Michelangelo's Notebooks: The Drawing, Notes, Poetry, and Letters of the Great Master

by Carolyn Vaughan

Michelangelo's Notebooks is an intimate celebration of the artist's sketches, architectural drawings, letters, and love poems. Michelangelo Buonarroti is considered to be one of the greatest artists of the sixteenth century, not only in painting but in writing and poetry as well. He filled hundreds of sheets of paper with exquisite drawings, many of which would eventually become some of the most celebrated masterpieces of all time, and he wrote over 300 poems and sonnets on admiration and spirituality. Organized chronologically, Michelangelo's Notebooks is an illustrated record of the artist's life and work, and combines the artists's own words with his sketches and finished compositions. His letters about the Sistine Chapel and Pope Julius, for example, are illustrated with sketches that he produced while he was writing. Edited and curated by Carolyn Vaughan, former editor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, she provides fascinating commentary and insights into the material presented throughout the book.

Genres: Art

370 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 3, 2016

Reviews

[Hit No · Rating 3 out of 5]

Michelangelo's *Notebook* is a collection of his letters and poems that offers insight into the personal and emotional life of the renowned Renaissance artist. The letters reveal his struggles with patrons, financial worries, and family concerns, while the poems reflect deep themes of love, beauty, art, and spirituality. His poetry, influenced by Neoplatonism, explores the tension between earthly desires and divine inspiration. This collection provides a more intimate understanding of Michelangelo, highlighting the complexities behind his artistic genius.