Italian Renaissance drawings at the British Museum

Fra Angelico to Leonardo: Italian Renaissance Drawings is the latest exhibition at The British Museum in London until 25th July 2010.

A must see !

There are exceptional drawings by Raphael and Michelangelo. Ten Leonardo da Vincis. Works by Botticelli and Uccello, Pollaiuolo Mantegna, Vivarini, Cima, Bellini, Carpaccio, Parri Spinelli from Arezzo and even Titian. Half the exhibits come from the British Museum’s own fine holdings, and the rest from the Uffizi gallery, in Florence, the world’s most bountiful store of Italian Renaissance treasures

Andrea del Verrocchio, [Andrea di Michele di Francesco de' Cioni] (c. 1435 – 1488)

Head of a woman.[detail] c.1475

Charcoal (some oiled ?), heightened with white, pen and brown ink on her left eye, 32.4 x 27.3 cm (whole drawing).

The British Museum, London

Anonymous Lombard (Workshop of Giovannino de'Grassi (active in Milan 1389-1398) ),

Two studies of a cheetah, 1410

Watercolour and bodycolour on vellum,

16.4 x 12.3 cm (whole drawing).

British Museum, London

Sandro Botticelli, [Alessandro di Mariano di Vanni Filipepi, ](c. 1445 – May 17, 1510)

Allegory of Abundance or Autumn , c. 1480-5.

Black and red chalk, pen and brown ink, brown wash, heightened with white, on paper with an irregular orange-red ground consisting mainly of red lead, 31.7 x 25.2 cm (whole drawing).

The British Museum, London

Raffaellino del Garbo, (1466 or perhaps 1476 – 1524)

The Risen Christ , c. 1495-97.

Silverpoint heightened with lead white over stylus indications on grey preparation, 37.8 x 25.5 cm (whole drawing).

The British Museum, London

The main figure is a study for Christ in the 'Resurrection' altarpiece painted for the Capponi chapel in the church of San Bartolomeo a Monteoliveto in Via Monte Oliveto, Florence, and now in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence

Raphael, [Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino] (April 6 or March 28, 1483 – April 6, 1520)

Cartoon for St George, [detail] c. 1504-5.

Pen and ink, over black chalk, the outlines of the figures pricked for transfer, 26.5 x 26.7 cm.

Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi, Florence

Leonardo da Vinci, [Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci ] (April 15, 1452 – May 2, 1519),

Landscape (detail), 1473.

Pen and two shades of brown ink, 19.4 x 28.5 cm (whole drawing).

Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi, Florence

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519),

Study for the background of the 'Adoration of the Magi', about 1481, Metalpoint, pen and brown ink, brown wash, touches of lead white heightening, over stylus and compass incising, on cream preparation.

Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi, Florence

Titian, [Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio] (c. 1473/1490 – 27 August 1576

Study of a Young Woman

Gabinetto Disegni e Stampe degli Uffizi, Florence