TOMMASO CAVALIERI: BIOGRAPHY, WORKS AND TECHNIQUE - ART - 2025

Tommaso Cavalieri (1509-1587) was an Italian draftsman and art collector who belonged to the aristocracy of the Renaissance period. Despite these references, what made him transcend in art history was mainly his relationship with the renowned painter and sculptor Miguel Ángel Buonarroti.

In fact, Cavalieri was a disciple of this, being also the inspiration of some of the most beautiful sonnets written by the talented Italian; There are even those who claim that the young Cavalieri was a lover of Michelangelo, due to the intimate character of these poems.

The Abduction of Ganymede, a drawing made for Tommaso Cavalierie by Michelangelo, kept in Windsor Castle.

Miguel Ángel Buonarroti, 57 years old, met Tommaso Cavalieri when he was just 22 years old. Since then, Cavalieri was his disciple, friend, lover and, after the artist's death, guardian of all his belongings.

Biography

Tommaso Cavalieri - also written as Cavalierie or d 'Cavalieri - was born approximately between the years 1497 and 1510 in the city of Rome, which at that time belonged to the Papal States, territories that were under the temporal authority of the Pope.

Little information is available about the early years of this artist; however, it is known that he met Michelangelo in 1532, with whom he learned to draw with some skill. In fact, Cavalieri is said to have possessed quite a flair and talent for pictorial performance.

Some sources indicate that, thanks to the influence of the Periclean school, the relationship between Michelangelo and Tommaso was inspired by what is known as the "ideal platonic" love of ancient Greece, which consisted of an intellectual romance that gestated between teacher and disciple, similar to the friendship that existed between Socrates and Plato.

In other words, the deep and faithful friendship that existed between Buonarroti and his disciple was shaped by a strong love of art and beauty, as well as knowledge. The older man gave the younger man intellect and tools, while the younger man gave him beauty and pleasant company.

Collector's work

Thanks to his fruitful friendship with Michelangelo, Cavalieri managed to make his way among the artists of the moment, enjoying a certain fame within his historical context. This allowed the young man to rub shoulders with other great painters, from whom he collected a large number of drawings.

This collection is currently located in the Royal Library of Windsor Castle, which is built as a kind of office within the Department of Royal Collections.

This means that these drawings are under the protection of the Royal Household, whose jurisdiction belongs to the British sovereign; in other words, the collection in question is protected by the monarchy.

Recognition as an art critic

As a result of his arduous and passionate work as a collector, Cavalieri became known to the Pope and the cardinals, who considered him an expert in art. This earned him the position of "expert advisor" within the world of these important characters.

Due to his knowledge, in 1548 Tommaso Cavalieri was elected as one of the deputies of the capitol factory, which gave him the responsibility of overseeing the installation of the capitolini fatsi; that is to say, the main magistrates of the Roman Republic.

The list of these magistrates is located in the Palace of the Conservatives, which is located in the Piazza del Campidoglio in Rome, opposite the New Palace, forming part of what is known today as the Capitoline Museums.

The design of the facade of this building was made by Michelangelo himself, although his work was carried out by Guido Guidetti.

Death

Tomasso Cavalieri died in Rome, which was his city of birth and where he developed a large part of his artistic life, in the year 1587.

Plays

There is no specific record of emblematic works that have been developed by Cavalieri. However, it is valid to say that, indirectly, he had great influence in the art world because it is estimated that he was the inspiration for many other works of great impact and significance.

According to insiders, the young collector inspired some of the most beautiful faces painted by Michelangelo during his artistic career.

In fact, there are theories that affirm that Cavalieri was the model that Buonarroti used for the version of the face of Jesus of Nazareth, becoming one of the most famous stereotypes of this important figure.

In other words, it can be established that Cavalieri was something of a muse for the talented Italian artist. For this reason, the name of Michelangelo was immortalized throughout art history, as was that of his lover.

Below are some of the works, both paintings and sonnets, that were inspired by the friendship between Buonarroti and this young man:

The rape of Ganymede

The Abduction of Ganymede, a drawing made for Tommaso Cavalierie by Michelangelo, kept in Windsor Castle.

In this drawing you can see the silhouette of a stout young man, who is attacked by a large eagle.

This painting depicts the mythological story of the young Ganymede, who was said to have astonishing beauty. Zeus, seduced by its splendor, decided to become an eagle in order to enjoy the young man's physical attributes.

The work was made approximately in the year 1532, using only charcoal and applying the technique of dark light. Therefore, it is more of a sketch or a practice painting.

Unfortunately, only copies of the work remain, since the original was lost. It is said that the model that Michelangelo used for this drawing was Tommaso Cavalieri.

The punishment of Tityus

This painting, also from 1532, represents a young, muscular male figure, which is again being attacked by a bird. This time it is about the story Tityus, a demigod, son of a mortal princess and Zeus.

Tityus attempted to rape one of the goddesses and, as punishment, he was sentenced in Hades, where he was placed tied to a rock. Also, part of the punishment consisted of two birds tearing and eating the skins from his belly for all eternity.

Connoisseurs say that Cavalieri was used as a model by Michelangelo to develop the figure of the doomed demigod.

The fall of Phaeton

This work, made in 1533, represents the story of Phaeton, son of Apollo, who wanted to drive the chariot of the Sun belonging to his father. Eventually an accident occurred with the vehicle, so Zeus had to intervene in the situation by assassinating Phaeton in order to save Earth.

In the painting, where the chiaroscuro technique is also used, three divisions can be seen: in the first there is Zeus riding an Eagle, in the second there is Apollo's carriage falling to Earth along with Phaeton, and in the third it is they observe some worried and scared human figures, who cover their eyes in horror.

Regarding this painting, Michelangelo wrote a note to Cavalieri asking for his honest opinion on the sketch, stating that, if it were not to his liking, the painter would immediately make a version more in line with the young man's tastes and demands.

Currently only three versions of this drawing are preserved (one of these is the one he gave to Cavalieri). These sketches are reserved in the British Museum.

The dream

Connoisseurs argue that this painting is not directly related to Cavalieri; however, due to its similarity to the previous drawings, it is believed that the young aristocrat's face served as a model for the male figure that frames the drawing.

According to the researchers, this work is not linked to Greek mythology. Rather, it is believed that the painting was a direct product of the painter's inspiration, dedicating himself solely to the beauty of artistic creation.

Poems dedicated to Cavalieri

Of the 300 poems that Michelangelo wrote during his career as an artist, 30 were dedicated to Tommaso Cavalieri. Most of these poems preserve the classical structure of the sonnet, which corresponds to a series of quartets and triplets.

The central theme of his poems was the fascination he felt for the young aristocrat, especially his physical beauty. In addition, it also allowed her love passion to be perceived. In other words, it can be said that Michelangelo's poems dedicated to Cavalieri were homoerotic in character.

Technique

The artistic era in which Tomasso Cavalieri developed was the Renaissance. As indicated above, there are no records of transcendental works developed directly by this artist.

However, it can be said that the Renaissance technique, which served as a context for Cavalieri, was shaped mainly by the ideal of harmony and symmetry, influenced by Greco-Latin art.

Therefore, geometric figures and the use of perspective were elementary not only in painting, but also in other disciplines such as sculpture and architecture.

As for the writing, the poems had to be harmonious and of remarkable rhythm; in addition, they had to fit perfectly with the metric structure. Through his sonnets, Michelangelo demonstrated the influence of his historical context, since his poems are recognized for their beauty, symmetry and perfect rhyme, especially in Italian

References

1. Franco, S. (1978) Renaissance Letters (book review). Recovered from ProQuest: search.propquest.com
2. Panofsky, S. (1984) Postcriptum to Tommaso Cavalieri in Scritti di Storia dell'arte in onore di Roberto Salvini. Recovered from OpenBibArt: openbibart.fr
3. Tanaka, H. (1996) Il Giudizio universale di Michelangelo ei disegni per Cavalieri. Recovered from OpenBibArt: openbibart.com
4. Marongiu, M. (2002) Il mito di Ganimede prima e dopo Michelangelo. Recovered from OpenBibArt: openbibart.fr
5. Marongiu, M. (2013). Tommaso de 'Cavalieri Nella Roma di Clemente VII E Paolo III. Recovered from Issuu: issuu.com
6. Tomasso Cavalieri. Recovered from Wikipedia: wikipedia.org