is Michelangelo. In 1878 the bronzes
had been exhibited alongside the
information that Michelangelo was the
maker after they had been discovered
in the collections of Baron Adolphe de
Rothschild in the 19th century. However,
since the evidence to support this was
slim and founded upon assumptions, the
search continued for hard evidence of the
true creator.
The previous connections between the
Michelangelo and the sculptures had
been made using expert knowledge of the
context and experience of the artists of
the 15th and 16th century. For instance,
the bronzes depict muscular male figures
in accurate detail that suggests that the
artist would most probably have had
access to material to study the human
body, also being able to use live models.
This level of knowledge of the anatomy is
associated with only a few great masters
of the time, such as Michelangelo and
Leonardo da Vinci, whose depictions of
the body we know are based on in-depth
studies of the skeleton and muscular
structure.
Sistine Chapel Ceiling, Vatican City, Italy
Further supporting evidence came from
scientific investigation into the sculptures,
revealing they were made using thick
walls, a common practice in sculpting
in the early 16th century. Despite
suggestions that Michelangelo sculpted
only from marble, it is perfectly
acceptable to assume that the artist
would have potentially used bronze
at some point and there is evidence
to suggest that he also made another
‘David’, two thirds life size and also a
monumental statue of Pope Julius II.
Unfortunately, it is assumed the latter was
melted down for artillery and the former
apparently disappeared during the French
Revolution.
Photography by Miranda Stocks
sculptures by the artist. Most celebrated
for his iconic marble sculpture ‘David’
and his painting of the ceiling of the
Sistine Chapel, Italian artist Michelangelo
Buonarroti Simoni (1475 - 1564) is
considered to be one of the greatest
painters and sculptors of the High
Renaissance period. Despite beginning
his studies in painting, Michelangelo’s
work as a sculptor was encouraged from
a young age with support from Italian
statesman, Lorenzo de’ Medici. His
extraordinary talents are now displayed in
original and copied form in nearly every
famous museum or gallery throughout
the world who house any significant
reference to Italian Renaissance art.
One of the leading scholars on the team
studying the connections between the
bronze sculptures and Michelangelo
is Professor Joannides, professor of
Art History at Cambridge. It is said that
60
he made the connection after having
seen the bronzes and remembered a
sketch completed by an apprentice to
Michelangelo that he had seen at the
Musée Fabre in Montpellier, France. This
sketch was an accurate reproduction
of a sketch done by Michelangelo and
included a drawing of a man on the back
of a panther, with unmistakable likeness
to the final rendition in bronze. Art
apprentices often practised by copying
the work of their masters, developing
their skills in drawing, painting and
sculpting and they are often responsible
for many additions to great pieces of art
work attributed to famous artists, since
a promising apprentice should be able
to replicate the style of their master
accurately.
This piece of information is arguably
the most solid piece of evidence found
to support the theory that the sculptor
Experts in their relevant fields will be
collaborating their evidence that supports
the theory that Michelangelo created
these bronze sculptures and will be
presented during a conference, currently
set to be held on Monday 6th, July later
this year. If the theory is approved then
it is suggested that this would be one of
the most ground-breaking discoveries of
Renaissance art after the ‘Salvator Mundi’
was recently attributed to Leonardo da
Vinci. The pieces would also remain the
only known surviving sculptures made
of bronze by Michelangelo, amongst the
many marble works.
Currently on display in the Italian
Galleries at the Fitzwilliam Gallery,
Cambridge, the pieces are set to be part
of the Fitzwilliams next major exhibition,
‘Treasured Possessions’ and can be seen
now until 19th August.
By Jessica Stocks