Design of a crucifix

The work with the provisional title Draft of a Crucifix is an unfinished wooden sculpture with a height of 205 millimeters, which is attributed to Michelangelo , dates to 1562, and is in the Casa Buonarroti in Florence.

History and description

The art historian Charles de Tolnay attributes this design to the old Michelangelo and compares it with drawings in Windsor Castle , the Louvre and the British Museum (six in total) and with information in two letters from the artist dated August 1 and 2, 1562, in which he mentions a project for a wooden cross.

The work shows the naked body of Christ, head bowed and arms bare. The figure of Christ provides a concise but effective anatomical and muscular definition, especially in the abdomen and in the lively movement of the open legs.

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  Study of a Crucifixion for Vittoria Colonna

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  Drawing for a crucifixion, Michelangelo, British Museum

literature

• Umberto Baldini: Michelangelo scultore . Rizzoli, Milan 1973 (Italian).