepare primarily single-fig-
ure 2 , although there are some similarities between the
upper part of the body in 4 a and that of single-figure
1 ;sketches 4 b and 5 primarily prepare single-figure 1 ,
although in the case of 4 b this is evident mainly in the
legs and the upper part of the figure relates more closely
to single-figure 2. The present drawing, which is not
closely related to any of the others, presumably prepares a
different version of the subject, either never executed or
lost. Sketch 6 , which seems to show Christ half-kneeling,
looking upwards and indicating the wound in His right
side was made for a radically different design. As far as
can be seen, all these figures are lit from the left.
It may be that the single-figure drawings, although
prompted by Sebastiano’s putative request, developed an
independent existence as Presentation Drawings as Wilde
suggested in 1953. The highly finished and exception-
ally beautiful single-figures 1 and 2 , and the lost orig-
inal of that known in the two copies of single-figure
4 ,would have made splendid gifts. Some support is
giventothis view by the fact that, in addition to the
copies by Alessandro Allori and Clovio of single-figure
4 ,facsimile copies after both single-figure 1 and single-
figure 2 , also attributable to Allori, and no doubt con-
ceived as pendants, survive in, respectively, Paris (Louvre
Inv.15 0 5/J 111 ;black chalk,37 2× 224 mm) and Frank-
furt (Stadelesches Kunstinstitut, ̈ 3976 ;black chalk, 373 ×
221 mm).
The specific date of 1533 for the present drawing, a
year or so later than the recto, is supported by the draw-
ing of theRisen Christ, which most resembles it: that on
the verso of theTityus,aPresentation Drawing sent by
Michelangelo in Florence to his young friend Tommaso
Cavalieri in Rome in, it seems, September 1533 (Wind-
sor, PW 429 verso/Corpus 345 ). The present study shows
Christ’s head in two positions, tilted slightly to His right,
the viewer’s left, looking round and down to His left, theviewer’s right, and again higher up and closer to the ver-
tical. The arm is also shown in two positions, the upper
arm down and the forearm bent across the chest and then
raised with the hand pointing upwards – a pose more
usually associated with Saint John. This study is unusual,
although not unique, among Michelangelo’s drawings in
being squared – lightly, in black chalk, at about15 0mm –
which strongly suggests that he intended to carry the
design further.History
Casa Buonarroti; Jean-Baptiste Wicar; Samuel Wood-
burn; Sir Thomas Lawrence (L. 2445 , damaged and diffi-
cult to descry); Samuel Woodburn.References
Lawrence Inventory, 1830 ,M.A.Buonaroti Case 3 ,
Drawer 3 [ 1830 - 74 ] (“A Figure Slightly sketched, on the
reverse a plan.”). Woodburn,184 2,no. 77 (“Study of
female figure – in black chalk, with study at the back,
in pen and bistre, for the Laurentian Library at Flo-
rence [sic].”). Robinson,187 0,no. 49 (Michel Angelo.
Recto for reliquary chamber over the principal door at
the west end of San Lorenzo.). Black, 1875 ,p. 214 ,no.
44. Gotti, 1875 ,II,p. 232 (“Disegno, forse, per la piccola
camera fatta per conservare le reliquie, in San Lorenzo a
Firenze....Al rovescio del foglio, una figura d’uomo.”).
Berenson, 1903 ,I,p. 255 ,no. 1713 (Recto: Michelan-
gelo for reliquary chamber. Verso: Montelupo, proved by
comparison with [Cat. 77 ].). Thode, 1908 , II, pp. 106 ,
451 (Recto: Michelangelo, for Reliquary Tribune, 1531 –
2 ; demonstrates that an exterior balcony was planned.
Ve r so: contemporary, for Risen Christ.). K. Frey, 1909 –
11 ,no. 135 (Recto: designed to display relics both to the
interior and exterior. Not executed in this form and not
a definitive plan; could be before15 2 7as well as153 0–
1 .); no. 136 (Verso: for aRisen Christ; doubtful, per-
haps by Montelupo, 1531 – 2 .). Thode, 1913 ,no. 432 (As
1908 :recto plan probably that sent to the Pope.). Popp,
1925 b,p. 75 (Not Michelangelo.). De Tolnay, 1928 ,p. 445
(Verso: original sketch for aResurrection,but somewhat
re-worked.). Berenson, 1938 ,no. 1713 (As 1903 ; can-
not accept de Tolnay’s view.). De Tolnay, 1948 ,p. 219 ,
no. 112 (Verso:Ascension of Christ,c. 1531 – 2. Related to a
series of drawings preparing a fresco in the lunette above
the Magnifici Tomb. “The outlines have been retraced
so that it is difficult to determine whether it was an
original or a copy. The pose is similar to the verso of
theTityusdrawing” [Windsor, PW 429 verso].). Wilde,
1949 ,p. 251 (Verso datable 1532 byrecto: one of series of
Resurrectiondrawings.). Wilde, 1953 a, pp. 89 – 90 (Verso: