See Rare Italian Renaissance Drawings at Buckingham Palace

A sprawling collection of Italian Renaissance drawings is coming to the King’s Gallery in London’s Buckingham Palace. Titled “Drawing the Italian Renaissance,” the show will feature works by over 80 artists, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael and Titian.

According to a statement from Royal Collection Trust, which manages the British royal family’s art collection, the exhibition will be the “widest range of drawings from this revolutionary artistic period ever to be shown in the United Kingdom.”

“The Royal Collection holds an astonishing array of Renaissance drawings,” says Martin Clayton, the exhibition’s curator, in the statement. “These big, bold and colorful studies show just how exciting the art of drawing became during this time.”

Most of the works on view are studies created in preparation for paintings, prints, sculptures, tapestries and more. However, curators have also selected several works that are unattached to larger projects, such as Giovanni Bellini’s The Head of an Old Man (circa 1460-70). The show will also showcase 30 never-before-seen pieces, as well as 12 that have never been displayed in the U.K.

“Rather than any major new research discoveries, a key focus of the exhibition has been on bringing to light and sharing with the public important and interesting drawings that have never been exhibited before, and in some cases, undertaking conservation on those works,” Clayton tells the Art Newspaper’s Gareth Harris.

The studies depict a wide variety of subjects: Costume studies will show how artists like Leonardo paid close attention to the folds of fabrics, including “ribbons, scalloping, plumes, spotted furs and quilted sleeves and breeches,” per the statement. Meanwhile, plant and animal studies will shed light on how artists captured the splendors of the natural world on canvas.

“The Italian Renaissance would have been impossible without drawing,” says Clayton in the statement. “It was central to every stage of the creative process.”

One of the show’s highlights is a drawing by Raphael called The Three Graces (circa 1517-18). In the study, the artist uses red chalk to draw a model in three different positions in preparation for his fresco of the Wedding Feast of Cupid and Psyche at the Villa Farnesina in Rome.

Another highlight is Titian’s drawing of an ostrich (circa 1550), which expertly captures the animal’s fluffy plumage and sturdy legs. Because the proportions and stance are so realistic, curators think Titian likely had access to a live ostrich imported as an “exotic curiosity.”

In addition to renowned Renaissance masters, the show will also include works by more obscure artists like Paolo Farinati, whose study of three mythological figures (circa 1590) has never previously been displayed. The piece also features an inscription to assistants: “You may do it as you fancy when you are on the scaffolding.”

Renaissance drawings are delicate, and they can only be exhibited under carefully controlled conditions. Last summer, a collection of Leonardo’s sketches went on display in Washington, D.C. for just two months—and they’re now spending three years in darkness. Similarly, the sketches at King’s Gallery won’t be on view again for some time after the four-month exhibition wraps up.

“These drawings cannot be on permanent display for conservation reasons,” says Clayton in the statement. “The exhibition is a unique opportunity to see such a wide range of drawings up close and gain an insight into the minds of these great Italian Renaissance artists."

“Drawing the Italian Renaissance” will be on view at the King’s Gallery in London from November 1, 2024, to March 9, 2025.

Julia Binswanger | READ MORE

Julia Binswanger is a freelance arts and culture reporter based in Chicago. Her work has been featured in WBEZ, Chicago magazine, Rebellious magazine and PC magazine.