Michelangelo and Men
Five hundred and fifty years after his birth, Teylers Museum is paying homage to one of the most celebrated artists in history. From 15 October 2025 up to and including 25 January 2026, 'Michelangelo and Men' is on display: an exhibition about the fascination of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) with the male body. An international first: never before has an exhibition been entirely dedicated to this theme. More than twenty drawings from the collection of Teylers Museum will be supplemented with top-class international loans, including the marble sculpture 'Apollo-David'. All these works combined shed new light on the glorious leading role the male body played in both the life and art of Michelangelo.
Naked and muscular
Michelangelo was fascinated by the male body. Featuring in nearly all his artworks, he often portrayed it naked, muscular, and in provocative poses. His David and The Creation of Adam are artworks that are so deeply embedded in our collective memory that we often take them for granted. In Michelangelo's own time, however, these works were revolutionary, and over the course of history they were frequently considered controversial.
Multiple perspectives
Michelangelo and Men examines the male body in Michelangelo’s work and life from all angles: from the outside influences of his predecessors and classical antiquity, to his own extensive anatomic knowledge and use of male models. Also highlighted is the theoretical and religious significance of the male body to Michelangelo, as well as his presumed personal predilection for men. In the exhibition a number of contemporary voices furthermore reflect on how Michelangelo represented the male figure: from queer to Roman Catholic, and from feminist to personal trainer. In this way the exhibition also addresses timeless themes like gender, sexuality, and beauty ideals.
