Historians Discover Two New Statues Attributed to the Great Michelangelo
Photo: Michael Jones for The Fitzwilliam Museum
A stunning discovery is rocking the world of Fine Art and dropping our jaws to the floor. Just when historians thought that all there was to be found by the great Michelangelo had been found, the masterful artist has been linked to two bronze statues that weren’t previously thought to be his work.
‘Sheet of studies with the Virgin embracing the Infant Jesus,’ by an unknown apprentice of Michelangelo. Photo: Musée Fabre de Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole
The initial connection was made by Cambridge University Professor of Art History Paul Joannides, when he noticed the Rothschild Bronzes (privately owned by a collector) bore a striking resemblance to a small figure in the corner of a sketch drawn by one of Michelangelo’s apprentices.
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The drawing is of a man, very muscular in build, riding a panther. The likeness to that of the statues is uncanny, and prompted further investigation into the possible link to Michelangelo.
Photo: Michael Jones for The Fitzwilliam Museum
Scans dated the bronzes back to the early 16th century. And investigation by University of Warwick’s clinical anatomist, Professor Peter Abrahams, bolster the hypothesis. Abrahams notes that the anatomy of the sculptures has the precision of Michelangelo, as evidenced by a vast array of his sketches.
‘A nude young man, to front, looking to right, beckoning’ by Michelangelo Photo: The Trustees of The British Museum
It is no wonder that the link was initially made with trepidation, as attributing any work of art to a great master has the potential to backfire if it can’t be proven conclusively.
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After laborious research and extensive investigation, art historians are convinced that the Rothschild Bronzes are indeed born of Michelangelo’s hands. They are on display at the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge until the 9th of August, 2015, and are sure to draw students and enthusiasts of fine art from around the world.
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