Michelangelo: The Last Decades

Exhibition at the British Museum, London, 2 May - 28 July 2024

In 1534, Michelangelo (1475-1564) left Florence for Rome, never to see his native city again. He was 59, which many of his contemporaries considered an advanced age, but for Michelangelo it marked the beginning of a dramatic new chapter that would fundamentally shape his experiences as an artist and as a man. Far from being the isolated, tortured genius of artistic myth, he maintained a close circle of friends and associates well into old age, and developed working relationships with younger artists, preserving his fame and reputation.

This exhibition catalogue looks at the last 30 years of Michelangelo's life, which brought him new commissions and reunited him with some of his closest friends. During this period, he reimagined the iconography of religious art to create highly influential compositions such as the Crucifixion, the Last Judgement and the Pietà, and was involved in the design of several important sites in Rome during this period, including his main architectural project, the reconstruction of St Peter's.

His late drawings offer a powerful insight into his psychology, reflecting his Catholic faith, his intellectual commitment and his hope in eternal life, and his role as an architect is analysed through magnificent drawings that highlight his talent as a designer.