Michelangelo Buonarroti (?)
1530–76
Medium
Engraving; second state
Dimensions
Sheet: 3 7/8 in. (9.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Harry G. Friedman, 1959
Accession Number
59.644.93
Art Historical Context
This intriguing engraving by the 16th-century Flemish artist Lambert Suavius presents a portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti, though the question mark in the title acknowledges ongoing scholarly debate about the likeness. Created between 1530 and 1576, during Michelangelo’s lifetime, the print captures the celebrated Renaissance sculptor, painter, and architect at the height of his fame. Suavius, known for his precise line work and northern European engraving style, likely drew inspiration from circulating images or descriptions of the Italian master. As an engraving in its second state, this ...
About the Artist
Lambert Suavius · 1510–1576
Lambert Suavius (c.1510–c.1574/76), whose Flemish family name was Zutman, was born in Liège, in the southern Netherlands. He was the son of an episcopal goldsmith, Henri Zutman, and from his father's craft environment he inherited a training in the precise handling of metal and an appreciation for fine detail work. He became closely associated with his brother-in-law Lambert Lombard, the leading a...