Michelangelo: the last decades

(Hardback)

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Tracing the final 30 years of Michelangelo's career, this book examines how the great master used art and faith to explore the common human experience of ageing in a rapidly changing world.

'This fascinating and beautifully illustrated catalogue demonstrates the creativity of Michelangelo's late years in a way that is both accessible and scholarly.' - Jill Burke, author of How to be a Renaissance Woman and The Italian Renaissance Nude

Michelangelo was not the isolated, tortured genius of artistic legend but a man who maintained a close circle of friends and associates into old age. His late drawings, letters and poetry offer powerful insights into his psychology, reflecting his Catholic faith, his commanding intellectual engagement, and his hope for eternal life. Built on the British Museum's extraordinary collection of drawings, this book explores Michelangelo's relationships and late creativity to go beyond the towering Renaissance master known today.

Author Bio

Sarah Vowles is Smirnov Family Curator of Italian and French Prints and Drawings and curator of the exhibition Michelangelo: the last decades, opening in May 2024 at the British Museum. Previous publications include Piranesi drawings: visions of antiquity (2020) and co-authorship of Mantegna and Bellini (2017).

Grant Lewis is the Milein Cosman Project Curator for the exhibition Michelangelo: the last decades, opening in May 2024 at the British Museum.