'Opportunity of a lifetime': Rare Michelangelo exhibition debuts at Muscarelle Museum of Art

*Michelangelo, “The Creation of Adam,” 1511. Vatican City, Sistine Chapel*. *(Courtesy of the Muscarelle Museum of Art)*

WILLIAMSBURG – The Muscarelle Museum of Art at William & Mary has unveiled a rare collection of sketches by Michelangelo that art scholars have lauded as “groundbreaking.”

“Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine” commemorates the 550th anniversary of the legendary artist’s birth by offering an extraordinary glimpse into his creative processes.

The exhibition, which opened on March 6, is already garnering national media attention, with outlets like Forbes taking notice.

Michelangelo destroyed many of his sketches because he intended them to be for his eyes only. He created hundreds for the Sistine Chapel ceiling – widely considered to be among his greatest masterpieces – but less than 50 of those survive today. Nearly half are now on view in the Muscarelle’s exhibition.

Among the collection is the global debut of a long-overlooked drawing that is believed to be the artist’s first-ever sketch in preparation for the Sistine Chapel ceiling decoration.

The display aims to transport visitors to Renaissance Italy with a display that showcases the origin story of Michelangelo’s most monumental works. It features more than three dozen objects, including:

Two self-portrait sketches of Michelangelo while he was painting the ceiling.
A never-before exhibited letter to Michelangelo from his friend and fellow painter Francesco Granacci.
A famous portrait of Michelangelo by his contemporary Giuliano Bugiardini, on view in the U.S. for the first time.
Life-size reproductions of iconic frescoes, including “The Creation of Adam.”

As previously reported by The Triangle, the newly expanded Muscarelle reopened on Feb. 8, 2025. The three-story renovated building, named the Martha Wren Briggs Center for the Visual Arts, increases the museum’s footprint by more than 42,000 square feet.

“The first major exhibition in the expanded Museum, ‘Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine’ offers an opportunity of a lifetime for our visitors to view these rare artworks against the backdrop of forward-looking architecture,” said David Brashear, Director of the Muscarelle.

Visitors can expect to find “a thoughtfully crafted, intimate experience,” designed to bring them closer to the artist’s creative world, according to Andriano Marinazzo, a Michelangelo expert who curated the exhibition.

The presentation is the culmination of 15 years of scholarship that began with Marinazzo’s study of the artist’s drawings at Casa Buonarroti in Florence.

*Adriano Marinazzo in 2012 at Casa Buonarroti studying Michelangelo’s original drawings.* *(Courtesy of the Muscarelle Museum of Art)*

“‘Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine’ offers an unprecedented glimpse into the mind of one of the most famous artists in the world, revealing the unfiltered thoughts, ideas, struggles and breakthroughs that shaped one of history’s greatest masterpieces – the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel ceiling,” said Marinazzo.

The atmosphere of the exhibition is meant to evoke the Sistine Chapel itself. The gallery walls are painted in a deep blue reminiscent of the Chapel’s celestial background, while gold accents on door interiors illuminate the rich colors Michelangelo used in his frescoes.

Marinazzo said visitors can expect to find “a thoughtfully crafted, intimate experience,” designed to bring them closer to the artist’s creative world.

“To create a personal, reflective setting, lighting will be kept low – both for conservation and to enhance the sense of stepping into Michelangelo’s private, artistic space,” Marinazzo said.

The exhibition was made possible through the Muscarelle’s longstanding relationships with leading Italian museums. Original images of the Sistine Chapel were also provided by the Vatican Museums.

The Muscarelle is the only place in the world where the collection of five-hundred-year-old sketches – transported to Williamsburg with meticulous care – can be seen.

“As I delved deeper into this rich archive, I began to recognize the significance of these works and their potential to reveal new insights into the artist’s creative process,” said Marinazzo.

Michelangelo Buonarroti (Caprese, 1475 – Rome, 1564), “Study for the Cumaean Sibyl,” 1510 Black chalk, 310 × 250 mm, Turin, Biblioteca Reale, inv. D.C. 15627 recto. (Courtesy of the Muscarelle Museum of Art)

The Muscarelle will offer a series of special events correlating to the exhibition in the coming weeks.

A screening of the 1965 classic film, “The Agony and the Ecstasy,” starring Charlton Heston in the role of Michelangelo, will be shown on March 20 at 2 p.m. at the Kimball Theatre. The film recounts the biographical story of the artist’s challenges while painting the Sistine Chapel at the urging of Pope Julius II.

Director David Brashear will host a virtual book talk with Ross King on March 30 at 2 p.m. King is the author of the New York Times bestseller, “Michelangelo and the Pope’s Ceiling.”

On April 8 at 5 p.m., William E. Wallace, an internationally recognized authority on Michelangelo, will discuss research from his upcoming book about the 40-year rivalry between Michelangelo and Titian.

“Michelangelo: The Genesis of the Sistine” runs through May 28. Tickets for this exhibition are $15 for adults and free for Muscarelle Members and youth under 18.

A limited number of people are allowed in the galleries at any given time through a timed-entry ticketing process. Docent-led tours are available at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

For additional information or to purchase tickets, visit muscarelle.wm.edu.