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Lot Essay
THIS IS A DESIGN FOR THE TOMB OF THE MEDICI POPE CLEMENT VII IN THE CHURCH OF SANTA MARIA SOPRA MINERVA, ROME, DATING FROM AROUND 1534-5. IT SHOWS THE ELEVATION AND THE GROUND-PLAN FOR A FREE-STANDING TOMB, AS INITIALLY PLANNED BY ANTONIO DA SANGALLO THE YOUNGER. THE CARTOUCHE TO THE LEFT OF THE CENTRE OF THE BASE SHOWS, SLIGHTLY SKETCHED, THE PALLE MEDICEE, THE MEDICI COAT-OF-ARMS. THE TOMB WAS PLANNED AS A PENDANT TO THAT OF POPE CLEMENT'S PREDECESSOR, HIS COUSIN POPE LEO X. EVENTUALLY THE PROJECT OF A FREE-STANDING TOMB WAS ABANDONED IN FAVOUR OF TWO WALL TOMBS, FACING EACH OTHER, WITH STATUES OF THE SEATED POPES IN THE MIDDLE. SEVERAL ARTISTS, SUCH AS BANDINELLI, NANNI DI BACCIO BIGIO AND RAFFAELLO DA MONTELUPO WERE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT AT DIFFERENT STAGES (FOR BANDINELLI'S PROJECTS SEE R. WARD, BACCIO BANDINELLI 1493-1560. DRAWINGS FROM BRITISH COLLECTIONS, EXHIB. CAT., FITZWILLIAM MUSEUM, CAMBRIDGE, 1988, NO. 31).
A DRAWING IN THE UFFIZI BY ANTONIO DA SANGALLO SHOWS A SKETCH OF THE SAME TOMB WITHOUT THE BASE. IN THE PRESENT DRAWING THE ARTIST CAREFULLY WORKED OUT THE UFFIZI SKETCH. THE PRESENT DESIGN IS ALSO RECORDED IN A 'CLEAN COPY' BY ANTONIO'S BROTHER GIOVANNI BATTISTA, NOW IN THE UFFIZI, C.L. FROMMEL AND N. ADAMS, THE DRAWINGS OF ANTONIO DA SANGALLO THE YOUNGER AND HIS CIRCLE, NEW YORK, 1994, FIGS. 39-40. IN A MORE SUMMARY WAY BATTISTA'S COPY FOLLOWS THE PRESENT DRAWING CLOSELY BUT IT LACKS THE FINISHING TOUCH OF THE BROWN WASH. HE WAS ANTONIO'S ASSISTANT IN VARIOUS PROJECTS, AND SEVERAL CLEAN DRAWINGS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO HIM, C.L. FROMMEL AND N. ADAMS, OP. CIT., P. 45.
ANALYZING ANTONIO DA SANGALLO'S WORKING METHOD, PROFESSOR FROMMEL DISTINGUISHES SEVERAL STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROJECT. THE FIRST INCLUDES THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SITE, AND INITIAL SKETCHES; THEN FOLLOW ELEVATION SKETCHES AND STUDIES OF INDIVIDUAL ARCHITECTURAL PARTS. AT THAT STAGE SOMETIMES 'CLEAN COPIES' OF THE SKETCHES WERE MADE. BASED ON THE PREVIOUS STUDIES A PRESENTATION DRAWING WAS THEN PREPARED FOR THE PATRON. ONLY UPON APPROVAL OF A PROJECT WERE THE ACTUAL WORKING DRAWINGS EXECUTED; TO THESE BELONG DETAILED STUDIES OF THE ARCHITECTURE, AS WELL AS STUDIES OF SMALLER ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS, FOR INSTANCE OF BASES OR PEDESTALS.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO PROFESSOR FROMMEL, WHO KINDLY CONFIRMED THE ATTRIBUTION AND POINTED OUT TO US THAT THE PRESENT SHEET BELONGS TO THE CATEGORY OF PRESENTATION DRAWINGS FOR THE PATRON. HE WILL INCLUDE THE PRESENT DRAWING IN THE FORTHCOMING SECOND VOLUME OF HIS CORPUS OF THE DRAWINGS OF ANTONIO DA SANGALLO THE YOUNGER.
A DRAWING IN THE UFFIZI BY ANTONIO DA SANGALLO SHOWS A SKETCH OF THE SAME TOMB WITHOUT THE BASE. IN THE PRESENT DRAWING THE ARTIST CAREFULLY WORKED OUT THE UFFIZI SKETCH. THE PRESENT DESIGN IS ALSO RECORDED IN A 'CLEAN COPY' BY ANTONIO'S BROTHER GIOVANNI BATTISTA, NOW IN THE UFFIZI, C.L. FROMMEL AND N. ADAMS, THE DRAWINGS OF ANTONIO DA SANGALLO THE YOUNGER AND HIS CIRCLE, NEW YORK, 1994, FIGS. 39-40. IN A MORE SUMMARY WAY BATTISTA'S COPY FOLLOWS THE PRESENT DRAWING CLOSELY BUT IT LACKS THE FINISHING TOUCH OF THE BROWN WASH. HE WAS ANTONIO'S ASSISTANT IN VARIOUS PROJECTS, AND SEVERAL CLEAN DRAWINGS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED TO HIM, C.L. FROMMEL AND N. ADAMS, OP. CIT., P. 45.
ANALYZING ANTONIO DA SANGALLO'S WORKING METHOD, PROFESSOR FROMMEL DISTINGUISHES SEVERAL STAGES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A PROJECT. THE FIRST INCLUDES THE MEASUREMENT OF THE SITE, AND INITIAL SKETCHES; THEN FOLLOW ELEVATION SKETCHES AND STUDIES OF INDIVIDUAL ARCHITECTURAL PARTS. AT THAT STAGE SOMETIMES 'CLEAN COPIES' OF THE SKETCHES WERE MADE. BASED ON THE PREVIOUS STUDIES A PRESENTATION DRAWING WAS THEN PREPARED FOR THE PATRON. ONLY UPON APPROVAL OF A PROJECT WERE THE ACTUAL WORKING DRAWINGS EXECUTED; TO THESE BELONG DETAILED STUDIES OF THE ARCHITECTURE, AS WELL AS STUDIES OF SMALLER ARCHITECTURAL ELEMENTS, FOR INSTANCE OF BASES OR PEDESTALS.
WE ARE GRATEFUL TO PROFESSOR FROMMEL, WHO KINDLY CONFIRMED THE ATTRIBUTION AND POINTED OUT TO US THAT THE PRESENT SHEET BELONGS TO THE CATEGORY OF PRESENTATION DRAWINGS FOR THE PATRON. HE WILL INCLUDE THE PRESENT DRAWING IN THE FORTHCOMING SECOND VOLUME OF HIS CORPUS OF THE DRAWINGS OF ANTONIO DA SANGALLO THE YOUNGER.