In 1504 a remarkable meeting took place in Florence. Its purpose was to decide where Michelangelo's sculpture of David should be placed and in attendance was Leonardo da Vinci who had recently returned to the city. In that same year, a young Raphael also arrived in Florence. It was an extraordinary coming together of these three leading Renaissance artists, and the current exhibition seeks to provide an insight into the possible interconnection of their creative processes. The highlights of the show are Raphael's The Virgin and Child ('The Bridgewater Madonna') c. 1507-1508, Michelangelo's The Virgin and Child with the Infant St John the Baptist ('The Taddei Tondo') c. 1504-1505 and Leonardo's The Burlington House Cartoon c. 1506-1508. These are all extraordinary pieces in their own right, but they take on new meaning in this special context. Michelangelo's tondo with the Christ child twisting to avoid the goldfinch, while simultaneously looking back, is a motif copied in Raphael's The Bridgewater Madonna and it resonates with the posture of the figure in Leonardo's The Burlington House Cartoon. A captivating, not-to-be-missed sidenote to this study in influence is Raphael's drawing of Michelangelo's David. It is an exquisite small piece that beautifully shows the pupil learning from the master. The exhibition concludes in the third gallery, "The Battles of Leonardo and Michelangelo," with a consideration of the preparatory works for two large murals which were never completed. The focus is on the central scenes of the two works: The Battle of Anghiari c. 1505 by Leonardo and The Battle of Cascina ('The Bathers') c. 1542 by Michelangelo. The opportunity to compare and contrast the two visions and the different decisions regarding the subject matter is quite fascinating as again we recognise striking similarities and differences between the artists' approaches. Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504 sets up a fascinating conversation between these three towering artistic figures and opens up interesting new windows into their creative processes.
Rated: ★★★★
Reviewed by J.C.
Image: Michelangelo Buonarroti, The Virgin and Child with the Infant Saint John ('The Taddei Tondo'), c. 1504-05. Royal Academy of Arts, London. Photo: Royal Academy of Arts, London, Photographer: Prudence Cuming Associates Limited
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