Papal exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery. Vatican Museums: history, description, photos, collections

Exhibition name: Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca. Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio

Where: Tretyakov Gallery in Lavrushinsky Lane, Engineering Building

Number of exhibits: 42 paintings from the permanent exhibition of the Vatican Pinacoteca

An exhibition of masterpieces from the permanent collection of the Vatican Museum, which extremely rarely leave their native walls, will be opened at the Tretyakov Gallery on November 25, 2016. The head of the gallery, Zemfira Tregulova, previously reported that the implementation of this project is carried out on the initiative of Pope Francis and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The title of the exhibition contains the famous Latin phrase about the eternal city – Roma Aeterna, which means “Eternal Rome” in Latin. The influence of Italian fine arts on the cultures of other countries is undeniable. This exhibition will be continued by a subsequent return exhibition of works by Russian artists from Russian museums.

The halls of the Tretyakov Gallery will display masterpieces of the 12th–18th centuries, including works by Giovanni Bellini, Melozzo da Forli, Perugino, Raphael, Caravaggio, Guido Reni, Guercino, Nicolas Poussin.

The curator of the exhibition, Hermitage specialist Arkady Ippolitov notes: “These are things that almost never leave Rome, and Zelfira Tregulova and I, when we managed to get them, were absolutely happy. Of course, not everything was given according to the preliminary list, but that’s what I was counting on: the Tretyakov Gallery, and with it Moscow and Russia, received the most important things.”

The exhibition will feature three angels playing musical instruments, Melozzo da Forli- these are frescoes removed from the wall of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Rome back in the 18th century. These frescoes were preserved despite the fact that Pope Clement XI ordered in the 18th century to remove all the paintings in order to repaint the walls in a modern style. From the grandiose ensemble of Melozzo, pieces of frescoes depicting his angels remained, which are now carefully preserved. But even what remains is truly beautiful.”Removed frescoes are not easy to transport; they are provided by the Pinakothek for exhibiting to other museums extremely rarely, but we will have as many as three angels,” noted Arkady Ippolitov.

If you haven’t had time to visit the Vatican Museums, then this exhibition is a chance to see masterpieces in the originals. Tickets are already on sale on the Tretyakov Gallery website. Visiting the exhibition will be organized in sessions of 30 minutes each. The cost of visiting is 500 rubles.

An article about Raphael's paintings at the exhibition of masterpieces at the Vatican Pinacoteca is located

To the archive. Exhibition from the Vatican Pinacoteca in Moscow.
Part 2 of 4: from Ercole de Roberti to Veronese. Caravaggio. Poussin.

All works [*] exhibition “Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca. Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio." Continuation

[*] 35 or 42 works - depending on how you count.

The exhibition shows works from 6 centuries - from the 12th to the 18th centuries.

Photography at the exhibition was strictly prohibited.

Ercole de Roberti (circa 1450, Ferrara - 1496, Ferrara). Miracles of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer: Healing of a woman in labor - Resurrection of a rich Jew - Healing of a lame man - Rescue of a child from a burning house - Resurrection of a child killed by an insane mother. 1473. Predella. Wood, tempera. 30 x 215 cm.

“In the 15th century, Ferrara flourished under the Dukes of Este, becoming an influential cultural center of Renaissance Italy. Ercole de Roberti is one of the most original artists of the Ferrara school. His predella is considered the most sophisticated predella of the Renaissance. It is dedicated to the acts of the Spanish saint Vincenzo Ferrer and full of the mysterious and alluring spirit of Ferrara."

3.


Ercole de Roberti. Predella of Griffoni's polyptych. Fragment.

"Admission. Before dismantling in the 18th century in the Church of San Petronio, Bologna; from 1839 - in the Pinacoteca of the Vatican Inv. 40286.

This predella, dedicated to the acts of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer, was part of the altar created for the Floriano Griffoni Chapel in the main temple of Bologna, the Cathedral of San Petronio. The altarpiece, known as the Griffoni polyptych, dismantled in the 18th century, remains the clearest visual evidence of the collaboration of Ercole de Roberti and his teacher Francesco del Cossa and shows how the aspiring artist managed not only to assert his independence, but, according to Vasari, even to surpass his teacher . The general appearance of the altar was reconstructed by Roberto Longhi (1934); later, the accuracy of its reconstruction was confirmed by an accidentally found 18th-century drawing made by Stefano Orlandi before the polyptych was dismantled.

4.

One of the possible reconstructions showing the arrangement of the various parts of the Griffoni polyptych. I don’t know what kind of reconstruction the catalog is talking about / Polittico Griffoni: one of the suggested reconstructions indicating the relative position of the different panels. Digital technology applied to the re-unification of a scattered altarpiece.

In the center of the polyptych was the main image of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer [for this image of Vincenzo Ferrer by Francesco del Cossa, see the website of the London National Gallery: Saint Vincent Ferrer, probably about 1473-1475, Francesco del Cossa - approx. gorbutovich], Spanish Dominican friar, canonized in 1455. On both sides of it there are large paintings: two standing saints, and in the upper register there are two half-length images of saints and medallions with scenes of the “Crucifixion” (in the center) and “The Annunciation” (on the sides). Work on the altar must have been completed shortly after the woodcarver Agostino de Marchi was paid to make the frames, that is, after 19 July 1473. The work was included in the Vatican collection under the name of Benozzo Gozzoli, and the predella was recently recognized as a work by Ercole de Roberti, although its authorship was already indicated by Vasari.

5.

Fragment. On the Internet you can find pictures of maximum quality. Maybe there is something somewhere on personal pages on social networks, but I couldn’t find it / Predella (detail). Panels from the Griffoni Polyptych by Ercole de" Roberti. Polyptych: 1472-1473. Tempera on panel, height of detail 28 cm. Pinacoteca, Vatican. Wga.hu.

Cossa painted the central images, but he completely entrusted the predella to Ercole. As was customary in workshops during the Quattrocento era, Cossa only outlined the general composition, otherwise relying entirely on Ercole. The latter, apparently, began to paint the predella from left to right, following the teacher’s outline, working out the figures in more detail as he progressed. Ercole's manner is close to that of his teacher, and some scenes even seem to be direct quotations from Cossa's frescoes in the Palazzo Schifanoia in Ferrara: in particular, the child eating cookies in the scene of "The Resurrection of the Rich Jew" can be found in.

6.

Ercole de' Roberti, I miracoli di San Vincenzo Ferrer (particolare). Predella della Pala Griffoni, 1473. Musei Vaticani, Città del Vaticano. via

In his use of classical architecture, Ercole also follows his teacher's intentions rather than his penchant for depicting ruins.

Ercole's style is evident in a dramatic sequence involving a screaming woman and workers trying to put out a fire. This episode is taken from the Palazzo Schifanoia. In one of the predella scenes, Ercole unfolds a complex narrative against a perspectively well-constructed, albeit fantastical backdrop of architectural vistas and ruins. There are no clear boundaries between the different episodes in the predella, and the entire composition looks more like a narrative painting, typical of a cassone (wedding chest) or spalliera (decorative wall panel), than a predella.

7.


This is not an Ercole de Roberti, this is a 1929 copy. Fragment of a copy of the predella of Griffoni's polyptych, kept in the London National Gallery. In London, the predella original goes under the name Francesco del Cossa rather than Ercole de Roberti / Scenes from the Life of Saint Vincent Ferrer. Date made 1929. After Francesco del Cossa (Carrine Palmieri and Rosa Falcone). Acquisition credit: Presented by Pope Pius XI, 1930. 30.5 x 215 cm. The National Gallery, London. This painting is a copy of the predella panel of an altarpiece originally in the Griffoni chapel of the church of S. Petronio, Bologna. The 15th-century central panel by Francesco del Cossa depicts "Saint Vincent Ferrer", who became a Dominican friar in 1367 and was famous as a preacher and missionary. The side panels, now in the Brera, Milan, show Saint Peter and Saint John the Baptist. The design is unified through the architecture and the rocky landscape. The original predella panel (Rome, Vatican Museums) is also attributed to Ercole de" Roberti.

The sophisticated iconography, not yet fully deciphered, suggests that the artist must have followed the advice of learned humanists, for example Giovanni Garzoni of Bologna, the author of the life of St. Vincenzo Ferrer, whose cult spread throughout Northern Italy and was especially strong in Bologna. In the first scene on the left, a woman begs Saint Vincenzo to ease her labor pains.

8.

Next comes "The Resurrection of the Rich Jew."

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Fragment of a copy of the predella of Griffoni's polyptych, kept in the London National Gallery. 1929 / The National Gallery, London.

This scene is followed by an episode of a seated man whose bloody leg is healed from heaven by Saint Vincenzo. After this there is a picture of a fire, extinguished in time thanks to the intervention of the saint.

The last scenes tell the story of a mother who, in a fit of madness, killed her only son. Her husband brings the boy's remains to the tomb of Saint Vincenzo, where the child miraculously returns to life.

The scenes are filled with characters dressed in the latest fashions, and since Saint Vincenzo was famous for converting and baptizing large numbers of people from different countries, they also feature exotically dressed people. The sight of the crowd is reminiscent of Paolo Uccello and Piero della Francesca.

11.


via

Predella Ercole is one of the most sophisticated in Renaissance art. The artist shows his erudition by using references to ancient art. These include the bronze Boy Pulling out a Splinter (Capitolian Museums, Rome), a prototype of a seated man with a wounded leg, and the Dioscuri from Rome's Piazza Quirinale, who resemble men fighting fire in a fire scene. Ercole is more expressive than his teacher.

He feels at home on a miniature scale, but his love for detail does not harm the overall monumentality of the composition. The artist creatively adopted Andrea Mantegna's experience, using his sharp angles - this is evident in the image of the horse at the bottom edge of the frame. Predella is painted with bright colors and with that jeweler's precision that the Ferrarans so appreciated in Dutch painting and Cosme Tura. Although critics have consistently noted the restless, dramatic atmosphere of Ercole's work, the real hallmark of his style may be the golden-brown light that floods his paintings and gives them that metaphysical intensity that anticipates the "piazzi" of Giorgio de Chirico, another "irrational" artist who I loved the melancholic Ferrara so much. "

Entry in the catalog of the Vatican Museums:
Autore: Ercole de" Roberti (Ferrara 1450 ca. - 1496) - già attr. a Benozzo Gozzoli (Firenze 1420 - Pistoia 1497) e a Francesco del Cossa
Descrizione/Titolo: Predella: Miracoli di San Vincenzo Ferrer: Il Santo guarisce una storpia; Resuscita una ricca ebrea; Salva un bimbo in una casa incendiata; Resuscita un bimbo ucciso dalla madre impazzita; Guarisce un ferito ad una gamba (già "Miracoli di San Giacinto" di B. Gozzoli)
Datazione: 1473
Materia: tempera su tavola
Missure: cm 30 x 215
Periodo Acquisizione: 1908
Tipo Acquisizione: Ingresso nella Pinacoteca di Pio X
Provenienza: dalla pala d "altare della Cappella Griffoni eseguita da Francesco del Cossa per la Chiesa di San Petronio a Bologna, smembrata nel sec. XVI; dal 1732 al 1782 ca. in casa Aldovrandi; venduta nel 1839 da Feliciano Brizzi al Governo Pontificio ed esposta nella Pinacoteca di Gregorio XVI (MORONI G., 1847); nel 1857 ca., nella Pinacoteca di Pio IX
Collocazione: Edificio della Pinacoteca
Pinacoteca Vaticana
Sala V

12.

Melozzo degli Ambrosi, detto Melozzo da Forlì, (Forlì 1438 - 1494) Un angelo che suona il liuto, 1480 ca. Frammento di affresco staccato, cm 93.5 x 117 Inv. 40269.14.10. Musei Vaticani. . Image from Wikipedia: 4296 x 5323

Melozzo degli Ambrosi, nicknamed Melozzo da Forli (1438, Forli - 1494, Forli). 1480. Angels playing music - three fragments of frescoes transferred to cadorite.

Melozzo da Forli. Angel playing the lute. 1480. 117.5 x 93.5 cm.

“From the beginning of the 14th century, the time of the Avignon captivity of the popes, Rome fell into decline, which lasted until the middle of the 15th century. The decline of Rome was also reflected in its artistic life: the weakness of the Roman school of painting forced the popes to turn to artists from other cities.

Melozzo da Forli, a native of the small town of Forli in the province of Emilia-Romagna, was invited to Rome by Pope Sixtus IV. He created many frescoes in Roman churches, so that Melozzo can be considered the founder of the Roman school, which flourished in the 16th-17th centuries. The three playing angels presented at the exhibition are fragments of his painting of the dome of the Church of Santi Apostoli, a huge multi-figure composition “The Ascension of Christ.”

13.

Melozzo da Forlì. Angeli, 1475-1477. via

Melozzo degli Ambrosi, nicknamed Melozzo da Forli. Angel playing the lute. 1480. 108.5 x 77.5 cm.

“The Ascension of Christ fresco was perceived by contemporaries as a triumph of papal power, which revived Rome. The divine orchestra of angels symbolized the unearthly beauty of paradise, and the abstract concept of “music of heaven” is associated with the philosophical constructions of the model of the world, which the Pythagoreans and Platonists spoke about. Melozzo, as a Renaissance artist, combines ancient and Christian traditions in his work. His angels, glorifying the Lord according to the words of the Bible: “Let them praise His name with faces, with tympanum and harp, let them sing to Him, for the Lord takes pleasure in His people, glorifying the humble with salvation,” ideal, like ancient statues, and at the same time vital - they look like young pages at the courts of Renaissance rulers.”

14.

via. Original (4201 x 5276)

Melozzo degli Ambrosi, nicknamed Melozzo da Forli. Angel playing the viol. 1480.

“Not many of Melozzo’s works have reached us; most of his frescoes were lost during the reconstruction, but from what remains, we can judge the scale of his talent. “The Ascension of Christ” is exceptional, the fresco stands apart among all contemporary paintings. The plot representing the triumph of the Savior ascending to the heavenly throne surrounded by heavenly powers, beloved in Byzantine art, was borrowed by Western Europe, flourished magnificently during the Romanesque, continued in the Gothic, but was no longer successful in the Quattrocento. Melozzo, turning to medieval models, breathed new life into them and reintroduced the theme of the Ascension into the list of the most pressing themes in fine art, thereby anticipating Michelangelo, Raphael, Correggio, and the painting of the domes of Baroque churches.”

15.


Pietro Vannucci, detto il Perugino, (Città della Pieve 1450 ca. - Fontignano 1523) S. Flavia; S. Placido, 1496 - 99 Tempera grassa su tavola Invv. 40319, 40320, 40321 -2.1. Musei Vaticani.

Pietro Vannucci, nicknamed Perugino (1448, Città della Pieve - 1523, Fontignano). Saint Placidas. 1495-1498. Predella. Wood, oil tempera. 35.5 x 30 cm.

“A native of Umbria, Pietro Perugino, at the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries, became one of the most influential artists in Italy, and, with large workshops in Florence and Perugia full of students, he, as prolific as he was talented, filled the churches of Tuscany and Umbria with many of his gentle Madonnas and pious saints. The painting is a fine example of his mature style.

There are two known saints of Placida: a martyr who was killed along with his sister Flavia during the reign of Emperor Diocletian in the 4th century, and a disciple of Saint Benedict who lived in the 6th century. Perugino, combining both legends, presented the saint in a cassock, but with a palm branch symbolizing martyrdom, an attribute of Flavia’s brother.”

16.


Pietro Vannucci, detto il Perugino, (Città della Pieve 1450 ca. - Fontignano 1523). S. Flavia; S. Placido, 1496 - 99. Tempera grassa su tavola Invv. 40319, 40320, 40321 -2.1. Musei Vaticani.

Pietro Vannucci, nicknamed Perugino. Saint Justina. 1495-1498. Predella. Wood, oil tempera. 33.5 x 26 cm.

“This painting, like Saint Placis, was part of the large altarpiece of the Ascension of Christ created for the monastery of San Pietro in Perugia between 1495 and 1500. Due to confusion with Saint Placida, until recently it was believed that Saint Flavia was depicted, but now it has been proven that this is Saint Justina, the patroness of the Benedictine community of the monastery of San Pietro - the crown on her head, a princess by birth, is a traditional attribute.

17.

“Saint Justina” is distinguished by the same high quality of execution as “Saint Placis”, but for the history of art these two paintings are also important because they were part of the altarpiece “The Ascension of Christ”, which was created precisely at the time when Perugino’s workshop produced a very young Raphael.”

18.


Raffaello Sanzio, (Urbino 1483 - Roma 1520). Speranza - Carità - Fede, Predella Baglioni, 1507. Tempera grassa su tavola, cm 18 x 44 ciascun pannello Invv. 40330, 40331, 40332 - Fede. Musei Vaticani.

Raphael Santi (1483, Urbino - 1520, Rome). Faith and Charity. 1507. Predella. Wood (poplar), oil. Both are 18 x 44 cm.

Raphael. Faith

“There is, perhaps, no artist more influential in the history of art than Raphael. For three and a half centuries his name was synonymous with absolute perfection in art.

The first critical reviews were heard in the middle of the 19th century, then the number of his critics expanded, manifestos of new art overthrew his authority, but denial is a kind of recognition. It is no coincidence that Raphael's works are placed in the center of the hall dedicated to the High Renaissance and Baroque.

19.

Option for the reconstruction of the Baglioni altar / Raphaël, La Déposition, 1507 / Pala Baglioni. via, via

These are two small grisailles out of three that formed the predella of the altarpiece for the church of San Francesco al Prato in Perugia, known as the Baglioni altarpiece, in the center of which was the “Entombment”, now kept in the Galleria Borghese.

20.


Raffaello Sanzio. Fede, Predella Baglioni, 1507. Musei Vaticani.

"Vera", the side part of the predella, appears in the form of a female figure with a chalice in her hand, the putti in the side niches hold tablets with monograms of the name of Jesus."

21.


Raffaello Sanzio, (Urbino 1483 - Roma 1520). Carità, Predella Baglioni, 1507. Tempera grassa su tavola, cm 18 x 44. ciascun pannello Invv. 40330, 40331, 40332 Speranza. Musei Vaticani.

Raphael. Mercy

“The altar, of which “Faith” and “Charity” were part, was commissioned by Atalanta Baglioni for the funeral chapel in which rested the body of her young son, brutally murdered in the internecine feud of two Perugian families. Raphael received the commission to create the altar in mid-1506. This was his first major independent work, since before that he had not received orders for altars. The altar “Entombment” was highly praised, but the novelty of the execution of the small predella was also especially noted.

22.


Raffaello Sanzio. Carità, Predella Baglioni, 1507. Musei Vaticani.

In the 15th century, predella told stories, which was the accepted norm; Raphael replaced the story with allegories. "Charity", represented as a mother hugging her babies, was in the center, framed by "Faith" and "Hope". Putto on the right holds a cauldron of fire on his shoulders - an ancient symbol of peace associated with the Olympic Games, and on the left, scattering money, calls for generosity."

23.

Antonio da Correggio (1490-1534). Christ in Glory (Part of a Triptych). Circa 1526-1530. 105 × 98 cm. Pinacoteca Vaticana. via. Framed on display

Antonio Allegri, nicknamed Correggio (1489, Correggio - 1534, Correggio). Christ in glory. Between 1525 and 1530. Pinnacle - altar top. Canvas, oil. 105 x 98 cm.

“The fame of Antonio Correggio during his lifetime was limited to Parma, where his main works were concentrated, but after his death he became one of the most revered Italian painters. This painting, valued in the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries, was declared a copy in the 20th century and put into storage.

24.

Trittico della Misericordia

Only in 2011 was it restored, and then it was established that the canvas was of the 16th century, and numerous author’s corrections are visible on the figure and face of Christ, which do not exist in copies. Correggio's authorship was recognized as undoubted, and the painting took pride of place in the Pi-Nacoteca exhibition. “Christ in Glory” is interesting to compare with the icon that opens the exhibition - Correggio’s image continues the development of the ancient iconographic type coming from Byzantium.”

25.

Paolo Caliari, detto il Veronese, (Verona 1528 - Venezia 1588) Visione di S. Elena, 1580 ca. Olio su tela, cm 166 x 134 Inv. 40532.

Paolo Cagliari, nicknamed Paolo Veronese (1528-1588). Vision of Saint Helena. Around 1575-1580. Canvas, oil.

“The painting by Paolo Veronese is luxurious in a Venetian way. Saint Helena, mother of Constantine, the first Roman Christian emperor, is depicted. According to legend, an angel appeared to Helen, prompting her to go to Jerusalem in search of the cross of Jesus. Traditionally, the saint was depicted leading workers digging up a cross, or holding the found cross in her hands. Veronese depicted Helen sleeping, and an angel holding a cross, called upon to show the way to the Holy Land, appeared to her in a vision. The age of the woman depicted contradicts the canonical text of the biographies: Saint Helena was many years old when she went to Jerusalem, and Veronese’s heroine is young. A free interpretation of the legend gave rise to the assumption that the elegant Venetian in the painting, whose image is almost portrait-like, is Veronese’s wife, also named Elena.”

Michelangelo Merisi, nicknamed Caravaggio (1571-1610). Position in the coffin. Around 1603-1604. Canvas, oil. 300 x 203 cm.

The main star of the exhibition is the painting “Entombment” by Caravaggio. In 2011, the work was already in Moscow at the exhibition “” at the State Museum of Fine Arts. A.S. Pushkin. For some reason, they don’t really remember this in the context of the exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery.

Description of the painting from the article for the exhibition at the Pushkin Museum:“Caravaggio reached his highest creative maturity in 1606, when he painted several monumental canvases for the most famous Roman churches, including St. Peter’s Cathedral. One of the most famous works of this time is the work “Entombment” (1606, Vatican Museums, Pinacoteca), which amazes with its truthfulness in conveying feelings and powerful dramatic intensity. As is clear from the documents, to understand the picture it is extremely important to remember the active role of the Oratorian order, to which the cathedral belonged; They established strict rules regarding the decoration of chapels and the iconography of subjects. The light pulls the characters out of the vague darkness, reveals their features and feelings: the aged mother of Christ, the converted sinner Mary Magdalene, Mary of Cleopas, the “beloved disciple” of John and Nicodemus. A group of figures forms a kind of sculptural composition, and the viewer becomes a participant in the scene thanks to the angle of view (from below, from the stone) and the gaze of Nicodemus, in whose image the researchers see a portrait of the customer, Pietro Vittrice. The distribution of light in the painting is strictly thought out, thanks to which Caravaggio manages to direct the viewer’s gaze. The painting combines elements and characters from two scenes - the “Entombment” (which, according to the Gospels, was attended by Joseph of Arimathea, Magdalene and Mary of Cleopas) and the “Lamentation” (which usually depicts the Mother of God and St. John the Evangelist). This connection was dictated by the iconographic program of the church, which corresponded to the plans of Filippo Neri himself, the founder of the Oratorian order. Caravaggio adds an element that carries a great emotional load in the composition - a colossal stone slab on which the heroes stand. This is the stone that closes the entrance to the burial cave, and, at the same time, the stone of anointing, on which the body of the Savior was laid for anointing with incense and swaddling, where the tears of the Mother and drops of the blood of the Son fell. The slab directly refers to Christ as the cornerstone that unites the Old and New Testaments, the stone on which the Church is founded, understood as the “body of Christ” and symbolically represented here by the body of the Savior.”

27.


Caravaggio. Entombment, fragment. Around 1603-1604. Pinacoteca Vatican

Description of the painting in the Tretyakov Gallery booklet:“The main masterpiece at the exhibition is Caravaggio’s Entombment. This picture opens a new century. The unusual iconography is associated with calls for the purification of the Catholic Church and a return to the simplicity of ancient Christianity, emanating from many figures of the Counter-Reformation, but the work, as often happens, turned out to be much more significant than any ideological statements. It was perceived as the works of the avant-garde were perceived at the beginning of the 20th century. “Entombment,” with its open tragedy and the power of simplicity, rebelled against institutionalized good taste. When the painting was unveiled, many were outraged, but many, including artists and collectors, including aristocrats and cardinals, welcomed the new art.”

28.

Nicolas Poussin, (Les Andelys 1594 - Roma 1665) Martirio di S. Erasmo, 1628 - 1629. Olio su tela, cm 320 x 186 Inv. 40394. Musei Vaticani.

Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665). Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus. 1628-1629.

“Poussin received an order for the altar image “The Martyrdom of St. Erasmus” in 1628, and this was his first Roman commission for the execution of a large work for the church. The painting was intended for a chapel in St. Peter's Cathedral, which had just opened after completion of construction, and the order was very prestigious. The painting depicts the martyrdom of Erasmus, a native of Antioch, who became a bishop in the city of Formia in Latium near Rome, who was executed by cutting open his stomach and pulling out his entrails with the help of a gate. A priest in a white toga points to Hercules, whom Erasmus refused to worship. The terrible naturalism is somewhat smoothed over by the classicist Poussin, but the picture still makes an almost shocking impression.

29.


Nicolas Poussin. Martirio di S. Erasmo, 1628-1629. Musei Vaticani.

During his lifetime, Poussin was considered an antagonist of Caravaggio, but “The Martyrdom of Saint Erasmus,” exhibited in the same room with “Entombment,” enters into a complex internal dialogue with him, not in an argument.”

Sources:

Booklet-brochure “Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca. Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio." November 25, 2016 - February 19, 2017. (For some reason, the booklet with descriptions of the exhibits lacks dating and other attribution - only the name of the author and the title of the work are given).
Catalog: Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca. Bellini, Raphael, Caravaggio / State. Tretyakov Gallery. - M., 2016. - 240 p. : ill. ISBN 978-5-89580-152-9
And so on.
Article on the Pushkin Museum website about the exhibition “Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio (1571-1610) from the collections of Italy and the Vatican”, 11/26/2011 - 02/19/2012

Additionally:

All works of the exhibition:

1) : from the 12th century icon “Christ Blessing” to the “Lamentation of Christ” by Giovanni Bellini. Hall 1.
2) : from Ercole de Roberti to Veronese. Caravaggio. Poussin. Halls 1 and 2.
3): XVIII century, Astronomical observations, Donato Creti. Hall 3.
4): 17th and 18th centuries – remaining paintings. Hall 2.

"Christ Blessing", XII century.
Vatican Museums.

The exhibition opens with a 12th-century icon painted by an unknown Roman master. “Christ Blessing” is a unique reminder of the unity of the Christian church, which will help to trace the parallels between European and ancient Russian art. The Italian Jesus of the 12th century is very similar to the popular image of Russian icons - the Almighty Savior.

The main masterpiece of the exhibition

Michelangelo Merisi, nicknamed Caravaggio. "Position in the grave." Around 1602-1602. Canvas, oil. Vatican Museums.

At the beginning of the 17th century, this painting made a small revolution. The non-standard, tragic and at the same time simple composition destroyed the stereotypes that had developed by that time in painting (just as “Black Square” trampled them at the beginning of the 20th century). Through the efforts of the reformers, Catholicism was going through hard times - many saw the salvation of the church in a return to ancient Christian simplicity and vitality. Caravaggio was one of them.

The most poetic painting

Paolo Cagliari, nicknamed Paolo Veronese. Vision of Saint Helena. Around 1575-1580. Canvas, oil. Vatican Museums.

Hardly anyone will pass by the large-scale painting of the famous Veronese. Before us is Saint Helena, the mother of the first Roman Christian emperor, Constantine. An angel appeared to the heroine and urged her to go to Jerusalem in search of that same cross. Usually the saint was depicted with an already found cross in her hand, but Veronese decided to paint her sleeping - directly during the vision. But this is not the only canon violated by the Italian. According to legend, Elena saw the angel already in old age, and on the canvas we see a young Venetian beauty. Veronese did not think long about who to take as a model, and chose his own wife. The sleeping saint in the portrait repeats the appearance of the artist’s wife, who, by a happy coincidence, was also named Elena.

An exhibit with an unusual history

Donato Creti. "Astronomical observations". 1711 Oil on canvas. Vatican Museums.

The work, for which a whole hall was dedicated, is interesting both in its plot and in its history. Before us is a kind of space comic of the 18th century: the artist Donato Creti wrote the series “Astronomical Observations”, depicting all the planets of the solar system known at that time. During the Age of Enlightenment, scientific stories began to fully compete with biblical stories. But the most interesting thing is this: “Astronomical Observations” were written by order of Count Luigi Ferdinando Marsili and were intended as a gift to Clement XI. So the aristocrat hoped to convince the Pope to give money for the construction of an observatory in Bologna. It’s good that the popes took bribes with art - now we have something to look at.

A masterpiece that not everyone will notice

Gentile da Fabriano. “Saint Nicholas calms the storm and saves the ship,” circa 1425. Tempera on wood. Vatican Museums.

Gentile da Fabriano is a little lost in the shadow of famous neighbors like Raphael and Caravaggio. Meanwhile, his small canvas with the ponderous title “St. Nicholas Calms the Storm and Saves the Ship” is very interesting: there was a place in it for both the biblical saint, who, like Superman, flies in and saves the unlucky sailors, and a pagan mermaid. What does the fish woman have to do with it? In medieval symbolism, mermaids personify demonic power - so it caused a storm, which St. Nicholas “pacifies.”

Exhibition “Roma Aeterna. Masterpieces of the Vatican Pinacoteca."
, Lavrushinsky lane, 12, until February 19, 2017.

- a monument of world culture. What began as a small collection of sculptures eventually grew into the largest museum complex with one of the finest art collections on the planet. The interior decoration of the palaces where the works of art are kept is also incredible. annually attract up to six million visitors, located in, within the Vatican State. This is one of those places that you need to visit at least once in your life.

Founded by two popes 18th century – Clement XVI(1769-1774) and Pius VI(1775-1799), who for the first time opened collections of works of art to the public for the purpose of cultural education of the people. The first museum complex, therefore, bears the name of its patrons - the Pius-Clementino Museum (Museo Pio-Clementino). The origins of the collections themselves go much further back in history.

It all started in 1480 with discovery in Anzio Roman statue of the 2nd century. BC. "Apollo Belvedere"(L’Apollo del Belvedere) by the Greek sculptor Leocarius. She is still one of the most remarkable. In 1503, Julius II installed the statue in the Octagonal Court (Cortile Ottagono), or Court of Statues (Cortile delle Statue), marking the beginning of the papal collection of ancient classical statues.

Here Pope Julius II Rovere(1503-1515) collected an impressive collection of ancient sculptures, which symbolized the transition of Rome from the Caesars to the Popes. In the second half of the 18th century, when Popes Clement XVI and Pius VI decided to turn this collection into a museum, the Courtyard became the center of a new project. Despite some changes, many sculptures, including Apollo and the famous Laocoonte, remained here until the mid-16th century. In subsequent centuries, other popes added their valuable works of art to the collection.

Today there are thirty Vatican Museums, and they form an impressive architectural complex occupying two palaces.

The Sistine Chapel

We will return to the Sistine Chapel itself in a separate article. Let's just say that this is one of the most famous cultural treasures of the Vatican and the world, which is part of the overall museum complex. Therefore, you can visit it with a single ticket. It is known that it was built in 1475-1481 , during the reign Pope Sixtus IV, which is where it got its name. We consider it appropriate to quote Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from “Travels in Italy.” “Without seeing the Sistine Chapel, you cannot understand what a person is capable of.”

In 1508, Pope Julius II invited Michelangelo to paint its ceiling. Michelangelo, who considered himself an architect and sculptor rather than an artist, took on the work reluctantly, but decided to depict nine scenes from the Old Testament under the ceiling, the most famous of which is "The Creation of Adam"(Creazione di Adamo), where God descends from heaven to breathe life into Adam. The walls of the Chapel are completely covered with frescoes. The most famous - "The Last Judgment"(Giudizio Universale) on the wall with the altar, also by Michelangelo. In general, the entire museum complex is interesting and worth visiting, because all its halls and corridors are richly decorated with marble, frescoes and exceptional masterpieces, which have no equal in the world.

Vatican Museums and their collections

It's better not to try to see everything at once ( Vatican Museums– this is a route of more than 4.5 km!), and focus on specific things you want to see. Otherwise, there is a risk of missing something important. Also make sure you have some free time and energy to explore the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Halls (Stanze di Raffaello), located at the end of the route. For the best organization of tourist flow Vatican Museums offer 4 excursion programs. They vary in content and time (from 1.5 to 5 hours), be careful not to overtire. All routes end at the Sistine Chapel.

: Four museums with extensive collections of Greek and Roman ancient art - One of the most impressive places. Among the most famous sculptures are statues of Laocoon, Apollo and Aphrodite in the Pius-Clement Museum, which is the core of the entire museum complex. Most of his statues have been found in or around Rome. I would like to highlight Apoxyomene(Apoxyomenos) – marble copy of the 1st century. famous bronze statue of Lysippus. It was found in 1849 in Trastevere and immediately gained worldwide fame. It depicts an athlete cleaning dirt from his body with a scraper. The fig leaf was added later, since in antiquity there was no censorship in art.

Masterpieces of the Vatican Museums

Contains many masterpieces, including - Apollo Belvedere, another Roman copy from the work of the Greek sculptor Leochares. The statue of the god Apollo with his outstretched arm is described in art history as an example of ideal aesthetic beauty. Another famous statue is Laocoon, discovered in 1506 on Oppia during major excavations with the participation of Michelangelo and Giuliano Sangallo. The latter was invited by the pope to evaluate the finds, which were described as similar to those described by Pliny.

Laocoön group

Laocoön group was completed in 30 BC. three sculptors Rody(Rodi), probably copied the 2nd century original. BC. Depicts a legendary scene from the Aeneid: the Trojan priest Laocoon and his two sons fight two sea serpents. The episode personifies Athena’s revenge for the fact that Apollo’s priest Laocoon tried to get into Troy inside a horse and warn the inhabitants. In the history of art, the discovery of Laocoon was a turning point that influenced entire generations of artists. among them Michelangelo, Titian, El Greco, Andrea Sarto. In particular, Michelangelo was shocked by the detailed depiction of the male body. Many of his subsequent works, such as San Matteo, the Disobedient Slave (Schiavo ribelle) and the Dying Slave (Schiavo morente), are inspired by Laocoon. The King of France in 1540 ordered a bronze copy of Laocoon to be made for the royal palace.

We can also say that it was with this composition that art criticism was born. From Gotthold Ephraim Lessing's analysis in 1766, where he argues that visual art and poetry cannot be compared in their modern senses. The statue was taken out by Napoleon during the conquest of Italy in 1799, and for some time it was in the Louvre. After the fall of Napoleon in 1815, under the leadership of Antonio Canova (who repeatedly portrayed the French emperor in his works), it returned to the Vatican and was restored. It was only in 1906 that Laocoon's right hand, lost in the 60s, was restored.

While walking through the Pius Clement Museum, the beauty is striking Hall of Muses(Sala delle Muse), decorated with frescoes depicting Apollo and the Muses, created at the end 18th century Tommaso Conca. The room, opened to the public in 1784, was designed to house a series of sculptures found in the so-called Villa di Cassio at Tivoli. Several sculptures of muses, their Leader Apollo, Athena, Hermes and just human figures.

In the so-called Belvedere Court (Cortile di Belvedere) there is another famous sculpture, Torso Belvedere(Torso del Belvedere), found in the Field of Flowers (Campo dei Fiori) and belonging to Apollonius (son of Nestor), a Greek sculptor of the 1st century. BC. Unfortunately, the legs and arms were not preserved, but the torso is considered an example of male anatomy. Why is this statue so important to art history even today? She inspired Michelangelo's nudes for the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.

Round Hall

Located nearby Round Hall(Sala Rotonda), repeating the shape of the Parthenon. Its floor is replete with Roman mosaics from the early 3rd century. AD with images of sea monsters and mythical heroes. It was found in Otricoli, a small town in Umbria. They brought a copy from there bust of Neptune work of a Greek sculptor Briassida 4th century BC. In the center of the hall is a giant Nero porphyry basin. There are statues in niches around the perimeter. The most impressive of them is bronze statue of Hercules 2nd century AD

Other interesting rooms of the Pius Clement Museum include Gallery of Statues(Galleria delle Statue) with a charming sculpture Sleeping Arianna(Arianna Addormentata), which became a source of inspiration for many neoclassicists. It was bought by Pope Julius II in 1512 for the Court of Statues in the Belvedere, where it took place next to the fountain. Because of the snake decoration on her arm, many believed that this was Cleopatra, who committed suicide by allowing herself to be bitten by a viper. However, in 700 she was recognized as Arianna, princess of Crete and daughter of King Minos, who, after helping Theseus in the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, was left sleeping by the hero on the island of Nasso; there she woke up when Dionysus appeared and took her as his wife.

Very interesting also Animal Hall(Sala degli Animali) with a wonderful collection of sculptures and mosaics with animals, Cabinet of Masks(Gabinetto delle Maschere) with images of masks on the walls and floors from Villa Adriana in Tivoli. Hall of the Greek Cross(Sala a Croce Greca) houses the sarcophagi of Helen (mother of Emperor Constantine) and her granddaughter Constantine.

Chiaramonti Museum

The Chiaramonti Museum is named after its founder Pius VII, who was born in Cesena and bore the name Luigi Barnaba Chiaramonti. Museum decorated and decorated Antonio Canova, occupies part of a 300 m long gallery designed Bramante in 1507 g commissioned by Julius II to unite the Papal Palace with the Belvedere Palace.

The Chiaramonti Museum has an impressive number of statues, including many busts that the Romans made as portraits of their ancestors. The rest of the gallery is occupied by a collection of gravestone inscriptions (Galleria Lapidaria), numbering more than 4,000. Unfortunately, it is not open to the public, and you need a special pass to get there. The gallery has New corridor(Braccio Nuovo) with a beautiful Roman mosaic floor. some Roman statues also have, including marble statue of Augustus from Prima Porta(Augusto di Prima Porta), depicting Emperor Augustus, 2.04 m high, found in the house of Livia Drusilla, wife of Augustus, at Villa Livia in Prima Porta in the vicinity of Rome, hence the name.

Another characteristic sculpture of the Vatican Museums is personified allegorical Nile. The god of the majestic river is depicted lying on his side, leaning on the sphinx as a wise bearded man. At his feet lies a crocodile, and in the hands of the god is a basket of grain - a symbol of the fertility of the earth in the Nile Valley, the result of periodic floods of the river. The 16 children playing on it symbolize 16 cubits - the ideal height of water level that can ensure a good harvest. Also, the little angels personify the children of the Nile, the Egyptians, a great civilization, also represented in the composition by the Sphinx, which arose only thanks to the existence of this river. The humanization of rivers by Alexandrian sculptors was later adopted by the Romans.

Secular Gregorian Museum

The Secular Gregorian Museum (Museo Gregoriano Profano) also has a valuable collection of Roman and Greek statues. It was founded in 1844 by Gregory XVI, now contains sculptures, sarcophagi, reliefs and monuments, most of which date back to the period of the Roman Empire (1st-2nd century BC). The most important attraction of the museum is perhaps sculptures of Athena and Mars, copy of bronze originals of the 5th century. BC. work of a Greek sculptor Mirona. Also worthy of attention are the mosaics in Baths of Caracalla(Terme di Caracalla) and fragments of the Parthenon.

Gregorian Etruscan Museum

The Gregorian Etruscan Museum (Museo Gregoriano Etrusco) was also built thanks to Pope Gregory XVI in 1837 . This is one of the most important museums of its kind, despite the fact that in Rome itself there are National Etruscan Museum(Museo Nazionale Etrusco) at Villa Borghese, founded immediately after the unification of Italy. preserve an exceptional collection of vases revealing Greek influence in Etruscan decorative art, as well as Greek vases found in Etruscan necropolises and Italiote vases (made in Hellenic cities in southern Italy), allowing us to trace the history of this ancient people.

A notable specimen is an amphora with images of Achilles and Ajax, playing dice. Also interesting are the objects found in the tomb of Regolini-Galassi in Cerveteri, including a wooden throne and a carriage from the 7th century. BC. The most remarkable statue is bronze Mars from Todi(Marte di Todi) 5th century. BC. The exhibits in this museum are items from excavations in the Etruscan territory, today's northern Lazio, mostly ancient and of exceptional importance. The museum itself is already a work of art, because it is located inside Palace of Innocent VIII(Palazzetto di Innocenzo VIII), connected to a building from the time of Pius IV, where you can admire rich decorations, among which - frescoes by Federico Barocci (1563), Santi Di Tito and Pomaranche (1564).

Gregorian Museum of Egypt

The Dedicates to Egypt were created due to Gregory XVI's interest in Egypt and Egyptology. In nine halls you can admire a collection of steles and hieroglyphs from 2500 BC, Roman copies of Egyptian statues of the 2nd century. AD, as well as mummies and sarcophagi dating back to 1000 BC, found in the necropolis of Deir el-Bahri in Tebe. The statues of Egyptian deities are also interesting. The interest of Gregory XVI and some other popes in Egypt is connected with the role of this country in the Holy Scriptures. The nine rooms are arranged in a semicircle and open onto the “Nicchione della Pigna” terrace, which houses sculptures. The last two rooms are dedicated to exhibits from Mesopotamia and today's Palestine.

Vatican Picture Gallery

The Vatican Art Gallery (Pinacoteca Vaticana), a relatively new museum, was inaugurated in 1932 by Pius XI. Paintings from the 12th to the 19th centuries hang in 16 rooms. Most of them are creations of Italian masters, but some foreign artists are also represented. In particular, an entire room is dedicated to the Austrian artist Peter Menzel. One of his most outstanding works is "Stephanie Triptych"(Trittico Stefaneschi).

There is also a hall dedicated Rafael, which also contains tapestries by the Flemish Pieter van Aelst, made by him in a shop in Brussels based on sketches by Raphael and his students. These sketches are now kept in the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Among the remarkable works of Raphael himself are "The Crowning of the Virgin Mary"(L’Incoronazione della Vergine), which he wrote at the age of 19. Of interest are “San Girolamo” by Da Vinci (1480), “Madonna dei Frari” by Titian (1535), “Rest during the Flight into Egypt” (Riposo durante la fuga in Egitto) by Federico Barocci (1573 ) and “The Descent from the Cross” (Deposizione) by Caravaggio (1603).

Museum of Contemporary Religious Art

The collection of contemporary religious art is housed in 55 rooms. It was founded in 1973 optional Pope Paul VI and is the largest museum of its kind. Here are the works of the most famous artists in the world: Guttuso, Dali, Kandinsky, Kokoschka, Corbusier, Munch, Picasso, Rodin and Van Gogh. with religious art confirm the ability of modern art to convey religious feelings. The collection is assembled mainly from donations. The museum is located in the Appartamento Borgia, on the ground floor of the Papal Palace, several underground rooms and several on the upper floors of the Sistine Chapel, where the ceremonial masters (Magistri Caeremoniarum) were originally located, responsible for ceremonies and partly for documentation.

Pius Christian Museum

The Christian Museum of Pius (Museo Pio Cristiano) contains a collection of sculptures, sarcophagi and mosaics from the early Christian era. The museum was founded Pius IX in 1854, two years after the approval of the religious archaeological commission, whose main task was to conduct and protect excavations; The first to reach the museum were those finds whose safety could not be ensured on site. The greatest value of the museum is Good Shepherd statue(Statua del Buon Pastore), created in the 3rd century. AD The shepherd is depicted with a lamb on his shoulders, dressed in a sleeveless tunic and a bag over his shoulder. The statue personifies Christ and the Sacrifice he made to save people - the allusion is quite obvious, it refers to the Holy Scripture from Luke, which explains the reason for the shepherd’s act. Such people usually sacrifice the best of what they have to the mercy of God.

Missionary Ethnological Museum

Missionary Ethnological Museum (Museo Missionario Etnologico), founded Pius XI in 1926 g, contains exhibits on religious topics from four parts of the world: Asia, Oceania, Africa and America. More than 100,000 objects were donated to the collection by missionaries. Initially, the Museum was located in the Lateran Palace (Palazzo del Laterano), but moved in 1973. Among the most interesting items are a Mexican statue of the god Quetzalcoatl, a mask from Sierra Leone and a wooden sculpture of the deity Tumatauenga from French Polynesia.

Vatican Apostolic Library

The Vatican Library was founded in 1450 by Pope Nicholas V, and then there were only 340 books. Today it is one of the most influential and respected libraries in the world, and its repositories contain more than half a million books and 60,000 manuscripts. Images of especially valuable specimens can be seen in Sistine Salon– a magnificent hall 80 m long and 15 m wide, built in 1588 Domenico Fontana, richly decorated, with painted walls and colored lamps.

The library also contains some Vatican Museums, for example, Secular and Sacred. The latter houses ancient Christian relics found in the Roman catacombs: bowls and other objects, often made of expensive materials, for example, ivory or medieval glaze. Recently information appeared that the Japanese company Ntt Data decided to digitize about 82 thousand texts, including the Urbino Bible, the Divine Comedy with illustrations by Botticelli, the Iliad in Greek with a Latin translation from the 15th century.

Vatican History Museum

Historical Vatican Museums(Museo Storico Vaticano) provides insight into the unusual and sometimes turbulent history of the Vatican. Was founded in 1973 by Pope Paul VI and was originally located next to the Vatican Art Gallery, but in 1991 it was moved to the Lateran Palace at the rear entrance of the Basilica of San Giovanni in Laterano. contain a collection of weapons and uniforms of the Pope's armed forces, as well as portraits of the Popes and the so-called Pope-mobiles - carriages and cars that the Popes drove. There are plans to move the museum back to the Vatican. Now you can visit it only by booking a group excursion in advance.

Vatican Museum Complex

After visiting the museums, it’s time to pay attention to the museum complex itself, built between the 12th and 19th centuries. and then served as the main residence of the popes. Some halls, including the Sistine Chapel, are still sometimes used by pontiffs. However, today the Pope is more of a spiritual figure, unlike the time before the unification of Italy, when he also acted as the head of a secular kingdom, and the complex in the Vatican reflected the importance of his person. Popes invited the best architects and artists to decorate their palaces, so today it is definitely worth taking a look at the results.

Courtyards and galleries of the Vatican Museum complex

The museum complex consists of two palaces: Belvedere, built at the end of the 15th century, in the north and Apostolic, adjacent to St. Peter's Basilica (Basilica di Pietro) and has been the main papal residence since its transfer from Avignon in 1377, in the south. The present palace was built in the mid-15th century, replacing the previous 5th century. At the very beginning of the 16th century. Bramante connected the palaces with two long wings, forming an extensive courtyard - the Belvedere Court. In 1585-1590, another wing - the library - divided the courtyard in two. The lower courtyard is also called Belvedere Courtyard, and the top one is known as Yard Shishki(Cortile della Pigna).

The construction of a new wing in 1820 created another small courtyard in the center - the library courtyard. It, like the Belvedere Courtyard, is closed to visitors, but all visitors come with pleasure to admire the beautiful Cone Courtyard. The cone is a clever antique fountain system discovered near the Parthenon at the Baths of Agrippa, which supposedly belonged to the temple of the goddess Isis. Water flowed down the steps, and two bronze peacocks were installed on the sides. The original of this fountain is now in the new wing. In the middle of the courtyard stands a new bronze statue called "circle enclosed in a sphere" by Arnaldo Pomodoro from 1990.

Galleries of the Vatican Museums

The two wings connecting the Apostolic Palace and the Belvedere Palace are each about 300 m long. In the east is located the already mentioned Chiaramonti Museum and Lapidarium, unfortunately, closed to the public. The western wing is occupied by three galleries. One - Gallery of Candelabra(Galleria dei Candelabri) – about 80 m long, with Greek and Roman sculptures. Second - Tapestry Gallery(Galleria degli Arazzi) with tapestries from the 17th century.

And the last one – and the longest one, 175 m – Gallery of Geographic Maps(Galleria delle Carte Geografiche). The walls of this gallery are covered with large drawings of maps created by Antonio Danti in 1580-1583 thanks to the necessary information received from his brother Egnazio Danti, a Dominican priest, then a bishop, as well as a geographer, mathematician and architect. The maps show Italian cities, Mediterranean islands and papal territories. And the frescoes on the ceiling tell about the events that took place in these places.

Halls of the Apostolic Palace

The Popes of the Renaissance invited the best artists to paint their luxurious recitations. Many halls, including Apartments Borgia and Rooms of Raphael, are open to the public and included in guided tours of the Vatican Museums.

Apartments Borgia

The Borgia Apartments consist of several chambers that were the personal chambers of Alexander VI, Rodrigo De Borgia. The pope strongly supported art, and invited Pinturicchio to decorate the rooms with frescoes. From 1492 to 1495 Pinturicchio and his students painted the chambers of Borgia. The frescoes depict religious (torment of saints and miracles of faith) and medieval subjects (Trivium and Quadrium of sciences such as grammar, rhetoric, dialectics, etc.).

Chapel of Nicholas V

Visitors often miss the Chapel of Nicholas V, elaborately decorated with frescoes by Fra'Angelico from 1447-1449 depicting episodes from the lives of Saints Stefano and Lorenzo.

Rooms of Raphael

The Raphael Halls (Stanze di Raffaello) were chosen as personal chambers by Julius II, who did not want to live in the same apartments as his predecessor (by the way, these rooms are located directly above the Borgia apartments). Having seen the work of the 25-year-old artist and architect Rafael Santi, the pope decided to entrust the painting of his chambers to him. From 1508 Raphael worked on decorating these rooms, forgetting about other projects, including St. Peter's Basilica, which he worked on after Bramante's death. Raphael died in 1520, when he was only 37, without completing the painting of the papal apartments: his students completed the work based on his drawings. These frescoes are considered absolute masterpieces of Renaissance art.

The first room designed by Raphael is called Hall of Constantine(Sala di Costantino), completed by the master’s students, Giulio Romano and Francesco Penni. Depicts scenes from the life of the Roman Emperor Constantine, who first made Christianity an official religion. The fresco “Battle of the Milvio Bridge” tells about the battle between Constantine and Messenzio, when, not having a numerical superiority, the army of Emperor Constantine pushed back the army of Messenzio and drowned him in the river.

Next room - Eliodoro's room(Stanza di Eliodoro), with frescoes on biblical themes and the most notable - “The Expulsion of Eliodoro”. It depicts Pope Julius II, Raphael himself and his student Giulio Romano. When Raphael painted The Meeting of Leo the Great with Attila, Julius II had already died, and his successor, Leo X, was depicted in the fresco twice: first by Raphael himself as a cardinal, and then by an assistant as Leo I.

Signing Room

Signing Room(Stanza della Segnatura) is named after the highest tribunal of the Holy See, and it is the only room entirely painted by the artist himself. The ceiling displays the most famous fresco of the Halls of Raphael - “The School of Athena”. This absolute masterpiece is skillfully inscribed in the deep nave, with a precise knowledge of perspective. In the picture you will find such famous characters as Plato and Aristotle, who merged in the process of philosophical debate, Euclid, Socrates, Pythagoras and Archimedes. Raphael also depicted some of his contemporaries: not counting himself, his friend Bramante, Pope Julius II, Leonardo Da Vinci and his rival Michelangelo, who was working on the Sistine Chapel at that time.

The last of the four rooms is Fire Room Borgo(Stanza dell’Incendio di Borgo), according to the name of one of the frescoes, was painted from 1514 to 1517, during the reign of Leo X. It was he who chose the lives of his namesakes, Leo III and Leo IV, as the main theme of the room. The most important fresco, “The Fire of Borgo,” depicts Leo IV extinguishing a fire by making the sign of the cross. This event took place in 847, when a terrible fire destroyed the block opposite the ancient Basilica of St. Peter, which today is called Borgo. Leo IV pronounced a blessing while standing on the Lodge and miraculously extinguished the fire, while preserving the lives of the people. The fresco also draws a parallel with the ancient scene, depicting Aeneas carrying his father Anchises on his shoulders from Troy in flames.

Raphael's Lodge

The Hall of Constantine is connected to the Raphael Lodge (Loggia di Raffaello), another masterpiece of the great master. Unfortunately, you can only get here with special permission. The lodge is decorated with 12 frescoes on a biblical theme and stretches along the entire eastern wing for 65 m (its width is about 4 m).

Spiral staircase

Before leaving the museum complex, don't miss the opportunity to admire the most famous staircase in the world. It was built in 1 932 Giuseppe Momo like a double spiral, one side of which went up and the other down. A beautiful bronze work of art decorated with papal coats of arms.

Gentile da Fabriano. “Scenes from the Life of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker: St. Nicholas calms the storm and saves the ship,” c. 1425

Photo © Vatican Museums / Photo © Vatican Museums

Vatican Museums

Not only are they presenting the treasures of their collection in Russia for the first time, but they are also exporting them abroad in such quantities for the first time. Forty-two paintings from the Pinakothek collection are almost one tenth of the entire collection, numbering about five hundred canvases.

Describing a work of art is a thankless task, doomed to failure in advance, because it is impossible to verbalize the subtle connection that is established between you when you find yourself face to face. And it doesn’t matter how many people are around, because at that moment it only talks to you.

The language of the masterpieces of the Vatican Pinakothek is music. Consciousness helpfully offers associations: medieval polyphony, Renaissance madrigal, baroque concerto grosso. In fact, these paintings sound different. Their music is the music of silence: lines, colors, subtle gestures and glances.

You don't need to be an art critic to understand - or rather, feel - the work of a genius. An image, with all its harmony, remains only an imprint if something more is not embedded in it. Each of these paintings has a soul, all these canvases are alive.

"Christ Blessing", a rare work of the Roman school of the 12th century. It reveals the painfully familiar features of Byzantine icons, which became a model for ancient Russian icon painters. Roma Aeterna. Rome first, second, third... Eternal. “Christ Blessing” opens the exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery, you meet his eyes immediately, as soon as you cross the threshold of the hall. He is here completely alone - silent, calm and self-sufficient. And behind him is a whole world, enclosed in the space of a small room, in which St. Francis of Assisi (Margaritone d'Arezzo, 13th century), St. Nicholas the Wonderworker pacifying the storm (Gentile da Fabriano, 15th century), and angels playing lutes ceremoniously pass before you (Melozzo da Forlì, 15th century).

Pietro Vannucci, nicknamed Perugino. "Saint Placis", 1495-1498. "Saint Justina", 1495-1498.

Here is also the predella “The Miracles of Saint Vincenzo Ferrer” - the work of Ercole de Roberti, an artist of the Ferrara school, one of the most significant in Renaissance Italy. “Predella were paintings that told a certain story, which were located at the bottom of the altar,- explains curator of the exhibition Arkady Ippolitov. - Although the painting belongs to the brush of a Ferrara artist, it contains numerous allusions to Rome, which, among other things, are expressed in the reworking of the poses of ancient statues in the central figures. It is also remarkable in that it reads like a kind of fashion show of the most extravagant models of the late 15th century - along with the Duchy of Burgundy, Ferrara was a trendsetter of the fashion of that time.”.

In the second hall there are paintings of the High Renaissance (XVI century) and the Baroque era (XVII century). Their music is different: passionate, assertive, challenging. Despite the religious subjects, these paintings sometimes seem to be anti-God - in any case, their creators speak to Him on equal terms.

Here is the "Vision of Saint Helena" by the Venetian Paolo Veronese. A triumph of colors and lush clothes and a rich interior. The heroine of the picture is the mother of Emperor Constantine, who, according to Theophanes’ Chronography, was ordered in a dream to go to Jerusalem “to find the life-giving cross of the Lord.” Together with her, the viewer finds himself here on the precarious edge of sleep and reality, divine and earthly, spiritual and material.

And next to it are two predellas by Raphael: “Faith” and “Charity” from 1507. Very small, they look like book spreads. On each of them there is a woman surrounded by two angels. Instantly recognizable Raphaelian characters with a soft outline of their faces and refined grace of poses. Despite their modest size, these paintings create a special atmosphere around them, a space for some kind of intimate dialogue with everyone who enters it.

In the 17th century, papal Rome reached its greatest power and wealth; it was during this era that the Vatican’s painting collection was significantly replenished with works of outstanding contemporaries, so the artistic history of this century is most fully represented in the papal collection. (By the way, the corresponding hall of the Pinakothek was almost stripped bare, as Barbara Yatta, deputy director of the Vatican Museums, said - most of the paintings in the permanent exhibition moved to Moscow for three months.)

“Entombment” by Caravaggio, one of his main masterpieces, which influenced the entire subsequent history of painting, from Rubens to Cezanne. He painted this picture around 1603-1604 for the church of Santa Maria in Valicella in Rome, in the status of the most famous and scandalous Italian artist of his time, whose work invariably caused heated controversy. Each element of the huge, three by two meters, painting is thought out to the smallest detail, its incredibly strong dramatic effect is largely due to the fact that the body of Christ seems to break through the confines of the canvas. He is right in front of you, just stretch out your hand to feel his flesh with muscles that are still strong, but already devoid of life.

A separate third room is dedicated to a series of paintings by the 18th century Bolognese artist Donato Creti “Astronomical Observations”. In the slightly mannered figures against the backdrop of night landscapes one can feel both the playfulness of Rococo and the spirit of the new time, the Age of Enlightenment. The power of the Pope is gradually weakening, and very soon the history of the Papal States, which occupied most of the Apennine Peninsula, will end. The universe will become an efficient cause and not the end result of divine design. A person who has taken history into his own hands will begin to search for the essence of things on earth with redoubled energy, but will still raise his eyes to the sky, faced with insoluble questions and contradictions.