Michelagnolo or Michelangelo?

[bozzoa]

Has anyone ever noticed that Michelangelo Buonarroti sometimes signed his name Michelangelo and sometimes Michelagnolo? I understand it's two spellings for the same name, but why didn't he stick to signing his name one way?

[Use Her Name]

It is unlikely that Michealangelo signed his name "Michealangelo" because Michealangelo is an Anglisized version of his name, and he did not know English. If he signed anything it probably Michealagnolo which is an Itallian name that means exactly the same thing-- Micheal the Angel. (agnolo means Angel). Benvenuto Cellini and others refer to him as Micheal Agnolo with two words-- so since they were contemporaries, and Cellini's autobiography is one of the clearest references of an artist from the day, I would go with his use of the name. (I am also not 100% sure that artists signed their artwork-- at least not on the front at that time-- artists were paid hirlings of churches/ royalty and he worked for the Pope and Medici's a lot.

[bozzoa]

Originally Posted by Use Her Name

It is unlikely that Michealangelo signed his name "Michealangelo" because Michealangelo is an Anglisized version of his name, and he did not know English. If he signed anything it probably Michealagnolo which is an Itallian name that means exactly the same thing-- Micheal the Angel. (agnolo means Angel). Benvenuto Cellini and others refer to him as Micheal Agnolo with two words-- so since they were contemporaries, and Cellini's autobiography is one of the clearest references of an artist from the day, I would go with his use of the name. (I am also not 100% sure that artists signed their artwork-- at least not on the front at that time-- artists were paid hirlings of churches/ royalty and he worked for the Pope and Medici's a lot.

He signed his Pieta after he overheard someone saying it was done by another sculptor. There he signed it Michaelangelus, evidently the Latin version of his name, because in Latin he wrote, "Michelangelo, Florentine, made it." It's supposed to be the only "work" he has ever signed, but I've definitely seen his name signed on his drawings, and I've seen it spelled both ways, in the same handwriting, so it seems that he signed them, not someone else later on. I noticed the signature "Michelagnolo" for the first time this past winter when I saw the Michelangelo exhibit at Syracuse University. Sure enough, staring right at me, was a drawing signed "Michelagnolo". It appeared to be signed as one name instead of "Michel (space) Agnolo". If I find images of the two signatures on the web, I'll post them.

[Keith2]

"Angelo" means angel but "agnolo" doesn't. I've just done a quick search for the word on Italian websites. It seems that agnolo is a person's name, but it does not have a meaning.

[bozzoa]

Originally Posted by Keith2

"Angelo" means angel but "agnolo" doesn't. I've just done a quick search for the word on Italian websites. It seems that agnolo is a person's name, but it does not have a meaning.

I've found the same thing. Angelo is angel in Italian, and agnolo doesn't seem to have any meaning. I asked an Italian-speaking friend who hasn't heard of the name Michelagnolo and doesn't know why it would be spelled this way. Maybe it's a version of the name that's no longer in use or not used so much.

[Malvasia]

Originally Posted by Keith2

"Angelo" means angel but "agnolo" doesn't. I've just done a quick search for the word on Italian websites. It seems that agnolo is a person's name, but it does not have a meaning.

That's not right. "Agnolo" means "angel" in old italian. Dante uses often the word "agnolo" in his Comedy.

Gli agnoli in ciel che voi descrivete con sì tanta maestria e che dite essere come scintille

Poi truova un altro albero, e
ode cose in vitupero della gola, e da uno agnolo sono inviati al
girone superiore.

Note: these are comments to the Comedy, not quotes from the Comedy

[bozzoa]

[quote=Malvasia]That's not right. "Agnolo" means "angel" in old italian. Dante uses often the word "agnolo" in his Comedy.



Thanks for clearing that up.

[Use Her Name]

cool--

[james.bishop]

As far as I've been able to make out, he signed letters using the usual Florentine spelling of his name : Michelagniolo Buonarroti.








The only sculpture he ever signed was La Pietà, on which he used a Latinised spelling MICHAEL.A[N]GELUS BONAROTUS.




I can't say that I recall seeing either version used on his drawings...

[james.bishop]

The description for a current exhibition in Frankfort concerning the attribution of drawings, focussing notably on Michelangelo, says that he never signed his drawings.

http://www.culturekiosque.com/travel/item14897.htm

[bozzoa]

Maybe the drawing I saw at the Syracuse University exhibit was signed (or marked?) Michelagniolo. Could be I didn't notice the "i" and thought it said Michelagnolo. The funny thing is, if you do a Google search, there are a lot of results under Michelagnolo. I just searched "Michelagniolo" and found an old article for a movie documentary that mentions Michelagniolo is the Tuscan spelling: http://www.deseretnews.com/movies/re...8,1187,00.html
About the drawing I saw at Syracuse University, I'm disappointed to say that I can't find it online and I've done an extensive but maybe incomplete search! It definitely said Michelagnolo (or Michelagniolo) and I'm not crazy I promise to post it if I find it. On the other hand, there are other drawings with other variations of his name on them. If he didn't sign them, perhaps some archivist or art historian put it there? Is that likely? I know I often see a small stamp on an old master drawing, but I didn't think they were archived by someone handwriting the artist's name on it. I assumed is was a signature. What about all these drawings with Michelangelo's name on them? They are all signed with variations other than Michelagniolo or Michelagnolo.

[bozzoa]

Here's the link to the image that uploaded too small: http://www.culture.gouv.fr/public/mi...ONLY=CHEC KED

Scroll down to the 22nd image. Click on the image to enlarge.

[brianvds]

I am no expert on this, but as far as I know, at the time people did not yet have standardized spellings for anything, as we do today, and artists very frequently didn't bother to sign their work anyway, because at the time art was often considered more of a craft than some highly individual pursuit of higher truth or whatever.

Even in other countries the spelling of his name has been inconsistent; I have noticed that in older English books on art history, his name is sometimes spelled as Michael Angelo.

[bozzoa]

Originally Posted by brianvds

I am no expert on this, but as far as I know, at the time people did not yet have standardized spellings for anything, as we do today, and artists very frequently didn't bother to sign their work anyway, because at the time art was often considered more of a craft than some highly individual pursuit of higher truth or whatever.

Even in other countries the spelling of his name has been inconsistent; I have noticed that in older English books on art history, his name is sometimes spelled as Michael Angelo.

This makes sense. I've also seen his last name spelled different ways.

[brianvds]

Originally Posted by bozzoa

This makes sense. I've also seen his last name spelled different ways.

Well, rather bizarrely, older books spell his name as if "Angelo" was his surname!