About the Book

Accessible to readers-useful to specialists
Much as been written on Michelangelo. By 1970, the number of scholarly books and articles exceeded 4,000, approximately a tenth in English. In the past 25 years, the literature has grown exponentially, with a notable increase in English-language publications. The five-volume series reproduces some 100 articles in English, selected from a broad range of books and journals. The collection is both accessible to the general reader and useful to the specialist, offering a representative sample of old and new commentary on the artist and his work.

The career of a geniusArticles are arranged chronologically with separate volumes covering the artist's early life and works, the Sistine Chapel ceiling, commission associated with San Lorenzo, the tomb of Julius II and other Roman projects, and a final volume devoted to drawings, poetry, and miscellaneous studies. Spanning his entire 89-year life, the articles explore Michelangelo's prodigious creativity as an artist, thinker, and poet. The sheer quantity of what has been written on Michelangelo can be intimidating; most student have little sense of how to approach or effectively utilize the vast literature. By presenting a varied introduction to a great artist, this collection is a handy reference tool for a wide array of topics, problems, and literature.
This volume covers Michelangelo's mid-career, between 1515 and his final departure from Florence in 1534. Most articles deal with the three principal projects associated with the Medici church of San Lorenzo: the never realized facade, the New Sacristy or Medici chapel, and the Laurentian Library. Other are articles deal with contemporaneous works, including the sculpture of Victory and the painting of Leda.