What's in a name?: Michelangelo and the art of signature

Abstract

What's in a name? : Michelangelo and the art of signature is the story of an improbable investigation into an unlikely subject, one that began on a dare but stretched over a decade. Why did Michelangelo Buonarroti, the celebrated Renaissance sculptor, painter, poet, and architect use so many different styles and spellings when signing his name? Long regarded merely as improvisatory gestures, Michelangelo's enigmatic signatures are presented here as intentional, deeply felt small works of art that offer surprising insights into the artist's thoughts as he created them--Publisher's description.