Michelangelo Drawings: Closer To The Master

The British Museum
23rd March - 25th June 2006
Prices: Adult UKP10, Various Concession Rates. Pre-booking recommended.
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The Sage's Secrets
The British Museum investigates the stories behind some of Michelangelo's world-famous masterpieces...

On a recent holiday, I stood beneath the vast ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, craning my neck upwards in the unnatural angle so common to the average chapel visitor. The only thoughts breaking through the amazement in my head were, "how the hell did he do that?" For those of you who have felt similarly while marveling at the sheer contouring perfection of David, the Michelangelo Drawings: Closer To The Master exhibition at the British Museum is for you.

From the famous artist's early apprentice work with Ghirlandaio in Florence, to his work for various popes in Rome, to his service for the Medici family in his hometown - the hotbed of art in Italy at the time - this exhibition takes you through the life of Michelangelo on a more personal note.

The curators of the exhibition say that his drawing is, "the thread that connects Michelangelo's work as a sculptor, painter and architect." So they have used illustrations from various sketchbooks along with paintings, poetry and letters, to let us in on the private work that went into crafting the famous pieces for which the man is known.

The drawings chosen for display are those that most resemble the finished works, and the museum has demonstrated this through video transformation and drawing comparisons. For example, Michelangelo's obsession over perfecting the male human body helped him develop shapes for famous works like The Bathers, David and the Sistine Chapel.

In addition to the visual appeal of the drawings, the exhibition boasts an impressive background with a timeline of Michelangelo's professional life and inside information into how he created the masterpiece of God and Adam that we all recognize. We also learn about the artist's devotion to poetry, Christianity and the Florentine Republic, a popular uprising against the Medici family, significant patrons and contributors to Michelangelo's work.

This exhibition is fully interesting for those who would like to learn more about the legendary Italian artist - his life, his work and the steps leading up to the finished products of his magnificent pieces.

- Lauren Burke