A Curated Eye: ‘Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504’ at the Royal Academy of Arts
At the dawn of the 16th century, Florence was a crucible of artistic brilliance. It was here that Michelangelo, Leonardo, and Raphael – three titans of the Italian Renaissance – briefly crossed paths. On 25 January 1504, the city’s most prominent artists met to discuss the location for Michelangelo’s David. Amongst them was da Vinci, Michelangelo’s greatest rival.
Now, as a major exhibition Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504 at London’s Royal Academy of Arts explores their fiery relationship and influence on the young Raphael, we discover the secrets behind the art with Julien Domercq, Curator of the exhibition.
How did their awareness of each other's work, particularly in Florence in 1504, push their artistic boundaries and innovation?
This took place in different ways. One could say Leonardo was probably the least influenced by the others, even if the proximity of Michelangelo must have added extra pressure. Michelangelo was probably more aware, in the sense of affirming his distinctive style and may have been influenced by Leonardo in his chalk drawing techniques. As for Raphael, he was in his early 20s, and a ‘sponge’, absorbing – rather than directly copying – what could be useful to him to develop his own style.
Beyond the three artists, how did their work in Florence during this period influence the trajectory of art?
Michelangelo’s Tondi, and particularly the Royal Academy of Arts’ Taddei Tondo, marked an important step in the development of this quintessentially Florentine form. Michelangelo revolutionised their composition, using a centrifugal approach which subsequent artists then used. Both Michelangelo and Leonardo’s designs for their unrealised frescoes for the Palazzo Vecchio influenced future generations: Leonardo’s with his emphasis on expressions and Michelangelo, whose fascination for the impossible tensions of the body would form the basis of Mannerism.
The exhibition reunites the Battle of Anghiari and Battle of Cascina drawings. Can you elaborate on the decision to present these together?
The decision here was to bring together as many of their great drawings for the battles as possible, and through those reveal something about their diametrically different approaches. Leonardo focused on portraying four captains in ferocious combat, while Michelangelo chose to show nude soldiers, having cooled off in the river Arno. These two profoundly different approaches offer alternative visions of what art could achieve.
Curating an exhibition of this calibre must be incredibly powerful. What surprised you the most about the relationships between these artists?
It is incredibly powerful. I often have to pinch myself. What surprises me is the enduring aura of these works. Two works of art which never existed, have nonetheless influenced countless artists. Never present in their intended time and place, this is perhaps their melancholy legacy: an artistic longing for what might have been. They have not been lost; they just simply never were. It’s such a poignant and powerful story.
Is there a ‘favourite’ work in the exhibition that you find particularly intriguing or emotive?
My favourite work in the exhibition – and that’s a tough one to pick – is a small drawing by Raphael, Two Male Nudes Seen from Behind, lent to us by the Albertina in Vienna. In this unusual piece, Raphael depicts a pair of Michelangelo’s bathers from behind, as if he imagined himself amongst them on the banks of the Arno, even capturing their clothes strewn on the bank. As if Raphael walked into Michelangelo's composition of the Battle of Cascina, entering his mind and making Michelangelo's bathers his own.
Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504 is at the Royal Academy of Arts from 9 November 2024 - 16 February 2025. Guests staying at Brown’s Hotel can enjoy An Artistic Escape in Mayfair, which includes VIP admission to the exhibition, or delve deeper into the Italian Renaissance with privileged access to art created by Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael through unique experiences at Hotel Savoy in Florence, Hotel de Russie or Hotel de la Ville in Rome, and Rocco Forte House Milan.
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