Andrea Quaratesi (1512-1585) was a member of a wealthy banking family in Florence, Italy. Michelangelo, not known for his instructional skills, taught the youth (probably reluctantly) how to draw during his adolescence. The British Museum's delicate work on paper is the only documented portrait by the Renaissance master that exists. The artist sensitively captured his pupil's penetrating gaze while paying exacting attention to such details as the buttons and folds of his shirt. This masterpiece is among some 250 works in Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master, a special exhibition that spans the tempestuous artist's career.
For further reading:
Joannides, Paul. Michelangelo and His Influence:
Drawings from Windsor Castle (exh. cat.).
Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1996.
"Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master" is on view from March 23 through June 25, 2006 at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, England (Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8299; Website). The exhibition is open Sunday to Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM and Saturdays in June from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight. Admission to the exhibition costs £10 for adults, £9 for senior citizens and £7 for students.
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From your Guide: Stan Parchin, Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in ancient, late-medieval and Renaissance art and history, and a regular contributor to About Art History. You may read all of his Special Exhibition and Catalogue Reviews here.
For further reading:
Joannides, Paul. Michelangelo and His Influence:
Drawings from Windsor Castle (exh. cat.).
Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 1996.
"Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master" is on view from March 23 through June 25, 2006 at the British Museum, Great Russell Street, London WC1B 3DG, England (Telephone: +44 (0)20 7323 8299; Website). The exhibition is open Sunday to Wednesday from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, Thursday and Friday from 10:00 AM to 8:30 PM and Saturdays in June from 10:00 AM to 12:00 Midnight. Admission to the exhibition costs £10 for adults, £9 for senior citizens and £7 for students.
**************************
From your Guide: Stan Parchin, Senior Correspondent for Museums and Special Exhibitions, is a specialist in ancient, late-medieval and Renaissance art and history, and a regular contributor to About Art History. You may read all of his Special Exhibition and Catalogue Reviews here.