Michelangelo’s Drawings for Apostle Statues for the Cathedral of Florence

Abstract

Michelangelo’s prestigious commission of April 1503 for twelve over-life-sized marble Apostle statues for the Cathedral of Florence is often overlooked, almost certainly because this project barely got off the ground, as it was interrupted by three major commissions allotted to the artist by Pope Julius II. We do have one statue, namely the St. Matthew begun no earlier than April 1506, which was left two-thirds unfinished. This sculpture must form the point of departure for the assembly of drawings preparatory for the Apostle statues, a task no one has previously attempted. This is remarkable, considering that only the St. Matthew and the preparatory drawings for the statues can shed light upon Michelangelo’s changing intentions for the cycle. Several drawings that are undoubtedly related to this commission have received considerable scholarly attention. Three sheets never previously connected to the project are tentatively introduced here as potential Apostle studies.