Getting Carried Away

In 1532, when he was 57, Michelangelo met the beautiful young nobleman Tommaso de’ Cavalieri, and fell hopelessly in love. We will never know the nature of the relationship that ensued, but the two remained friends for the rest of Michelangelo’s life – indeed, Tommaso was one of the few at the master’s death bed. As a testament, we still have a number of the most sublime drawings, an elegiac correspondence, and some profound poetry. We will see the different versions of these drawings, and try to explain their survival, as well as considering what the literary sources from which they are derived can tell us about Michelangelo’s true feelings.