Drawing of the Head of Michelangelo's Dawn (from the Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici, Church of San Lorenzo, Florence)
Original title: Drawing of the Head of Michelangelo's Dawn (from the Tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici, Church of San Lorenzo, Florence)
kurzbeschreibung
The head of the figure of Dawn from the Medici tomb in San Lorenzo, Florence, is the sole subject of this sheet. An unknown draftsman recorded it in red chalk on paper, probably in the sixteenth century. Measuring 41.8 by 32.4 cm, the drawing gives itself over entirely to this one head.
Description
A head with drapery and a kind of crown or headdress, turned slightly to the left, fills the paper. The features are worked fluently and in detail; firm strokes and shading convey form and structure. The red chalk yields a warm, reddish palette that builds depth and physical presence. The ground is left bare, which keeps the eye resting on the head.
Context
Michelangelo's sculpture Dawn (Aurora) belongs to the tomb of Lorenzo de' Medici in the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo in Florence and was made between 1524 and 1534. This sheet refers to that sculpture. Whether it served as a study or as a reproduction after the work remains open; an origin in the circle of Michelangelo's pupils or followers is possible. Exactly when the drawing was made is not known.
Impact
Precise lines and soft red-chalk shading give the head a living, sculptural quality. Because only this detail is recorded, the sheet takes on an intimate, almost portrait-like character. The monumental sculpture is thus turned into a private study.
Technique
The sheet is executed in red chalk on paper, a medium common in the Renaissance for studies and sketches. The finest hatching and gentle transitions are possible with it, which supports the modeling of the head. At 41.8 by 32.4 cm, it is a large-format study.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)