Exhibition of works from the Vatican. Prepare your passport to meet the eternal

September 20, 2018

When you find yourself in the arms of one of the most famous museums in the world, you involuntarily begin to lose your head at the beauty that lies behind its walls. Vatican Art Gallery is replete with works of art, carefully preserved by museum workers for many decades. Pinacoteca Vatican, whose history begins with a small collection of Pope Pius VI (1775-1799), today contains about half a thousand works of art on religious themes from the 12th to 19th centuries, exhibited in chronological order in 18 rooms. In this article we will talk about the most famous paintings of the gallery, which are definitely worth seeing.

Art of the Middle Ages and Early Renaissance

The first six rooms of the Vatican Art Gallery display works by medieval artists of the Siena, Umbrian, Florentine schools, as well as some works from the early Renaissance. Among the most famous are the Last Judgment by Niccolò and Giovanni (mid-12th century), the Stefaneschi triptych, works by Giotto, works by Gentile da Fabriano - Polyptych Quaratesi and Annunciation, as well as works by Pietro Lorenzetti, Filippo Lippi, Giovanni di Paolo, Beato Angelico and others.

Giotto. Stefaneschi triptych

Particularly noteworthy are the frescoes of Melozzo da Forli “Musician Angels”, painted for the vault of the apse of the Basilica of the Holy 12 Apostles in Rome in the second half of the 15th century. The surviving fragments of the painting are presented in room IV.

Among the most famous works of early Renaissance artists exhibited in the Vatican Gallery are paintings by Ercole de Roberti, Bartolomeo Montagna, Marco Bazaiti, and the German painter Lucas Cranach the Elder.

Works by Perugino and Giovanni di Pietro

The works of famous representatives of the Umbrian school - Pietro Perugino and his student Giovanni di Pietro - can be admired in Hall VII of the Vatican Pinacoteca. The following paintings are presented here:

• Altar of the Decemvirs. Pietro Perugino. Late 15th century
• Saint Benedict, Saint Flavia and Saint Placis (fragments of the polyptych “Annunciation”). Perugino. Beginning of the 16th century.
• Resurrection of San Francesco al Prato. Perugino. 1499

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Pinacoteca Vatican: Raphael Hall

One of the most famous art halls Vatican galleries is a room where exclusively works by Rafael Santi are presented. In the central part of the room, three altar paintings are exhibited, and along its perimeter are tapestries made according to the drawings of the master and his students.

General view of the exhibition of paintings in the Raphael Hall. Vatican Art Gallery

Altar of Oddi

At the top of the painting are Jesus and the Virgin Mary surrounded by angels playing musical instruments. At the bottom are the apostles gathered around a blooming sarcophagus. The Predella consists of three scenes: “The Annunciation”, “Adoration of the Magi” and “Introduction into the Temple”.

The work was painted in 1503 by order of Maglalena Oddi as an altar image for the church of San Francesco a Prati in Perugda. At the end of the 18th century it was taken to Paris, but at the beginning of the 19th century it returned to Italy, and thanks to Pope Pius VII it became part of the collection of the Vatican Pinacoteca.

Madonna di Foligno

The Virgin Mary is represented in the painting in a robe of two traditional colors: red, characterizing her as the Mother, and blue, as the Queen of Heaven. At her feet, against the background of the landscape, are depicted in pairs Saint John the Baptist and Francis of Assisi on the left and Saint Jerome and the kneeling customer of this work - Sigismondo de Conti, dressed in a purple robe trimmed with fur.

The painting was painted in 1511 and for a long time adorned the main altar of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Aracoeli.

Transfiguration

Obna from the most valuable paintings of the Vatican Pinacoteca - the last work of Raphael, painted in 1520 by order of Cardinal Giulio de' Medici, who later became Pope, known as Clement VII.

The plot of the work combines two unrelated episodes described in the Gospel: the Transfiguration of Christ and the expulsion of the unclean spirit from the young man by the apostles. At the top of the picture is Jesus floating in the air, next to him are the prophets Moses and Elijah. At the feet of the Savior lie Peter, John and James, amazed by the bright light, in traditional attire, symbolizing faith, hope and love.
At the bottom of the picture are the apostles trying to heal a young man from an unclean spirit that had entered him.

Faith, Charity and Hope

Three small paintings representing faith, mercy and hope are the lower part of the altar image - the predella. They were painted in 1507 by order of representatives of the noble Peruginian family of Baglioni for the family chapel, as well as the main altarpiece “Entombment”, which today is kept in the Borghese Gallery.

Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Caravaggio in the Vatican Gallery

Works by famous Renaissance painters are displayed in several rooms of the Vatican Art Gallery. In addition to paintings by Leonardo da Vinci, Titian and Caravaggio, in the museum you can admire works by Giovanni Bellini, Correggio, Benvenuto Tisi, Paolo Veronese, Moretto, Guido Reni, Federico Barocci, Giorgio Vasari, Domenichino and many others. No less interesting are the works of Raphael’s students, presented in Hall X.

Giovanni Bellini "Pieta". Second half of the 15th century

Leonardo da Vinci. "Saint Jerome". 1480 g

Titian. "Madonna". 1533-35

Titian. "Portrait of Doge Nicolo Marcello"

Veronese. "Vision of Saint Helena". 1580 g

One of the main exhibitions of this year opens on November 25 in the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. Director of the Tretyakov Gallery Zelfira Tregulova talks about the joint project of the Vatican Museums and the Tretyakov Gallery “Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca”.

The exhibition "Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca" opens a month before Christmas. For you, as director of the Tretyakov Gallery, which aspect of this exhibition is most important: political, religious, cultural?

Zelfira Tregulova: Of course, artistic. I can only confirm the words of the director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci: never from the collections of the Vatican Pinacoteca have 42 masterpieces of this level been sent to an exhibition at once. Of course, this is an unprecedented gesture, testifying to the relationship of trust that has developed between Russia and the Vatican, the Vatican Museums and the Tretyakov Gallery at a very difficult moment for the whole world.

Moreover, indeed, each of the works, starting from “the most popular angels of Rome” by Melozzo da Forli and up to “Lamentation” by Giovanni Bellini and “Entombment” by Caravaggio, is significant for the Pinacoteca collection. These are textbook works, which are reproduced on postcards, posters, in many catalogs... But seeing them with your own eyes is a completely different matter. Sergei Choban built the architecture of the central hall of the exhibition in such a way that it repeated the outline of the famous square in front of St. Peter's Basilica with Bernini's colonnade. And in place of the facade of the cathedral there is a showcase with two early grisailles by Raphael, which were created for the altar of the church in Perugia. Therefore, the viewer finds himself in the center of the semicircle, at the point from which the spaces of paintings by Raphael, Correggio, Paolo Veronese, Caravaggio, Poussin, Guercino, Guido Reni are revealed...

Antonio Paolucci said that the Tretyakov Gallery received almost all the works it asked for.

Zelfira Tregulova: Absolutely right. In December 2015, we had our last meeting in the Vatican on the composition of the exhibition. We had to be given an answer as to which items from our list they were willing to provide and which they could not provide. We sat in a relatively small office and listened with bated breath as Mr. Corignani, the head of the exhibitions department, went through the list, where the works were in chronological order, saying “Si” or “No”. Having reached Caravaggio's "Entombment", he made a long dramatic pause. And before that there was already a “Si” about the painting “The Lamentation of Christ” by Giovanni Bellini. And Arkady Ippolitov, the curator of the exhibition, and I literally froze: on the one hand, it is unlikely that there would be “Yes” again, but on the other hand, such a pause is not made before “No”. And he says: "Si". And we begin to scream with happiness.

Never before have 42 masterpieces of such a level been simultaneously sent to an exhibition from the collections of the Vatican Pinacoteca

The name of the project Roma Aeterna, that is, “Eternal Rome,” refers to antiquity. One of the most important topics that arises in connection with Rome is, naturally, a very productive dialogue between antiquity and Christian art. Was she important to you?

Zelfira Tregulova: Certainly. This is one of the main themes of the exhibition.

But it’s not in the works. The earliest work on display is a 12th-century Roman school icon of Christ Blessing. Meanwhile, the Vatican Museums have a magnificent collection of ancient art. Would you like to request some works for the exhibition?

Zelfira Tregulova: We thought about it, but then we decided that we would focus on painting. As for the connection with antiquity, it is no coincidence that Dante, as we know, chooses the great Virgil to guide him through the afterlife. By the way, it was in his “Aeneid” that the idea of ​​eternal Rome received its poetic justification. Virgil's works were copied in medieval monasteries in Europe. Christianity acted as the heir of ancient culture, opposing itself to the barbarians who smashed the “idols.” Not to mention the fact that Michelangelo called himself “a student of the Belvedere Torso.”

But at the exhibition this topic became “subtext”?

Zelfira Tregulova: If we consider as “subtext” the brilliant overview of the history of the Vatican Museums’ collections, written for the catalog by Arkady Ippolitov, then yes. We did not directly compare the ancient monuments that are in the Vatican Museums with later painting masterpieces. But a curious viewer will find traces of a fascination with antiquity, as well as bizarre reminiscences of Gothic art even in the works of artists of the 14th-15th centuries. In addition, the idea of ​​“eternal Rome” was borrowed by Christian Rome...

Another obvious topic is the relationship between the Byzantine and Western Christian traditions in European art...

Zelfira Tregulova: It is no coincidence that we are starting the exhibition with a 12th-century icon from the Roman school, in which this Byzantine tradition is palpable. But at the same time, we do not emphasize the features of iconography or interpretation of this or that religious subject in the paintings of European masters, because, in my opinion, projects of this kind are not about what divides us, but about what unites us.

We brought the greatest works created by artists within the tradition of the Roman Catholic Church, but speaking a language that is understandable to all humanity. That is why we, together with the Vatican Embassy in Moscow, also invite heads and representatives of various faiths to the opening. Because the exhibition is addressed to everyone.

Yes, almost all works were created for monasteries, cathedrals... For example, the angels of Melozzo da Forlì decorated the dome of one of the Roman churches at one time. And yet, the artists solved not only the problems posed by the customer, but also posed questions that worried them. Caravaggio's "Entombment" is also an image of incredible tragic power. And Carlo Crivelli’s “Lamentation” is one of the most ecstatic paintings of the early Italian Renaissance...

The title emphasizes the theme of eternity, but presents it as a plot unfolding in time...

Zelfira Tregulova: That is why we are building the exhibition traditionally - chronologically, starting with works of the 12th century and ending with the 18th century. By the way, the second most recent work in the exhibition is an icon depicting Francis of Assisi, painted shortly after his canonization in 1228, that is, half a century after his death. This is a kind of hommage to Pope Francis I, who was the first among the popes to take the name of this saint. If it were not for the meeting between Francis I and Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, during which the idea of ​​exchanging exhibitions arose, then the incredible opportunity to see the treasures of the Pinakothek in Moscow would not have arisen. But we are ready to be no less generous when sending our collection to the Vatican.

Have the contours of the response project, which the Tretyakov Gallery will present at the Pinakothek in 2017, been outlined?

Zelfira Tregulova: It is clear that we will talk about the interpretation of biblical and evangelical subjects in Russian art. Initially, we planned to show works by artists of the 19th - early 20th centuries. At this time, the subjects of the Holy Scriptures became the theme of easel paintings, a reason to think about the most important humanistic problems. First of all, we are talking about the paintings of Alexander Ivanov, “Calvary” by Nikolai Ge, and the canvas “Christ in the Desert” by Ivan Kramskoy.

Are the works of Natalia Goncharova planned to be shown at the Pinakothek?

Zelfira Tregulova: Yes, sure. And the “Evangelists”, and images of the Mother of God, archangels from our collection. We mainly plan to bring works from the Tretyakov Gallery, plus a few works from the collection of the Russian Museum, and maybe regional museums.

Will there be iconography?

Zelfira Tregulova: More likely. Arkady Ippolitov proposed a very interesting topic within the framework of this exhibition. It can be designated as “Alexander Ivanov and Raphael’s Transfiguration.” Now we are thinking about how to include iconography in this context.

Pope Francis I loves contemporary art, are there any plans to exchange exhibitions of contemporary art?

Zelfira Tregulova: Not yet.

How to get to the exhibition and how long does the session last?

When I tried to order tickets on the Tretyakov Gallery website for the exhibition Roma Aeterna at least for January 31, the answer appeared: “No tickets.” Is there still hope for an “extra ticket” at triple the price?

Zelfira Tregulova: We announced ticket sales on October 25th. In three days, all tickets until December 31 were sold, after which we suspended ticket sales on the Internet. Tickets for January and February will be sold online from mid-December. As with the Aivazovsky exhibition, we will sell some tickets at the box office of the Engineering Building on the day of the show. We will limit the number of tickets per session. At this exhibition we cannot receive as many visitors as at the exhibitions of Serov or Aivazovsky. The last one was watched by about 600 thousand people.

How many tickets will there be for the show?

Zelfira Tregulova: I think no more than 100 tickets for one session. Taking into account those sold on the Internet, 30-40 tickets for each session at the box office... Let's see what number of spectators turns out to be optimal. The exhibition requires concentration and silence. We bought special equipment for the guides that allows them to speak quietly into the microphone, and listeners will have headphones.

After 45 minutes will all visitors have to leave the hall?

Zelfira Tregulova: No, why? Firstly, the session is not 45 minutes. We let people in every half hour with the expectation that the spectators who entered earlier will move on to the next hall. We don't kick anyone out. I think one hour of very concentrated attentive viewing is enough to view this exhibition.

Is there an educational program planned?

Zelfira Tregulova: There will be a series of lectures and two series of film screenings: there will be films that have not been shown in Russia.

Help "RG"

What did they bring from the Vatican?

The 42 rarities that arrived from the Vatican represent Italian art of seven centuries, from the 12th to the 18th centuries inclusive.

At the exhibition you can see works from the late Romanesque era, such as the 13th century icon of St. Francis of Assisi.

Among the works of the Gothic era there is a wonderful work by Pietro Lorenzetti, one of the masters of Siena of the 14th century, and, for example, part of an altarpiece with scenes from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker by Gentile da Fabriano. Or with scenes from the life of St. Nicholas, painted by Fra Beato Angelico, the great Florentine of the early Renaissance.

The exhibition presents works by artists from Ferrara, Venice (Carlo Crivelli and Giovanni Bellini), Romagna (the angels of Melozzo da Forli), Perugia...

Raphael's grisailles from 1507 open the exhibition of the High Renaissance and Baroque. Among the masterpieces of the 16th century are paintings by Anthony Correggio and Paolo Veronese.

The 17th century is represented by Caravaggio’s “Entombment” (1604), works by artists from the Accademia Carracci and Nicolas Poussin’s painting “The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus” (1629). The transition to modern times is marked by the series “Astronomical Observations” (1711) by Donato Cresti, an artist from Bologna.

I'm telling...
My wife and I purchased tickets in advance via the Internet for November 25th, entrance at 11:30. We arrived about 10 minutes before, stood for a while with the same “ticket holders” and all went inside together on time. Then we wandered around the halls as much as we wanted. Other citizens stood in a very long line in the morning, from which they let in 10 people every half hour.

The exhibition is organized very well. The paintings are hung correctly and have a good background. The signatures deserve special praise - they are written in large letters, so it is very convenient for people with low vision: they can read everything without glasses.

The exhibition occupies three halls, and in one of them - the third - there are only eight works by a hitherto unknown master: Donato Creti. I'll tell you about them at the very end.

So the main and most interesting part of the exhibition fit into two very small halls. And that's good: it's not tiring. The audience was mainly made up of middle-aged and elderly people, many with sticks and crutches... This is my dearly beloved Soviet intelligentsia, to whom I myself belong, and for whom I have the warmest and most respectful feelings. They are the guardians and custodians of culture, tradition, moral standards and life in general. Those scum who, as I read, are or have recently held a coven called the “Congress of the Russian Intelligentsia” do not come here. For them, the government that is hated and insulted by them, but serves and serves them, organizes separate “closed” shows with invitation cards. But - God be with them! Their end is disgusting and not far off... (At this point I consider my political fervor completely spent: let's go to the exhibition!)

Photography is prohibited and is monitored closely. But a lot has already been posted on the Internet, which I took advantage of.

There are 16 works in the first hall. The exhibition opens with Christ Blessing, 12th century.

The second oldest work is “Saint Francis” (Margaritone d’Arezzo).

"Jesus before Pilate" (Pietro Lorenzetti):

“Scenes from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker (Fra Angelico) attract attention with an unexpectedly joyful and bright color (which, however, this photograph does not convey):

In Carlo Crivelli’s painting “Lamentation,” to my complete surprise, I saw almost all the painting techniques that the Pre-Raphaelites so effectively adopted. It will be interesting to know if this has occurred to others as well?

The central place in the first room is rightfully occupied by Giovanni Bellini’s Lamentation of Christ. This is, of course, a masterpiece:

I note that in the entire exhibition there are not so many works that I unconditionally considered “true masterpieces”. Despite, sometimes, great names...

Further - if you continue to look around the first room “in the sun”, there hangs a long work by Ercole de Roberti “The Miracles of St. Vincenzo Ferrara”, which is distinguished by its lively plot with many characters and high decorativeness in general.

Here is a fragment of it enlarged.

The exhibition of the first hall ends with two small works by Perugino, one of which I unconditionally classify as a coloristic masterpiece: “Saint Justina” (until recently considered “Saint Flavia”). I will say again that the photo does not convey the fullness of the shades. However, this phrase applies to all illustrations:

And among them there are also genuine masterpieces. A little - but there is. (Without classifying anything as a “true masterpiece,” I am not just subjective: I am also subject to the influence of momentary moods, the vagaries of the weather, fluctuations in prices for rare metals, political news, visitors who happen to be nearby... In general, you should not take my notations seriously.)

I will, however, list all the works - in the order in which they appear when walking around the hall from left to right.

"Trinity with the Dead Christ" (Lodovico Carracci):

“Judith and the maid with the head of Holofernes” (Orazio Genileschi):

"The Denial of Saint Peter" (Pensionante del Saracene?):

Nearby is one of the central paintings of the exhibition: “Entombment” (Caravaggio):

To his right is the famous painting “St. Matthew and the Angel” by Guido Reni (an undoubted masterpiece):

To her left is “Christ in Glory” by Correggio:

November 23rd, 2016 , 04:20 pm

On November 25, one of the most significant and unique exhibitions of recent years opens in the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. 42 works of art from the Vatican Pinacoteca will be presented in Moscow for three months.

The popularity of various exhibitions with masterpieces from different eras in Moscow has recently been incredibly high. Tickets must be purchased in advance. People dress warmly and stand in long lines to look at unique paintings. What can you see this time? The answer is in the report.

1. The exhibition is located in the Engineering Building of the Tretyakov Gallery. This is the closest building to Tretyakovskaya metro station. Three halls on the third floor. Large, medium and small.

2. The middle hall greets visitors first. A short introduction to the Vatican Museums and the plan of St. Peter's Basilica with the square in front of it.

3. It all starts with an exhibit that has never left the Vatican before. "Christ the Blesser." 12th century, Roman school.

4. The middle room is filled with small-sized paintings. In addition to the works of Bellini, Raphael and Caravaggio, mentioned in the title of the exhibition, you will be able to see Margaritone d’Arezzo, Pietro Lorenzetti, Gentile da Fabriano, Fra Beato Angelico.

5. The Vatican Pinacoteca was founded by Pope Pius VI in the second half of the 18th century. By order of Napoleon Bonaparte, they were taken to Paris, but later returned to their place. For many years, the collection was replenished and decorated only the pope’s chambers and some rooms. Only in 1908 did the collection join the ranks of museum exhibits available to the public. At first it was located in the premises of the Belvedere Palace, and later received its own building.

6. Most of the works in the Vatican Pinacotene are by Italians. A smaller part is the acquired collection of Byzantine art, and even fewer works from other countries.

7. 42 works arrived in Moscow. This is almost 10% of the entire collection. Previously, such a large number of works had never been exported from the Vatican. The decision to hold temporary exhibitions of Russian works in the Vatican and the Vatican collection in Russia was made at the highest level. Financial support for this project was provided by Alisher Usmanov’s charity foundation “Art, Science and Sports”, which has repeatedly supported exhibitions at the Tretyakov Gallery.

8. The importance of the event is emphasized by the visit of Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello. He is the governor of the Vatican City State, which is roughly equivalent to the position of prime minister in Russia.

9. The second hall in line is large. The largest works in the collection are collected here.

10. All paintings are signed in Russian and English. The inscriptions are under your feet. emphasizing the large threshold.

11. And don't forget to look into the small hall at the far end from the entrance. These 8 works feature the series "Astronomical Observations" by Donato Creti.

12.

In my unprofessional opinion, this is a very interesting exhibition. Small, but even in this form it looks complete. The religious themes of all the works are not surprising, but they are not striking either. We all understand that the Vatican is the center of Catholicism in the world. His collections of religious themes are very diverse.

Will you go to this exhibition?

Thank you for your attention! Stay in touch!

The exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery is called “Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca. Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio." Its curator Arkady Ippolitov says that the main idea of ​​the exhibition is reflected in its very title: Roma Aeterna, the “eternal city” of Rome, associated with the history of the spiritual quest of Europe from the 12th century to the Enlightenment, the quintessence of the European spirit. The Vatican Museums are famous for their Roman antiquity collections, so the continuity of European culture from ancient times to the Renaissance is clearly visible.

Benevolent Apostles

In 1480, the artist Melozzo, who came from the small village of Forli, received an important commission - to paint the Basilica of Santi Apostoli in Rome (Temple of the Twelve Apostles). He conceived a large fresco up to 17 meters in diameter, in which the artist tells the story of the Ascension. Melozzo da Forlì, as he was later called, was the first to boldly and revolutionaryly use in this painting unexpected angles of the figures of saints, at which the audience should look up. After the discovery of the laws of perspective, problems arose with depicting objects in the correct proportions so that viewers from below could see them in natural forms (this problem was later successfully solved by Raphael). According to the artist’s plan, golden-haired angels-musicians looked down from the azure heavens, the figures of the apostles located along the perimeter looked kindly at the parishioners, and in the middle was the majestic figure of Jesus.

Exhibition curator Arkady Ippolitov explains that the idea of ​​the exhibition is based on the thesis of the unity of humanity

The fresco turned out wonderful, and the artist’s work was paid for by Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere, the future Pope Julius II. Melozzo was also loved by Pope Sixtus IV, but nevertheless did not receive an offer to paint the Sistine Chapel. The director of the Vatican Museums, Antonio Paolucci, suggests that Ghirlandaio, Perugino and Botticelli (the most famous and active artists of this era) conspired to prevent Melozzo from working. In addition, Melozzo, who worked in the Eternal City for several years, was considered “too Roman”, and at that time there was a fashion for artists from Tuscany. Today there is little that reminds us of this outstanding artist. In 1714, the Basilica of Santi Apostoli was rebuilt and Melozzo's frescoes were destroyed. Only fourteen of its fragments were saved. They are divided between the Palazzo del Quirinale (“Christ in Glory”) and the Vatican Pinacoteca (the figures of angels and apostles that the artist loved to paint decorate a separate room of the Pinacoteca).

It was the fragments with images of golden-haired angels playing music, which became symbols of Rome, that were brought to Moscow.

Treasures of the Pinakothek

The Vatican Pinacoteca contains seven centuries of the history of the Papal State. The institution of the papacy, founded by the Apostle Peter in the 1st century, links European civilization with the ancient world. This is one of the few connections that has survived to this day.

The history of the Vatican Museums dates back to January 14, 1506, when during excavations the ancient sculptural group “Laocoon and His Sons”, known from the descriptions of the Roman historian Pliny the Elder, was found. Pope Julius II, being a patron of the arts, bought this find, and entrusted the work on its restoration to Michelangelo. A month later, the marble composition was put on public display. These were the very first examples of painting by artists of Ancient Greece. Pinakes by famous masters were exhibited in rich private collections and were rarely discovered. When the Vatican began to collect a collection of paintings, following the example of Ancient Greece, it was given the name Pinakothek. Its founder was Pope Pius VI, the collection moved to different rooms until a new building was built for it in 1932, where it is now housed.

One world

Arkady Ippolitov, commenting on the exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery, explains that the idea of ​​the exhibition is based on the thesis of the unity of humanity. Therefore, the exhibition begins with the 12th century Roman icon “Christ Blessing,” which personifies the Universe. But at the same time she speaks of the unity of the Christian idea. This is the starting point in which Christianity was united, in which the closeness of Italian and Russian cultures is obvious. The concept of Rome has been very important for Russian culture for centuries. For six hundred years, Russia has lived with the idea that Moscow is the Third Rome. This idea is also presented in the current exhibition through selected works - 42 works on religious subjects.

For six hundred years, Russia has lived with the idea that Moscow is the Third Rome. The current exhibition also presents this idea through selected works.

The Blessing Christ is followed by the work of Margaritone d'Arezzo (13th century) - it is believed that this is the first image of St. Francis of Assisi. It was his name that was chosen by the current pope, who became the first Francis in the history of the Vatican. They brought to Moscow the most interesting painting “Jesus before Pilate” by Pietro Lorenzetti, which echoes the famous painting by Nikolai Ge “What is Truth?” from the Tretyakov Gallery (almost all Russian artists of the 18th-19th centuries who graduated with honors from the Academy of Painting, after graduation received a scholarship to study in Europe, most often it was Italy). Then follows two images from the life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. One of them belongs to the brush of Gentile da Fabriano, the second - Fra Beato Angelico, a Benedictine monk from Florence, who became the greatest artist of the early Renaissance... Here are two “Lamentations of Christ” by Carlo Crivelli and Giovanni Bellini - very important in the work of these Venetian artists of the Renaissance.

Rome is like a book

The exhibition includes several works that attract with their incredible visual power and originality. This is the great painting by Caravaggio “Entombment”, and the altarpiece by Nicolas Poussin “The Martyrdom of St. Erasmus”, the artist’s largest work written specifically for St. Peter’s Basilica, and the exhibition ending with “Astronomical Observations” by Donato Creti - eight paintings in one frame, dedicated to the then known planets of the solar system. The canvas was painted to convince Pope Clement XI to finance the construction of an observatory - a few years later the observatory was built in Bologna. The current exhibition reads like a book - if you are not lazy and try to start reading this book. After all, Rome is a city-book, where antiquity is intertwined with the present. Nikolai Gogol wrote: “I read it, read it... and still can’t get to the end; My reading is endless."

* Pinakothek (translated from Greek - storage of paintings) - among the ancient Greeks, a room in which picturesque images were stored. For the Romans, a “pinacoteca” was a room in a house at the entrance to the atrium, decorated with paintings, as well as statues and other artistic objects that the owner especially treasured. Nowadays this word is often used to mean “art gallery.”

Photo: “Vatican Museums” and photo vatican museums/photo Vatican Museums