Sonnet with a Self-Caricature

What it is

This is a manuscript page written by Michelangelo himself, containing lines of Italian verse in his own hand along with a small pen caricature of a bearded figure with a long nose drawn in profile. It dates from around 1510.

Why it matters

Michelangelo is best known as a sculptor and painter, but he was also a serious poet. This sheet shows another side of him: playful, self-mocking, and willing to draw a comic sketch of himself alongside careful verse. It is a first-hand document, not a copy, so it lets us see his handwriting, his wit, and how he mixed writing and drawing on the same page.

Look closer

• What does the caricature suggest about how Michelangelo saw himself?
• Why might an artist combine poetry and drawing on one page?
• What does the handwriting tell you about how the page was used — a draft, a private note, something else?