Artist Quote by Benjamin Blech
““Leonardo was renowned as a painter, and Michelangelo (thanks to his Battle of the Centaurs and the David) was known for portraying male warriors. It took them over a year just to prepare their concepts and designs. Each fresco was to be more than 1,400 square feet. In 1504 gigantic sheets of paper (a very expensive commodity in the sixteenth century) were bought and prepared for the full-sized cartoni, or “cartoons,” the charcoal drawings used for transferring the outlines of the figures onto the fresh plaster of the fresco. Both artists got carried away by their special interests: Leonardo concentrated on the anatomy of the horses in the battle, while Michelangelo—as you might have guessed—filled his scene with muscular male nudes in every possible position. Copy by Aristotile da Sangallo of a detail from Michelangelo’s cartoon for the Battle of Cascina, c.””
About This Quote
Source Book: Art of the Renaissance by Benjamin Blech, 2005
Leonardo and Michelangelo spent years preparing massive fresco cartoons, each focusing on anatomy or heroic male forms.
In simple terms: Their meticulous planning produced huge, detailed frescoes.
Key Takeaway
Study their process for artistic mastery.
Themes
art history
technique
collaboration
Mood
inspirational
educational
Type
historical
artistic
When to use this quote
- museum curation
- art education
- restoration projects
Key Concepts
Renaissance painting
anatomy
scale
Questions to Reflect On
- How did their artistic goals affect the final work?
- What can modern artists learn from their methods?
A Different Perspective
Their differing focuses could limit collaborative cohesion.
