The Punishment of Tityus (Michelangelo)
The Punishment of Tityus | |
---|---|
Artist | Michelangelo |
Year | 1532 |
Medium | Black chalk; charcoal on the verso |
Dimensions | 19 cm × 33.0 cm (7.5 in × 13.0 in) |
Location | Royal Collection |
Accession | RCIN 912771[1] |
The Punishment of Tityus is a drawing by the Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo.
Description
The drawing shows the mythical figure
Tommaso dei Cavalieri
The Tityus drawing is one of several presentation drawings that Michelangelo gave to Tommaso dei Cavalieri. Cavalieri was a young Roman noble who became a very close friend to Michelangelo from 1532 up until Michelangelo's death in 1564.[2]
The relationship between the two men has been scrutinized by scholars because of the large volume of correspondence between them. Michelangelo wrote many letters to Cavalieri along with poetry and the previously mentioned drawings. In the many sonnets he wrote to Cavalieri, Michelangelo referred to the "immeasurable love" that he carried for young nobleman; he even used Cavalieri's name in a pun to describe his affections stating, "I am held prisoner by an armed Cavalier".[3]
Possible homoeroticism
The drawings Michelangelo created for Cavalieri were complete and finished works of art.
A similar homoerotic interpretation could be made for the Ganymede drawing. In
It would make sense that Michelangelo would use such drawings, sonnets and letters to profess his affections because of the social stigma attached to homosexuality. Even though Florence did have a prevalent homosexual community, Michelangelo's faith would not allow him to be open about his feeling for the young nobleman.[8] Also, Michelangelo had been accused numerous times of having affairs with other young men.[9] The homoerotic drawings could have been a way for Michelangelo to express his feelings out of the public eye and away from gossip.
Possible drawing aids
Another interpretation of this group of drawings is that they were
Another aspect of the drawings suggesting they were teaching tools is that all four of the presentation drawings given to Cavalieri (Tityus, Ganymede, The Fall of Phaeton, and The Dreamer) all have the main figure facing different directions. For example, Tityus has the figure with his head downward facing the left while the figure from The Dreamer has his head up and to the right. Also, the figure in Ganymede is ascending vertically while the figure from The Fall of Phaeton is falling upside down. These four drawings as a group show the body facing all four cardinal directions and could have served to show Cavalieri how to depict the nude male form in different basic positions.[12]
Conclusions
Michelangelo's presentation drawings for Cavalieri have been a topic of interest among scholars because of their highly finished nature and because of the implications that they might have about Michelangelo's
See also
Notes
- ^ The Punishment of Tityus, Royal Collection Trust, retrieved 24 October 2021
- ^ Joseph Francese, "On Homoerotic Tension in Michelangelo's Poetry", MLN 117, No. 1 (January 2002): 40, 42.
- ^ Howard Hibbard, Michelangelo, 2nd ed (New York: Harper & Row), 229–231.
- ^ Hibbard, Michelangelo, 233.
- ^ Artble, "Tityus" under "Jusepe de Ribera", http://www.artble.com/artists/jusepe_de_ribera/paintings/tityus.
- ^ a b Hibbard, Michelangelo, 235.
- ^ Encyclopædia Britannica, "Ganymede", http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225486/Ganymede.
- ^ Joseph Francese, "On Homoerotic Tension", 23–24.
- ^ Joseph Francese, "On Homoerotic Tension", 26.
- ^ Maria Ruvoldt, "Michelangelo's Dream", The Art Bulletin 85, no. 1 (March 2003): 94.
- ^ Maria Ruvoldt, "Michelangelo's Dream", 95.
- ^ Avigdor W. G. Poseq, "Aspects of Laterality in Michelangelo's Work", Artibus et Historiae 20, no. 40 (1999) 108.
References
- Artble. "Tityus" under "Jusepe de Ribera". http://www.artble.com/artists/jusepe_de_ribera/paintings/tityus.
- Encyclopædia Britannica. "Ganymede". http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/225486/Ganymede.
- Francese, Joseph "On Homoerotic Tension in Michelangelo's Poetry", MLN 117, No. 1 (January 2002): 23–42.
- Hibbard, Howard. Michelangelo, 2nd ed., 233–377. New York: Harper & Row, 1974.
- Poseq, W. G. Avigdor. "Aspects of Laterality in Michelangelo's Work". Artibus et Historiae 20, no. 40 (1999): 108.
- Ruvoldt, Maria. "Michelangelo's Dream". The Art Bulletin85, no. 1 (March 2003): 94–95.