Michelangelo's Draft for the Tomb of Julius II
by ROCCA, Giacomo, Pen and brown ink, brown wash, 580 x 393 mm
Following the death of Pope Julius II in 1513, the executors drew up a new contact with Michelangelo for the construction of the pope’s tomb. It was to be built within seven years in accordance with a small wooden model presented by the artist. The original plan of 1505 for a free-standing monument was abandoned; instead the back of the tomb was to be connected to a wall. A drawing by Michelangelo related to this new wall tomb project is badly damaged, Rocca’s drawing, which matches the original in every detail, is a copy of it.