MICHELANGELO-DRAWINGS
of VITTORIA COLONNA

Foreword

The illustration of this book with drawings of Michelangelo for Vittoria Colonna was permitted by courtesy of the British Museum in London,
Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Kunst Historisches Museum in Vienna,
Accademia in Venice, Louvre in Paris. The Reproduction of Vittoria Colonna’s Letter to Michelangelo was permitted by Casa Buonarroti, Florence.
The author owes thanks to Karlheinz Weppert, Schweinfurt, Germany, for the photographic rendition of all images, and above all, for the creation of the book cover.

“Doesn’t exist a portrait of her by Michelangelo?”

This question was asked by Cesare Maccari, a nineteenth-century history painter, when he was commissioned to paint Vittoria Colonna. At last, he replaced the original by a model. A poem by Vittoria Colonna in the woman’s hand was sufficient for her identification. Sebastiano Piombo used the same method already in Vittoria Colonna’ lifetime. His beautiful model also identifies herself as Vittoria Colonna by pointing her finger at a velvet - covered booklet containing her sonnets. Why did Piombo paint Giulia Gonzaga, but replaced Vittoria Colonna by a model? The answer is simple. She did not conform to the beauty ideal of her time, which originated in the male-imagined femininity of the Renaissance Madonnas. Already her Spanish Biographer Alicarnasseo stated maliciously:” When she was married with such a male paragon, she developed her intellectuality, because she wasn’t a great beauty.”

And Michelangelo?
He did not portrait her, preferring spontaneous pencil- drawings of Vittoria Colonna. 

The Exhibition Michelangelo Drawings: Closer to the Master. British Museum London. 2006 

did not identify Vittoria Colonna in Michelangelo´s drawings. The vague legends read: Half-length of a woman, ideal head. The moving drawing representing Vittoria Colonna in half-profile (cover of this book) was entitled a Head of a Young man? Again, a depressing experience of an identity loss for Vittoria Colonna, however this time not due to her damnation by the Inquisition! 

Precise description of Vittoria Colonna’s Features by Paolo Giovio
His detailing description of her outward appearance in his Dialoghi is based on personal friendship. During the Sacco of Roma Giovio was Colonna’s guest on the Castle of Ischia. She commissioned him with the Biography of her husband Ferrante d’Avalos. 

Paolo Giovio: 
Her eyes are black, as if they were encircled by glossy ivory resembling the eyes of Venus. However, they are not coquettish but beautiful through unobtrusive joyfulness and glittering lights. Her eyebrows do not meet., which is the sign of an honourable forehead, but they slightly curve, and run gradually out in elegant crowning arcs. Her face is played around by her hair, black like ivory but interwoven with gold, comparable to the hair of Leda. From the parting, the hair, slightly shimmering, flowing across the temples, tamed by refined hair oil, so that no strands are peeking out, adorns the broad, free, serene forehead.

Beneath, the cheeks shine in shameful blush and milky sweetness. In merry lines, they retreat to the short ear lobes, from which, because they are not grown onto the cheeks, exact judgement can be concluded. Even though miraculous jewels and pearls hang there, the eyes of the beholder return immediately to the pretty ears.

And what a lovely nose, led away from the forehead in a delicate line, as a sign of decency and royal dignity, which is true for the Persian Dynasty of the Arsacides! A tiny hill near the nasal root is more suggested by nature than executed, in such a moderate and adroit way that, what hints at male astringency, does not at all impair female loveliness. 

Stereotype Interpretations of Vittoria Colonna’s physiognomy are complemented by Giovio’s personal observations and impressions. Fore instance, he does not read cheerfulness in her eyes, but in the posture of her neck. This special cheerfulness, is differentiated by him with subtlety. It was not mockingly coquettish nor narcissistically captivating but affectionately devoted to others. 

 

Vittoria Colonna’s Striking Nose
Remindful of the Persian Dynasty of the Arsacides

 

Paolo Giovio’s precise description of Vittoria Colonna’s striking nose is confirmed in Michelangelo’s drawings. Michelangelo’s profile of Vittoria Colonna is not Greek, because his line of her nose, corresponding to Giovio’s description, does not run straight, as Greek noses do, but proceeds slightly curved.

Of course, Giovio selects the exceptional comparison with the noses of the Arsacides to single out the individuality of the Renaissance Princess. Greek noses are idealistic and frequent. A woman with an Arsacide nose is without compare.

 

The existence of Michelangelo Drawings of Vittoria Colonna
as a psychological probability!

 

It cannot be
that Michelangelo, who confessed
Beyond vain desire, I am enthralled by her beautiful face so that I perceive death in each other beauty.
or implored:
Oh, convert my whole body into one single eye that no part will be on me that cannot enjoy you.
should only have idealised her in his drawings in disregard of her physiognomy?

It is true, Michelangelo did not portrait his beloved Marchesa, because he disliked the rigidity of portraits, preferring spontaneous drawings of her in lively immediacy.

He only portraited her once, when he was commissioned by Vittoria Colonna to make official drawings of her and of her husband:

 

MICHELANGELO
LA MARCHESA DE PESCARA

©TRUSTEE British Museum London, AN200168001 (written licence for the copy in this book)

 

THE ANDROGYNOUS FEATURE in her FACE

 

Independently of each other, Giovio and Michelangelo emphasize the slightly androgynous feature in her beauty and in her personality. Giovio did not only discover the male feature in the tiny little hill near her nasal root but also in her poetical style.

MICHELANGELO enthused:

“UN UOMO IN UNA DONNA, ANZI UNO DIO!”

Thomas Mann emphasized Michelangelo’s preference for “such human beings”, in whose faces male and female features were united in a divine manner, “like in the wonderful drawing he conceived of Vittoria Colonna with the soulful eye and the strong, full, beautifully shaped mouth. One can say that no work of his hand, his poems included renders the extrasensory quality of his eroticism rooted in enormous sensuality.”

The Official Drawing and the (lost) Pendant of her Husband
In comparison with Michelangelo’s Spontaneous Drawings

There can be no doubt that, in comparison to his spontaneous drawings, a certain lifeless stiffness adheres to Vittoria Colonna in Michelangelo’s official drawing, in spite of her soulful eyes and of her sensual mouth.
Vittoria Colonna has adopted the self-controlled official attitude of La Marchesa de Pescara. The Pendant of her husband existed but got lost. The engraver Antonio Tempesta executed copper engravings of both drawings in 1613, today, Graphic Collections, Albertina in Vienna. Tempesta wrote in the legends that he used the two drawings of Michelangelo as templates for his engravings.

This charming drawing is a commissioned work lacking the liveliness of his spontaneous drawings. Although he draped the cap, embroidered with jewels and pearls, on her gorgeous hair and devoted his undivided attention to her braids, the floating demeanour of Marchesa annoyed Michelangelo. One of his poems reads like a blaming commentary:  

 

 

©TRUSTEE Ashmolean Museum Oxford WA 184661 
The author pays thanks the Museum for the written permission to reproduce the drawing in this book.

 

Had Michelangelo ever created a more heartfelt drawing 
than this drawing of Vittoria Colonna in half-profile?

The features of the meagre young woman comply with the precise description of her outward appearance by Paolo Giovio. A striking detail, affectionately elaborated by Michelangelo is the pretty ear with the earring, which also attracted Paolo Giovio’s attention: “Although wonderful pearls and jewels hang there, it is the beautiful ears that fascinate the onlooker.”

Michelangelo emphasizes the androgynous features of Viittoria Colonna but at the same time tones them down in the arrangement of fine lines in her face, which renders the physical and psychic fragility of the young woman and also convey the tender feelings of the artist cherishes for her. Michelangelo could not turn his eyes away from her beautiful face:  From near and from afar, my eyes can see where your beautiful face turns up.”

Vittoria Colonna’s face enthralled him so that he only discovered death in any other beauty. To multiply the perception of this singular woman. He would have immediately changed his body into one single eye.

But the incomparable drawing is no portrait. Michelangelo mirrors the woman’s soul in her face, introverting her eyes. Her inner unrest, which the artist lets reverberate in short hatched lines on turban and dress was controlled by the young woman in the meantime, because her face expresses thoughtful composure. Presumably, it is this composure, in which she overcame emotional excitement that inspired Michelangelo to draw her in this moment. 

However, what remains is the impression of interior disjointedness, which draws the woman’s eyes inside. Tenderness, modesty, pride and sadness, but also an aura of strength convey themselves by Michelangelo’s art  in this drawing of Vittoria Colonna.

 

VITTORIA COLONNA
as YOUNG WIDOW

 

©TRUSTEE Britishes Museum ,London . AN 18318001
The author pays thanks to the British Museum for the written licence to reproduce a copy in this book.

 

MICHELANGELO
SPONTANEOUS DRAWNG OF THE YOUNG WIDOW

 

The features of the young woman are the same as in the other drawings of Vittoria Colonna. The drawing in black chalk is dated back to the year 1525, in which her husband died. Instead of flaunting pretentious coiffures, she has now bound a veil round her head.

In a letter to the Duchess of Urbino she thanks her for the present of these veils. “They are exactly as I like them!” Her precious brocade robe as been exchanged by a plain gown, in which she struck the eye of a citizen in Ferrara:” This morning Marchesa de Pescara visited the Duchess in a simple dress.”

Again, Michelangelo introverted the eyes of the young woman to mirror her inner struggle against despair, while the artist expresses her despondency in the inclination of her neck. 

At the same time, he uses body language to suggest her brave, composed demeanour, which is a moving contrast to the lonely , fragile figure of the young widow.

 

WHY MICHELANGELO NOT PORTRAITED
 VITTORIA COLONNA

 

After delving oneself in the wonderful drawings he created of Vittoria Colonna, the answer seems easy. He refuted the portrait because of the inner static of the pictured person, and because of his intentional posture of the body, and of the calculating his impression and last but not least because of lacking authenticity.

Michelangelo preferred the drawing for Vittoria Colonna because of the spontaneity, the immediacy, the unrepeatability of the moment, he wanted to ban in his drawing.