The Drawings of Michelangelo and His Followers in the Ashmolean Museum

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0521551331 c 01 -p 3 CUNY 160 /Joannides 052155 133 1 January 11 , 2007 10 : 14

CATALOGUE 44 WHOLLY OR PARTIALLY AUTOGRAPH SHEETS 219

CATALOGUE 44

Recto: A Head

Verso: Architectural Details

184 6. 83 ;R. 75 ;P.II 337 ;Corpus 402

Dimensions: 238 × 201 mm

Watermark: Robinson Appendix no. 18 .Roberts, Flower

A. Zonghi15 0 7,datable155 9.

Medium

Black chalk.

Condition

There is a major horizontal crease, a diagonal scored line,

asmall “pin” mark, major repaired losses with severe

cockling. The sheet has edge abrasion and ingrained dirt,

widespread uneven discolouration, and some foxing.

Inscriptions

Verso: In pen and ink, very faded:

di Bona Roti

With the right edge as base, Robinson’s numbering in

graphite: 75.

Description

Verso

A.A capital with a fantastic head or skull. For a

tomb?.

B.Aprofile of a cornice.

Discussion

The large head on the recto, which seems to be

female, cannot be connected with any specific project

byMichelangelo or any other known drawing. How-

ever, it is generically similar in form to heads in the

second of the Pauline Chapel frescoes, theCrucifixion of

St. Peter,and those in theEpifaniacartoon in London

(W 75 /Corpus38 9;black chalk, 2 , 327 × 1 , 656 cm) made

for Ascanio Condivi, to which it is also comparable in