On 25 January 1504, Florence’s most prominent artists gathered to advise on an appropriate location
for Michelangelo’s nearly finished David. Among them was Leonardo, who – like Michelangelo – had
only recently returned to his native Florence. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504
explores the rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the influence both had on the young
Raphael. The exhibition presents over 40 works, including Michelangelo’s Taddei Tondo, Leonardo’s
Burlington House Cartoon and Raphael’s Bridgewater Madonna, as well as some of the finest drawings
from the Italian Renaissance.
Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John (The 'Taddei Tondo'), c. 1504-05. Marble, 106.8 x 106.8 cm. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Bequeathed by Sir George Beaumont, 1830. Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London, Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited
The exhibition opens with Michelangelo’s only marble sculpture in the UK, his celebrated Taddei
Tondo, c. 1504-05 (Royal Academy of Arts, London), which is shown together with its related
preparatory drawings. The Taddei Tondo was created in a defining moment of the Italian Renaissance:
the febrile atmosphere of Republican Florence, when Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael briefly
crossed paths, competing for the attention of Florence’s most influential patrons. The relief left an
indelible impact on Raphael, as can be seen most notably in
the Bridgewater Madonna, c. 1507-08
(Bridgewater Collection Loan, National Galleries of Scotland),
Raphael, The Virgin and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist ('The Esterhazy Madonna'), c. 1508. Tempera and oil on panel, 28.5 x 21.5 cm. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
and the Esterházy Madonna, c. 1508
(Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest), both of which are displayed nearby.
Leonardo da Vinci, The Virgin and Child with St Anne and the Infant St John the Baptist (‘The Burlington House Cartoon’), c.1506-08. Charcoal with white chalk on paper, mounted on canvas, 141.5 x 104.6 cm. The National Gallery, London. Purchased with a special grant and contributions from the Art Fund, The Pilgrim Trust, and through a public appeal organised by the Art Fund, 1962.
The central gallery is devoted to Leonardo’s Burlington House Cartoon, c. 1506-08 (The National
Gallery, London), which returns to the Royal Academy for the first time in over 60 years. The exhibition
and the accompanying catalogue present new research regarding the original context of the cartoon.
The exhibition culminates with drawings showcasing the mythic encounter between Leonardo and
Michelangelo. In 1503, the Government of Florence had commissioned Leonardo to paint a
monumental mural, the Battle of Anghiari, in its newly constructed council hall. In late August or early
September 1504, around the time Michelangelo’s David was installed on the ringhiera in front of the
Palazzo Vecchio, Michelangelo was asked to paint the accompanying Battle of Cascina. Neither project was ever completed, but the exhibition brings together Leonardo and Michelangelo’s much-admired
preparatory drawings from various collections across Europe, including an important group lent by His
Majesty The King from the Royal Collection, providing a fascinating insight into the approach of both
artists as they developed their compositions.
(Also see https://arthistorynewsreport.blogspot.com/2024/11/drawing-italian-renaissance.html
The exhibition concludes with a drawing by Raphael, c.
1505-06 (Ashmolean Museum, Oxford), in which he painstakingly copies the central scene of
Leonardo’s Battle of Anghiari. See a similar one (or an incorrect reference?):
Gérard Edelinck (1640 - 1707) (printmaker)
after Sir Peter Paul Rubens (1577 - 1640) (designer)
after Leonardo da Vinci (1452 - 1519) (artist)
© Ashmolean Museum, University of Oxford
https://www.ashmolean.org/collections-online#/item/ash-object-843613
Organisation
Exhibition organised by the Royal Academy of Arts, London, in partnership with Royal Collection Trust
and the National Gallery, London.
The exhibition is curated by Scott Nethersole, Professor for History
of Art and Architecture at Radboud University, and Per Rumberg, the Jacob Rothschild Head of the
Curatorial Department at the National Gallery, with Julien Domercq, Curator at the Royal Academy,
and Natasha Fyffe, Genesis Future Curator at the Royal Academy.
Catalogue
The exhibition is accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with texts by Scott Nethersole and Per
Rumberg. In this beautifully designed book, Scott Nethersole and
Per Rumberg take Michelangelo’s celebrated Taddei Tondo as their starting point, and examine the
rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the influence of both on the young Raphael. Some of
the finest examples of Italian Renaissance drawing are reproduced, including Leonardo’s Burlington
House Cartoon and studies by Leonardo and Michelangelo for their murals commissioned by the
Florentine government for the newly constructed council hall in the Palazzo della Signoria.
Details
Extent 160 pages
Illustrations 80 images
MORE IMAGES
Raphael, after Michelangelo Buonarroti, David, c. 1505-08. Pen and brown ink on paper, 39.6 x 21.9 cm. © The Trustees of the British Museum
Michelangelo Buonarroti, Male Nude, c. 1505-06. Black chalk on paper, 40.4 x 22.5 cm. Teylers Museum, Haarlem
Leonardo da Vinci, A Rearing Horse, c. 1503-05. Red chalk on paper, 15.3 x 14.2 cm. © Royal Collection Enterprises Limited 2024 | Royal Collection Trust
Bastiano da Sangallo, after Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Battle of Cascina (‘The Bathers’), c. 1542. Oil on panel, 78.8 x 132.3 cm. Holkham Hall, Norfolk, Collection of the Earl of Leicester. By kind permission of the Earl of Leicester and the Trustees of Holkham Estate
Michelangelo Buonarroti, Studies of Male Heads, Helmets for Soldiers and Facial Features, c.1504. Pen and brown ink and black chalk on paper,
20.5 x 25.3 cm. Hamburger Kunsthalle, Kupferstichkabinett. Photo: © Hamburger Kunsthalle / bpk. Photography: Christoph Irrgang
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