In Sullivan's day, American architecturalstudies were dominated by the French Beaux-Arts tradition, and particularly by Viollet-le-Duc's romantic rationalism.
Unfortunately, the physical division of architectural and figurative studies in the exhibition space obscures the way in which these pursuits were in constant dialogue throughout Michelangelo's career.
The show is a must-see for any architectural professional or student of architecture, but the studies, notes and axonometric diagrams that record his thoughts and design process may be a little hard going for a general public more accustomed to dramatic sequences of photographic images and drop-dead models of buildings in proper chronological order.