Marcello Venusti (Como c. 1515 - Rome 1579 ), Portrait of Michelangelo, post-1535, oil on canvas, 36 x 27 cm. Florence, Casa Buonarroti, inv.188

NEW YORK, NY.- The Palitz Gallery in New York City, Syracuse University’s New York gallery, presents “Michelangelo: The Man and the Myth”, following its highly successful run at Syracuse University Art Galleries where it closed on October 19th. The exhibition includes more than a dozen original drawings and writings by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), many of which have never been seen in the United States. Along with works by Michelangelo, the exhibition will feature works of his contemporaries.

Best known as the sculptor of the colossal statue “David” in Florence and painter of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and large fresco “The Last Judgment” at the Vatican, Michelangelo was also a renowned poet, architect, anatomist, military engineer, entrepreneur, and patriot —a true Renaissance man. As such, the exhibition will explore multiple facets of Michelangelo’s life, art and reputation.

The exhibition features more than 25 works by Michelangelo and artists contemporary to him, including 14 works by Michelangelo chosen to illustrate the broad range of his interests and creative activities. In addition to the Head of Leda, widely recognized as one of the artist’s most important drawings, figural studies associated with the Sistine Chapel and other paintings, as well as original architectural plans and sketches of ancient Roman monuments are included. Autograph examples of the artist’s poetry will be complemented by printed books. Eight of the Michelangelo works in the exhibition (five drawings and three manuscript pages) have never been seen in the United States. Works by Leone Leoni, Marcello Venusti, Giorgio Ghisi and others are included in the exhibition to illustrate the homage paid to the Master during his lifetime.

“Syracuse University is especially thrilled to present this wealth of research on the genius Renaissance master and inventor Michelangelo because of the engagement it will create between our University and the public,” says SU Chancellor and President Nancy Cantor. “This exhibition is an example of how we further our commitment to Scholarship in Action by integrating discovery, learning and public engagement.”

“To bring the myth of Michelangelo across the Atlantic, together with the centuries-long memories of the Casa Buonarroti, is truly an emotional experience,” says Guest Curator Ragionieri. “But to speak to the citizens of Syracuse and New York City about a sublime protagonist of the Italian Renaissance by means of his life as a man and artist—as well as offer some of his splendid drawings for their admiration—is also a great responsibility. I am happy and proud to arrange this important rendezvous and hope to have found the appropriate way in this exhibition to communicate the superhuman dimension of Michelangelo’s creative adventure.”

By most accounts, there are fewer than a dozen drawings and no paintings or sculpture by Michelangelo in current American art collections. The drawings in the exhibition will, therefore, for a time, more than double the number of Michelangelo works in the United States, presenting a unique opportunity for audiences who have never seen his original work.

“This exhibition provides a rare opportunity to explore the many sides of Michelangelo’s career. As such, it will educate students and the public alike to broaden their appreciation and understanding of this great Renaissance genius,” says Radke. “I constantly urge my students to study abroad, especially in Italy, because there is simply no substitute for seeing works of art firsthand. Now, countless members of the American public will be able to examine and appreciate Michelangelo’s drawings and writings right here in the United States. These works are rarely seen, even in Florence, because they need to be protected from the damaging effects of light.”

Michelangelo, Four epitaphs in honor of Cecchino Bracci sent to Luigi del Riccio, 1544 , pen, 216 x 230 mm. Florence, Archivio Buonarroti, XIII, 33.