Description

For the 550th anniversary of the birth of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 1564) the Muscarelle Museum (Williamsburg, Virginia) hosted the exhibition Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine, running from March to June, 2025. The exhibition was an extraordinary account of the master's preparatory drawings for the Sistine Chapel frescoes, never before exhibited in America. Before his death, Michelangelo destroyed many of his sketches, including numerous studies for the Sistine Chapel. Those that have been saved remain significant and iconic, providing a window into his creative process, highlighting his initial plans and his extraordinary vision for the frescoes of the Sistine ceiling. They range from what may be considered the first schematic study for the Sistine ceiling, to the numerous sketches of faces, limbs, and whole figures depicted in various positions, appearing as preparation for the figures later frescoed. Thanks to rigorous scholarly research, this catalogue provides new insights into Michelangelo's legacy, giving the reader an enriching and compelling experience. AUTHOR: Adriano Marinazzo is an art and architectural historian, architect, and visual artist, recognized as a distinguished scholar of Michelangelo and Italian Renaissance art and architecture. His body of work spans exhibition catalogs, monographs, and peer-reviewed articles. Marinazzo has taught at the University of Florence and now teaches at the Muscarelle Museum of Art of the College of William and Mary in Virginia, focusing his research on the intersections of digital design, art, and science. SELLING POINTS: . Bringing 25 rarely-displayed masterpiece drawings by Michelangelo to the United States, Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine at the Muscarelle Museum of Art offered American viewers an unprecedented opportunity to experience first-hand the genius of the famed artist. This is the catalogue of that extraordinary exhibition . Works range from what may be considered the first schematic study for the Sistine ceiling, to the numerous sketches of faces, limbs, and whole figures depicted in various positions, appearing as preparation for the figures later frescoed . Thanks to rigorous scholarly research, this catalogue provides new insights into Michelangelo's legacy, giving the reader an enriching and compelling experience 220 colour illustrations