Christoph Luitpold Frommel
With contributions by Claudia Echinger-Maurach, Antonio Forcellino, and Maria Forcellino


This book traces Michelangelo’s stylistic development; documents the dialogue between the artist and his great friend and exacting patron Pope Julius II; unravels the complicated relationship between the master and his assistants, who executed large parts of the design; and sheds new light on the importance of neoplatonism in Michelangelo’s thinking.

A rich trove of documents in the original Latin and archaic Italian relates the story through letters, contracts, and other records covering Michelangelo’s travels, purchase of the marble, and concerns that arose as work progressed. The book also catalogues fifteen sculptures designed for the tomb and more than eighty related drawings, as well as an extensive and up-to-date bibliography.

Christoph Luitpold Frommel was a professor at the Università “La Sapienza” in Rome. Claudia Echinger-Maurach is professor of art history at the University of Muenster. Antonio Forcellino, an art historian and restorer, is a leading authority on Michelangelo. Maria Forcellino is an art historian.

“A superbly illustrated and meticulously documented volume.”
—Spectator

“An indispensable reference work, rich in documentation and interpretation.”
—Renaissance Quarterly