Michelangelo's principles or Panofsky's

Journal of Art Historiography, 2021

It has been shown that it was Max Dvořák who introduced into art-historical research the concept of Mannerism as an independent style that dominated the second half of the 16th century. Dvořák described the art of Raphael’s pupils and of Florentine painters such as Rosso Fiorentino or Jacopo Pontormo not as a decline in artistic development, but as an expression of a change in the cultural mood that needed to be voiced in artistic form. However, the historiography of Dvořák’s conception of Mannerism has to date neglected to devote any attention to how Mannerism actually emerged: what in Dvořák’s conception of art generated the need to describe the art of the late 16th century as a separate artistic style distinct from the Renaissance? As the study shows, the answer to this question may be found in Max Dvořák’s interpretation of the late art of Michelangelo Buonarroti.

International Journal of Art and Art History, 2018

Although a contemporary of the great Michelangelo, Benvenuto Cellini is not as well known to the general public today. Cellini, a master sculptor and goldsmith in his own right, made no secret of his admiration for Michelangelo’s work, and wrote treatises on artistic principles. In fact, Cellini’s artistic treatises can be argued to have exemplified the principles that Vasari and his contemporaries have attributed to Michelangelo. This paper provides an overview of the key Renaissance artistic principles of furia, forza, difficultà, terriblità, and fantasia, and uses them to examine and compare Cellini’s famous Perseus and Medusa in the Loggia deiLanzi to the work of Michelangelo, particularly his famous statue of David, displayed in the Galleria dell’ Accademia. Using these principles, this analysis shows that Cellini not only knew of the artistic principles of Michelangelo, but that his work also displays a mastery of these principles equal to Michelangelo’s masterpieces.

The exhibition is made possible by Morgan Stanley.

Let every man who is here understand this well: design, which by another name is called drawing, and consists of it, is the fount and body of painting and sculpture and of architecture and of every other kind of painting, and the root of all sciences.

Renaissance Quarterly, 1989

feature Michelangelo and Vasari feature Michelangelo and Vasari 12 Christ on the Cross, c. 1556-57 Michelangelo Black chalk over ruled construction, 24.3313.1cm Musée du louvre, paris © rMn-grand palais (Musée du louvre/Thierry le Mage 13 Verso of Fig. 12, presumed conceptual design for the assembly of the cut travertine blocks in constructing the ribs of the vaulting of the south apse of st peter's c. 1556-57 Michelangelo Black chalk, leadpoint, over compass work and stylus-ruling 24.3313.1cm Musée du louvre, paris © rMn-grand palais (Musée du louvre/Jean-gilles Berizzi 12 13

SECAC Art Inquiries, 2018