New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art is presenting "The Drawings of Bronzino," on display from January 20th to April 18th. The noteworth exhibition will be the first major exhibit devoted to the artist. In the past, it has been difficult to obtain Bronzino's paintings (because most were created on panels or frescoes, which are immobile). However, the Met has acquired Bronzino's drawings, which have never been properly studied until now. While only about 60 of his drawings still exist, the exhibit is sure to excite those who enjoy Bronzino, Italian Mannerism and 16th Century European art - especially because most of the fragile drawings have never before been exhibited.
As George R. Goldner, chairman of the museum's department of prints and drawings says,
“His drawings have never been properly studied until now, so there are still a number of questions ... One of the purposes of the show is to figure out what is a Bronzino drawing and what isn’t.”
Employing chalk and pen and ink, Bronzino created everything from sketches scribbled in haste, as a way of remembering an idea, to more elaborate, finished compositions that patrons could use as studies for frescoes and other large commissions. “Each drawing tells you something important about the artist and how he worked...”
The drawings, on loan from Florence's Uffizi Gallery, the Louvre, the British Museum and several private collections, have already given insight about Bronzino's methods.
To read the NY Times article associated with the exhibition (which discusses specific drawings and the clues they've given us), click here.
