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Object Timeline
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1942 |
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2012 |
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2013 |
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2025 |
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Drawing, Design for a Candlestick
This is a Drawing. It was created by Michelangelo Buonarroti. It is dated 1520–30 and we acquired it in 1942. Its medium is black chalk, brush and brown wash, incised lines and compass points on cream laid paper, lined. It is a part of the Drawings, Prints, and Graphic Design department.
Hidden Treasure
So, realistically, what were the chances that an important decorative art drawing, executed by perhaps the most important artist of the Italian Renaissance, would be discovered in the collection of the Cooper-Hewitt, National Design Museum? Well, as it turned out, pretty likely. It was no accident that in the spring of 2002, Sir Timothy Clifford, then Director of the National Museum of Scotland, began a two month project to survey the substantial collection of Italian drawings here at the museum. Rich in drawings for architecture, jewelry, textiles, and especially gold and silver metal work, the Cooper-Hewitt collection has an international reputation for housing many treasures.
Every day for weeks “Sir Tim” (as we fondly called him) examined hundreds of drawings. Finally, as he examined the contents of a box that contained drawings for lighting fixtures, he stood up and waved me over excitedly. “Do you know what you have here?” he said with a smile on his face. I said, “it is cataloged as a sixteenth-century Italian drawing for metalwork.” Sir Tim responded, “This is a drawing by the greatest draftsman of the Renaissance – it is by Michelangelo.” Later in an interview with the New York Times he remarked that he knew instantly that it was by Michelangelo as soon as he laid eyes on it. As he described his reaction, ''It was just as I recognize a friend in the street or my wife across the breakfast table.”
This object was featured in our Object of the Week series in a post titled Hidden Treasure.
It is credited Museum purchase through gift of Mrs. John Innes Kane.
- Drawing, Design for the Base of the Silver Crucifix for the High Altar of...
- pen and brown ink, brush and brown wash, black chalk on off-white laid paper;....
- Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund.
- 1938-88-6982
- Drawing, Study for Candelabrum Motif and Strapwork Escutcheon
- pen and brown ink, black chalk, brush and violet watercolor on off-white laid....
- Museum purchase through gift of various donors and from Eleanor G. Hewitt Fund.
- 1938-88-2923
Its dimensions are
H x W x D: 43.4 x 25.4cm (17 1/16 x 10in.) Mat: 55.9 x 40.6 cm (22 x 16 in.)
It has the following markings
Watermark: anchor in circle, six-pointed star on top, similar to Briquet 478 (Bergamo, 1502) or Briquet 511(Udine, 1535)
It is inscribed
Inscribed in black chalk, center, on molding of upper pedestal: 8; lower center on margin of Sacrifice panel: +; at lower right, in center lower plan: 5; on upper rim of lower plan: 8; on left edge of lower plan: +
Cite this object as
Drawing, Design for a Candlestick; Michelangelo Buonarroti (Italian, 1475–1564); Italy; black chalk, brush and brown wash, incised lines and compass points on cream laid paper, lined; H x W x D: 43.4 x 25.4cm (17 1/16 x 10in.) Mat: 55.9 x 40.6 cm (22 x 16 in.); Museum purchase through gift of Mrs. John Innes Kane; 1942-36-4
