2016 - The Patrons of the Arts

Transcription

2
0
6
1
W I S H B O O K
04 Letter from the President of the Vatican City State
06 Letter from the Director of the Vatican Museums
08 Letter from the International Director of the Patrons
of the Arts
Ongoing Restorations: The Most Important
Galleries of the Vatican Museums
10 Gallery of the Candelabra
14 Gallery of the Geographical Maps
20 22
24
26
C h r i s t i a n A n t i q u i t i e s D e pa r t m e n t
Wheelchair Lift for the Pius Christian Museum
Five Drawings from Early Christian Frescoes
Touching Art - Interactive Educational Displays
28 C l a s s i c a l A n t i q u i t i e s D e pa r t m e n t
30 Archaeological Research Specialist for the Santa Rosa Necropolis
32 Ancient Statue of Charioteer from the Private
Collection of Sixstus V
34 36
40
42
G r e g o r i a n E t r u s c a n D e pa r t m e n t
Gold Leaf Jewelry with Repoussé Decoration
Astarita Collection of First Century Greek Vases
Rediscovering the Etruscans: Interactive Educational Displays in the Etruscan Museum
44 Shields of the Prince Warrior
46 D e c o r at i v e A r t s D e pa r t m e n t
48 New Display of Sacred Objects from the Sancta
Sanctorum
50 XVII Century hand painted Plates from the Carpegna Collection
52 M e d i e va l B y z a n t i n e Ta p e s t r i e s a n d Te x t i l e s D e pa r t m e n t
54 Tapestry of Diana by Le Gobelins
56 Tapestry with the Wedding of King Luis XIV
58 X V- X V I I C e n t u r y A r t D e pa r t m e n t
60 Sculpted Portrait of Giuseppe Bossi by Antonio Canova
62 Pair of Umbrian Decorated Panels with Saints
64 Wooden Bust of Ecce Homo
66 X I X C e n t u r y a n d C o n t e m p o r a r y A r t D e pa r t m e n t
68 Sphere within a Sphere by Arnaldo Pomodoro
72 Alabaster Altar by Eduardo Chillida
74 Travelling Photographic Exhibition: Inside the
Museum
86 Vatican Exhibition A Century of Graphic Art
90 92
94
96
O r i e n ta l A n t i q u i t i e s D e pa r t m e n t
Rare Bronze Statuette of Anima Buto
Lion Headed Statuette of the God Uadjet
Richly Decorated Sarcophagus from an Ancient Dynasty
98 M i s s i o n a r y E t h n o l o g i c a l D e pa r t m e n t
100Four Shields from the Illustrious Collection of
Fr. Kirschbaum SJ 102Pre Columbian Chiseled Terracotta Statuette
104Five XV Century Painted Scrolls by Zhao Yong
106Masterpiece representing Amida Nyorai
108Lacquer Coffer from the Collection of the Marchese Henri de Laurens
110Rare Crown of the Dance
112Three Taoist Paintings from the Ming Dynasty
114Antique Bronze of Songzi Guanyin
116Sacred Buddhist Scroll
118Mandarin Imperial Vestment
120S p e c i a l P r o j e c t s
122Bringing Light to the Ancient World: New Lighting for the Pius Christian and Gregorian Profane Museums
126Primary School Educational Didactic Program
130Year long Patrons’ Office Fellowship
131Social Media Internship
132New Crane for Marble Restoration Lab
134New Entrance and Exhibition Hall of the Carriage Museum
138University Pass Program
140Exhibition: The life of a Swiss Guard, a private view
144Restoration of the Bramante Courtyard
146 S c i e n t i f i c R e s e a r c h L a b o r at o r y
148Discovering Origins: Laser Ablation ICP
Mass Spectrometer
149Behind the Century: Laser for Cleaning
150In the details: Micro X-Ray Diffractometer
151Under the Surface: Dual Energy Computed Axial Tomography
152Back to Basics: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance
Spectroscopic
153Proactive Care: Remote Multispectral Analysis
154 C o m i n g S o o n
156Breathing New Life: Climatizing the Pinacoteca
160Travelling Exhibition: An inside view of the
Restoration of the Masterpieces of the Vatican
Collection
162Preserving the Rooms of the Pope: Climatizing the Raphael Rooms
Ongoing Restorations
Projects
Intro letters
WI S H B O O K
2016
20
04
10
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Letter from the President of the Vatican City State
DearPatrons,
I
t never ceases to amaze me how, through the
arts, I still discover many things that testify to
the arduous, historic chain of events - large and small
- that have marked the history of Western civilization of how much influence those events have had on what
and who we are today, as a society and as individuals.
Among the great museums of the world, the Vatican
Museums are but one repository of this history, a particular one because it belongs to the Pope. The Vatican Museums illustrate, document and, above all,
preserve the history of the Church, of its beginnings,
its trials, triumphs and losses.
In both good and bad, Church
history is parallel and intimately entwined with the last two
thousand years of Western civilization. Its reach and influence
is enormous and often not duly
recognized - not only in religion,
culture, architecture and art,
but in economics, social development, technology and science. For even the most expert in
the field, cardinals included,
studying Church history is a life-long endeavor. It is the journey of the People of
God, a chronicle of faith.
Yet, I wonder what history will say in the future about
the Church in these times. Regardless of seeming
setbacks and real concern for the treatment of Christians in many parts of the world, I believe we are
living a vibrant moment in history. The Holy Father
4
supplicates our consciousness and sense of responsibility. He supplicates peace and unity. He brings
joy and a humble heart to the love for Christ and his
Church, for those most in need, for our families and
neighbors. He asks that we remember our history in
order to have a future. His is a call of duty.
For over thirty years, the Patrons of the Arts in the
Vatican Museums have helped preserve this artistic
and historic legacy entrusted to the papacy. Patrons
sustain the history of the Church; they conserve memory. I cannot but admire their dedicated work and
loyal commitment.
Thank you Patrons and friends for
conserving the memory of those
who have made history by striving
to follow God’s teachings, by building his Church. From emperors
and saints, to friars and nuns, blessed men and women, religious and
laity, their faith and deeds immortalized by the artists, writers, musicians, and benefactors who left us
the heritage we must now strive to
conserve.
With all best wishes,
Giuseppe Card. Bertello
President of the Pontificial Commission
for the Governance of the Vatican City State
5
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Letter from the Director of the Vatican Museums
Dear friends,
T
he Patrons of the Arts who will take in their
hands the book that my lines introduce, who
will look at the pictures and will look through the thick
index, will understand something fundamental. They
will understand that the Papal Museums are an extremely vast and multi-faced reality where all aspects of
human artistry are represented. The Vatican Museums
are as plural and universal as our Church is.
The Greek-Roman and Christian antiquities, the
Etruscans and the Byzantine Middle Ages, the nonEuropean cultures and the modern and contemporary
art, the frescoes of the
Renaissance and the Baroque
tapestries and fabrics are in
the Wishbook. It is a catalogue
of restoration projects as vast
and varied as vast and varied
the art history is. There are
many restorations ongoing such
as the Gallery of Maps, the
Candelabra Gallery, the Holy
Stairs in St. John Lateran. There
are long term projects such as
6
the necessary air conditioning system of the Painting
Gallery of the Vatican Museums (Pinacoteca). There
are requests for technological supplies essential
for the valuable work done by the Laboratory of
Scientific Research. There are new and challenging
projects such as the exhibitions that will take our art
works through their photographs around the Patrons
chapters in the world.
I would like to stress the fact that this wide variety of
needs has always historically met the Patrons great
generosity. For eight years, since I have been the
director of the Vatican Museums,
I have witnessed your wonderful
generosity. I am sure that even
in 2016 my expectations and
those of the curators of the
Vatican Museums will not be
disappointed.
Professor Antonio Paolucci
Director of the Vatican
Museums
7
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Letter from the International Director of the Patrons of the Arts
Dear Patrons and friends,
I
f you have been with us for a few years, you
may notice the slightly different content of our
Wishbook for 2016. This past year, thanks to the generosity of our patrons, a great number of our most
specific projects are ongoing.
We have to take stock and take care that all of these
focused restoration projects are being perfectly maintained. It’s crucial that the love and devotion of our
patrons that go into these wonderful restorations, like
the intricate maintenance of the beloved Gallery of
the Maps and Gallery of the Candelabra for example,
will continue to be properly honored over the coming months.
As a part of this, we have slightly
restructured the Wishbook this
year to focus on fewer, and primarily more overarching goals
for the museums. Of course there
are still pieces of art that are in
need of patron support, but we
have added the opportunity to
help fund a number of imperative large-scale projects for 2016
that will become the backbone of
our efforts to come.
These include ways to improve the experience of every
visitor for the upcoming year through ground-breaking exhibitions, as well as ways to make a mark on
the future with renovations of high-profile spaces in
the museum, such as the Vatican Museums Painting
Gallery and Cortile della Pigna. Access to our treasures for all is another place where we devote a great
deal of our time and energy, and another project is an
appeal for the stairs of the Pius Christian, to improve
access so that those with disabilities will be able to
fully enjoy the majesty of our artwork. 8
In addition, we are courting funding for resources without which none of our important restorations would
be possible. Investment in restoration technology and
infrastructure will make significant contributions to
how artwork can be maintained for future generations. For example, we are in great need of a crane to
help transport and maintain our heaviest, but in some
cases most delicate, ancient marble statuary. At the
same time, we recognize that without your help the
Patrons Office itself would cease to be viable. Just
as the restorations of a beautiful piece of art are restorative, we rely on support to
help us foster the next generation
of artisans and restorers through
scholarships which give us the
ability to nurture the finest talent
for our ongoing work.
Personally, I look forward to
a year that abounds with love,
spiritual fulfillment, and artistic glory. Always remember
that your work is instrumental in touching the hearts and
souls of millions of visitors each
year. Thank you again for all
your efforts in the continuance of our all-important
mission of restoration. May God bless each and every one of you.
Yours in Christ,
Father Mark Haydu LC International Director of the Patrons of the Arts
9
w i20
s h 16
book
10
Ongoing Restorations: The Most Important Galleries of the Vatican Museums
Gallery
of
the
Candelabra
F
or the past two years, a grand project
has been under way in one of the most
prominent galleries of the Vatican
Museums. Now, in the Gallery of the Candelabra, that hard work has brought about the transformation already evident in the three sections
of the gallery now completed thanks to the meticulous work of Francesca Persegati and her team
of restorers.
This extensive project involves working to restore and preserve the secco painting on the ceiling
of the Gallery of the Candelabra.
Completed during the years of 1883-1888 by
Annibale Angelini and Ludovico Seitz, the work
has suffered major damage since its completion.
The gallery’s exposure to outside environment
has been one of the major problems of conser-
Restorer at work on the
ceiling
11
w i20
s h 16
book
vation; there are 18 huge windows that pour direct sunlight into the gallery. Another detrimental problem is the amount of visitors that walk
through the gallery on their way to the Sistine
Chapel, sometimes as many as 30,000 a day!
Consequently the humidity ant temperatures
change drastically during the cycle day-night
and with the changing of the seasons.
This caused a serious and extensive decay: flaking of gildings and paint layer, decoesion of the
paint layer, detachment and cracks of the plaster
Mrs. Connie Frankino,
donor of the Gallery of
the Candelabra
12
(see photos). In order to restore and protect this
masterpiece of the 19th century from further
damage, Persegati and her team have outlined
some of the steps they plan to take.
The first challenge was consolidating the plaster detached from the wall and fixing the extra
fragile flaking gilding without stain the secco
paint layer.
Also for the cleaning they needed to experiment
new techniques using makeup sponges.
They will also retouch the paint damage without
using material that will stain the work. Finally,
two of the most important aspects of this project
for further preservation is the installation of
a new lighting system and the isolation of the
gallery from infrared heating, managed through
special curtains in the windows.
The Gallery of the Candelabra is proving to be
a challenging restoration, but the hard work of
Graphic designs
representing the
restoration of the ceiling
on the fourth section of
the Gallery, completed
by Biagetti (1933-1935)
the restorers will not only benefit this portion of
the Museums, but other galleries throughout the
world.
Because of the fragile and very damaged technique, the restorers are trying many innovative techniques that they will report on once the project
is completed.
This is especially relevant for this undertaking
as much of the restoration required is fixing the
adverse effects of past restorations, a common
problem with works of art.
This project would not be possible without the
talent of Persegati and her team of restorers, the
Scientific Labs of the Vatican Museums, and the
generous donation of Ohio Chapter Patron, Mrs.
Connie Frankino.
We are very grateful for all their contributions
and look forward to seeing the finished masterpiece!
Restorers: Giulia
Mastrangeli, Stefania
Negro, Chiara
Notarstefano, Sabrina
Oliva, Francesco
Sonni, Cristiano
Vaselli, Giulia
Severini and
Chiara Pozzati.
Chief Restorer
Francesca Persegati.
13
w i20
s h 16
book
Gallery of the
14
Geographical Maps
T
he Gallery of the Geographical Maps,
one of the most important galleries
of the Vatican Museums, is currently
being meticulously restored with painstaking effort and a great deal of professionalism. Thanks
to the California Chapter of the Patrons of the
Arts and major donors as Mr. Bob Snyder and
Mr. and Mrs Davila, more than 1,100 square meters of painted and decorated stucco that cover
the walls of the magnificent Gallery of Maps is
being restored. At 120 meters long, this space is
one of the most visited and admired galleries in
the Museums.
In 1579, Gregory XIII, a Pope who was enamored with art and science, commissioned architect Ottaviano Mascherino, cartographer Ignazio
Danti, a Dominican friar, and a host of great
painters to realize this massive project. By 1581,
a mere three years later, work on the gallery was
complete.
Within the gallery, the whole of the Italian peninsula is painted from north to south. The viewer,
walking the hall instantly feels the strong presence of the Church as the great force that links
together the small and then divided territories of
Italy.
The Pope, coming from his apartments, could
travel across the Alps and walk along the crest
of the Apennines. To his right he could see the
Tyrrhenian side of the peninsula, and to his left
the Adriatic. Magnificent compass roses, masterfully painted and gilded, create a wonderfully
15
16
LIST OF DONORS
Dan Murphy Foundation and Howard
and Roberta Ahmanson
The John and Robert Tusquellas Family
The Anne and Kevin Watne Family
Don and Donna Kelleher in memory of Bari Kelleher
Roger and Linda Chaix
The Linda and Jack Del Rio Jr. Family
Carol and Joseph Fiorito
Hortensa Baffa
Bob and Judy Schneider/Sotheby’s Institute of Art
The Carey Family
Janet and Michael Scott Feeley
Bruce L. Ludwig and Family
Carol and Paul Hill and Family
Hon. and Mrs. Thad Gembacz
Anne Marie and Chris Scibelli
Cynthia and Christoph Tribull
The Villasenor Family
Frank and Kathleen McCarthy Kostlan
Janet and Michael Fourticq
Richard and Maude Ferry in honor
of John D. Ferry Sforza
The Turicchi Family Foundation
Marcia Wilson Hobbs and Family in honor
of Amb. and Mrs. William Wilson
The Blake Cesña Family
Dan Murphy Foundation
Therese and William Wolf
Mrs. Virginia Milner
Eileen Dibb-Haub and Robert Haub in memory
of Bernard Dibb and Leora Haub
The McLoon Family and The Knott Family
Frances and Maria Carey
The Chris and Joe Popolo Family
Debra Ann Colletti and M. Scott Cooper
John McGraw and Deana Berquist
The Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation
Steph and Tim Busch
Randalyn and Gregory Stanislawski
Barbara and Jonathan Larsen
17
w i 20
s h 16
book
glittering illusion, pointing to the Vatican Gardens on one side and the Cortile del Belvedere
on the other.
The hallway is absolutely brimming with beautiful detail, illuminated by large panoramic windows. The “magnificent walk” through the hall
would have led the Pope among the valleys,
hills, forests, rivers and streams, lakes and waterfalls, cities, towns and villages, in a model
of reality. Roads and paths are represented precisely to scale, with distances measured in the
Roman mile and carefully indicated. There are
accurately depicted ports and islands, both large
The Restoration Team of
the Gallery of the Maps:
Giovanna Aiello,
Giuseppe Ammendola,
Matilde Atorino, Ilaria
Barbetti, Maria Rosaria
Basileo, Claudia Bernacchi, Chiara Berti, Sara
Borgognoni, Aspasia
Formichetti, Fabiana
Fraiegari, Sara Iafrate,
Federica Marini
Recchia, Loradana
Modanesi, Domenico
Priolo.
18
and small, with seas traversed by galleons, galleys, caravels, and brigs. And finally, the hallway
also depicts historical events such as the allegory
of Columbus, the troops of Caesar at the Rubicon, the army and elephants of Hannibal at the
battle of Cannae, and the meeting between Attila and the Pope St. Leo I, as well as the more
recent battle of Lepanto and siege of Malta.
The restoration on the hall began on September
17, 2012, with a group of restorers selected after a careful consideration of their curricula and
experiences to work under the supervision of
Francesco Prantera. That fall, when the group of
conservators, restorers, painters, and decorators
climbed on scaffolding they found the maps in
a serious state of deterioration. Large parts of
the plaster were marred by deep fractures, which
meant that the frescoes were in danger of collapse. In addition, the pigment of the seas was
fragile and discolored.
The walls were scattered with patches of old,
incorrect restorations while the surfaces were
coated with a thick varnish that had yellowed,
improperly altering the delicate green and blue
tone of the gallery.
As far as we know, there have been three restorative interventions in the nearly four and a half
centuries of the Gallery’s existence, with the last
restoration undertaken between 1851 and 1862.
It had, therefore been over 150 years since the
Gallery of the Maps was restored in its entirety, but there had been previous centuries of localized, emergency interventions to repair collapsed portions, prevent seepage, fix the spread
of salts and stains, or fix further incorrect restorations, many of which were carried out with
poorly applied technology. It is also necessary to
keep in mind the effect the passage of time has
on artwork. The restorers have elected to keep
those signs and elements that speak to great age,
unless these were disfiguring the pieces themselves. Today, we must continue to evaluate and
develop the works, being sure to remain critical
in the choice of materials and methods used.
This means that the many professionals engaged
in the work must consistently maintain a high
level of concentration.
One of the many challenges encountered in this
project was the various state of preservation and
various problems and complexities unique to
each map.
These differences were caused by diverse levels of sun exposure, the varying condition of
the outside walls, and unpredictable infiltration
of water and formation of salts. However, all of
these problems have been overcome with the
enthusiasm and satisfaction of discovering and
preserving the precious details and secrets contained within the work.
Under the supervision of the Direction of the
Vatican Museums, Professor Antonio Paolucci,
Professor Arnold Nesselrath, Maestra Ludmila
Putska, Maestro Paolo Violini, the laboratories,
and offices in charge, it was possible to develop and test new technology for this work. We
Chief Restorer
Francesco Prantera
working with his team
on one of the maps
designed a special shoring system to heal the
gaps in the plaster with hydraulic mortars or premixed nanocalcites. New materials that had been
previously, experimentally used in restoration
laboratories were used on these walls in a new
way. For example, cyclododecane was used not
only to seal the fractures during the consolidations, but also as a protective screen that served
as an alternative to acrylic resins. An extract of
the Japanese alga funori was also used to consolidate the phenomena of delaminated pigment.
Funori alga had never before been used in this
way and the Vatican Museums are very proud of
the exceptional results. As far as touch up work
is concerned, the team was allowed to use pastels, manufactured by technicians in proper proportions under the supervision of the GRS. Complete restoration of the walls of this Gallery
will consist of the forty maps and two lunettes
above the entrance and exit door.
To date, thirty maps have been completely restored and the work on the remaining pieces will
be completed by April 2016 thanks to the generosity of our Patrons and the tireless work of the
restorers.
The Gallery of the Maps is one of the most glorious and awe-inspiring rooms in the Vatican Museums, a moving tribute to the power of faith and
to the history of human achievement.
The loss of the pieces in this room would be
catastrophic, and our ability to properly restore
this beautiful place for viewers to experience in
the future is only thanks to the tireless work of
our team of restorers and the generosity of our
patrons. Projects like this one are prime examples of our mission come to life and we hope you
have a chance to visit and see just what an incredible difference these restorations have made.
19
w i20
s h 16
book
Christian Antiquities Department
Christian Antiquities
Department
T
his museum contains the collections of Christian Antiquities housed in the
Lateran Palace until 1963. The Curator is Dr. Umberto Utro. The collection
was founded by Pius IX in 1854, two years after he set up the Commission for Christian Archaeology given the task of “conducting excavations in the catacombs and
assuming responsibility for their maintenance.” The monuments which could not
be preserved on site were transferred to this museum where they could be suitably
protected and appreciated. The museum was arranged by Father Giuseppe Marchi
and Giovanni Battista De Rossi. It consists of two sections: the first devoted to
sculpture, mosaics and architectural fragments, the second to inscriptions. The first
section, the only one presently open to the public, places special emphasis on the
collection of sarcophagi, which are arranged by subject and type.
The second section contains historical inscriptions pertaining to public monuments
and places of worship, poems of Pope Damasus I, tomb inscriptions with significant
public dates, or those pertaining to various Christian dogmas, or the ecclesiastical
hierarchy, and inscriptions accompanied by symbols. In consideration of its more
specialized nature, the second section is only open upon prior request.
In 1914 the Museum was enriched by a third section, the Jewish Lapidary, including
about one hundred fifty inscriptions found in Rome during the excavation of the
Jewish Catacomb of Monteverde on the via Portuense (1904-1906). A few years
later, the Catacomb collapsed irreparably, leaving almost no distinguishable trace
of existence. Together with a few other sporadic findings (such as the capitals of
the ancient synagogue of Portus), this collection is the most valuable and consistent
group of Jewish diaspora inscriptions; it is a veritable mine of information on the
Jewish Roman community between the 3rd and 4th century AD.
20
Dr. Umberto Utro
Umberto Utro has served as Curator of
the Department of Christian Antiquities
of the Vatican Museums since July,
2003. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in
Sacred Theology from the Pontifical
Theological Faculty of Sicily, a
Doctorate in Literature and History of
Art from the University of Florence,
and currently specializes in Christian
Archaeology at the Pontifical Institute
for Christian Archaeology. He teaches
History of Ancient Christian Art at
the Gregorian Pontifical University
and Early Christian Iconography and
Patristic Literature at the Patristic
Institute Augustinianum of the
Pontifical Lateran University. He is the
author of numerous essays, scientific
articles, and dictonary entries on Early
Christian art. In his research, he aims
to investigate the relationship between
literary and artistic sources in order to
grow the academic knowledge on the
origins of Christianity.
w i20
shbook
16
Wheelchair Lift
for the
Pius Christian Museum
T
he Pius Christian Museum houses the largest collection of early Christian sculptures in existence. The exhibition winds through the large rooms of the ‘Pauline Museum’, designed
between 1964 and 1966 by the prestigious Passarelli Studio Architects to house the works that had
been transferred to the Vatican from the Lateran Museum in the 19th century.
The Pius Christian Museum has four different levels that allow visitors to enjoy some of the major
masterpieces of Christian sarcophagi, and offers picturesque views over the surrounding areas. For
example, inside the museum one can either look down, to an area below Gregorian Profane Museum
with excellent late antique mosaics from the Baths of Caracalla, or look to the outside world, the
Vatican Gardens dominated by St. Peter’s Basilica.
To allow all the visitors to enjoy the collection regardless of physical ability, measures have been
taken to eliminate architectural barriers by installing special ramps that remain at a constant slope.
In one case this was not possible and, in 2004, the original stairs were fitted with an electric stair lift
thanks to the generosity of the Pennsylvania Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
After more than ten years of assisting thousands to comfortably visit the museum, the stair lift continues to perform its function. Lately, however, the wear of continuous use and defects in the mechanism, have made it necessary to replace the existing stair lift with a new, upgraded, and versatile
model that will continue to guarantee all visitors have the opportunity to access the Pius Christian
Museum.
TOTAL PRICE € 10.450,00 (APPROX $ 11,800.00)
22
restoration
23
5
w i20
shbook
16
5 Drawings
from Early
ChristianFrescoes
T
he Pius Christian Museum houses an important series of copies of catacomb pictures commissioned by Father Giuseppe Marchi in the middle of the 19th Century. During this time,the
preparation and creation of a new Christian Antiquities Museum was underway. This was done at the
request of Pope Pius IX, and for this reason, the Pius Christian Museum was dedicated in his name.
Father Marchi, remembering the antique reproductions of the frescoes from the Roman catacombs
by Antonio Bosio in the “Roma Sotterranea” (1632), highlighted the importance of these new “exact
copies” that the Holy Father (Pius IX) requested of the early Christian cemeteries. These never-before-seen pictures are likely more significant than the very first copies by Bosio, and no one after him
took the care to preserve them.
24
“ The subjects selected
byMarchi display more
variety and showcase
interesting examples of
Roman cemetery pictures “
ARTIST: Carlo Ruspi and other
artists
DATE: ca. 1850
DIMENSIONS: ca 450 x 270 cm
MATERIALS: Tempera on panel
INVENTORY NO:69862, 69854, 69883, 69876, 69863.
TOTAL COST € 77.900,00 (APPROX $ 88,000,00)
State of preservation
This project consists in the entire restoration of 5
drawings. These five drawings cannot be preserved just with a conservation process due to the
incredibly fragile state of the paper and detachment of color.
Restoration process includes
v
v
v
The subjects selected by Marchi display more
variety and showcase interesting examples of
Roman cemetery pictures because of the iconographic aspects and the monumental size of each
decoration. Many of these pictures were just discovered in those years thanks to the excavations
conducted by the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archaeology, and the work of the famed archaeologist Giovanni Battista de Rossi: student
of Marchi and true founder of the modern science of Christian archaeology.
Previously on display in the Lateran Museum,
this gallery moved to the Vatican at the request
of Pope John XXIII (1963). After the move, the
copies were placed in storage and forgotten. Recently, three pieces were rediscovered and placed back on exhibition in the Pius Christian Museum, in the grand hall near the “dogmatic
sarcophagus”.
Thanks to the generosity of the California Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts, a large number of
these drawing have already been cleaned. However, these last five pieces are in precarious condition and in need of intervention.
v
v
v
v
v
v
Chemical analysis
Dust suction and micro dust suction of the
dust on each single panel
Creation of more appropriate wooden
support where needed
Removal of glue
Fixing of the tears
Reintegration of the missed parts with
suitable paper
Complete change of the edges
Placing of new light supports where needed
Photographic documentation
w i20
s h 16
book
touching Art
Interactive
Educational Displays
TOTAL COST € 27.000.00 CAD (APPROX $ 30,500.00)
T
he Pio Christian Museum houses the most important collection of Early Christian sculpture
in the world. To allow everyone to experience the collection, even the blind and visually impaired, the curators have designed a special tactile desplay that provides resin casts of five chosen
works, accompanied by an explaination.
The individual casts will be displayed on stands next to the original works, in a way that highlights
the new potential enjoyment of the space without interfering with the traditional museum display.
The structure of the metal base, with no sharp edges or corners, is designed to meet the needs of the
blind, and visually and physically impaired. These displays provide a complete experience that pairs
SIDE VIEW
DIMENSIONS FOR VISITORS ON WHEELCHAIR AND STANDING
26
Three different views of
the desk with the cast
and the screen
the specially designed text in the information
panel (in Italian/English Relief and Braille) with
simultaneous tactile exploration of the work using the cast.
Detailed Description of the Project
The display structure will meet the needs of the
blind and visually impaired in several ways. It
will be constructed of metal, free from any sharp
edges, and coated with a RILSAN system that
provides cushioning in case of impact. The continuity between the relief image and display panel will make it easy for the visitors to explore
and understand the works. The structure will be
positioned at a height that will allow the blind
and disabled to reach the panels easily and the
mold will be directly porportional to the original
work. We would like to establish this system for
five different works.
The text only touch panels intended for museum
display fuction by removing all barriers between
the visitor and the sense of touch. In accordance
with DPR 503, they will be constructed of a sixty
by forty centimeter acrylic block with reinforced
aluminium backing. They will be painted and
the characters will appear in normal magnified
relief (for tactile reading) and embossed Braille
characters. Both the relief and Braille texts will
be printed in colors that contrast with the backgound, likely blue or another color with a luminescene at least forty percent greater than that
of the background. This is to provide a suitable
reading surface for visitors with impaired color
perception. The relief text will be capitalized in
a Sans Serif font to provide easy reading for the
blind and visually impaired. The Braille text will
be inserted into the rear panel with rounded edges, to avoid irritation of the fingertips.
27
w i20
s h 16
book
Classical Antiquities Department
Classical Antiquities
Department
T
he Classical Antiquities Department is one of the largest sections of the Vatican Museums and includes all the statuary, both Greek and Roman, of the
ancient papal collection. Its Director is Dr. Giandomenico Spinola. The Department
contains some of the most famous and fascinating areas of the Vatican Museums,
including the Gallery of the Candelabra and the Gregorian Profane Museum.
The Gallery of the Candelabra (1761) was originally an open loggia and was named
after the candelabra, which stand in front of the pillars. The arcades of the Gallery
were closed by Simonetti and Camporese under Pius VI and divided into six sections
by arches resting on columns and pillars. The ceiling of the Gallery was painted by
Domenico Torti and Ludwig Seitz under the Pontificate of Leo XIII during the years of 1883-87. The Gregorian Profane Museum contains a collection of antiquities
formerly housed in the Lateran Museum. This particular collection was originally
installed in the Lateran Palace by Gregory XVI and inaugurated on May 14, 1844.
Most of the material within the collection comes from previous excavations and
finds within the Papal States. The main sections of the Gregorian Profane Museum
include: Greek originals and copies made during the Roman Imperial period (1st-3rd
Cent. AD), Greek originals of the Classical Age (5th-4th Cent. BC) and miscellaneous Roman sculptures arranged in chronological order: historical portraits and reliefs, urns, funerary monuments, sarcophagi, cult statues, and ornamental sculpture.
The Chiaramonti Museum was named after the family of its founder, Pius VII, and
has only slightly changed in appearance since it was first laid out by the great sculptor, Antonio Canova. Nearly one thousand pieces of ancient sculpture are exhibited
in the Museum, including statues of gods, portrait statues, pagan altars, architectural
ornaments, urns and sarcophagi.
The Pius-Clementine Museum is one of the most beautiful and most frequently visited areas of the Vatican and is located within the Octagonal Courtyard. This particular courtyard was the inner courtyard of the Belvedere and is considered the heart of
the Museum. Originally square in shape and surrounded by orange trees; it was here
that Pope Julius II placed his collection of ancient statues in 1503.
The recent excavation at Santa Rosa revealed one of the most fascinating and appreciated archaeological sites in the world. Given its early time period (I Century BCIII AD) and pagan content, the site entered the Museum’s care. Unique to the site,
all the objects of the ancient middle-class cemetery were left in the exact place they
were found. The discovery of several catwalks has allowed archaeologists to read the
inscriptions on the tombs and ancient “colombari,” which have proven to reveal new
details of the period’s Roman life and culture.
28
DrGiandomenico
Spinola
Giandomenico Spinola was born in
Rome on Nov. 20, 1959. He received
his bachelor’s degree in Art, with a
thesis in Classical Archeology, from
University of Rome “La Sapienza” in
1984. Three years later he gratduated
the same University with a History
diploma from the School of National
Ancient Archeology. He has worked at
the Vatican Museum since 1993. He
first worked as curator of the
Department of Antiquities, Early
Christian Art and the Pio Christian
Museum. In 2006, he became curator
of the Department of Classical
Antiquities and in 2009, he became
head of the Department of Archaeology
of the Vatican Museums.
He has participated in digs in Libya
(Cyrene) and many Italian
archaeological sites, specifically in
Rome. He currently directs the
excavations of the Vatican Necropolis
in the Via Triumphalis and coordinates
the archaeological investigations into
the areas under the basilicas of St.
John Lateran and St. Mary Major. He
also coordinates archiological digs at
the Villa of Domitian at Castel
Gandolfo.
Over the years he has led several
conferences and curated various
exhibitions at the Vatican, and abroad.
He has been a corresponding member
of the Deutsches Archäologisches
Institut in Rome since 2013.
w i20
shbook
16
Classical Antiquities
AntiquitiesDepartment
Department
Christian
Archaeological Research Specialist
for the SANTA Rosa NECROPOLIS
M
onica Ricciardi’s research began in 2009 when she participated in an excavation project
designed to link two areas of the necropolis discovered in the Vatican, named Autoparco
and Santa Rosa. These two existing areas were uncovered in the excavations of 1956-1958 and
2003. The new area of the archaeological excavation was analyzed and studied using techniques that
highlighted the stratigraphic levels within the ground, working down from the modern deposits to
those from the Roman period. At the end of the excavation, all of the evidence was documented and
compiled which contributed to a new tour for visitors. The archaeological area, which spreads trough
a thousand meters, was finally opened to the public in February of 2014 thanks to the generosity of
the Canadian Chapter of the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
The site has recently been expanded with new display cases containing the remains found in the
most recent excavation of that site and those from other areas of the necropolis, which are not open
to the public. The display is intended to be instructive, with illustrated panels explaining the process
of stratigraphic excavation, particularly the difference in ground level between modern and Roman
times, and clarifying the different aspects of Roman funerary practices and rituals.
Eleven interactive screens and two large information screens have also been placed along the route.
The multimedia equipment allows the most recent generation of visitors to come into direct contact
with the evidence recovered at the site, thanks to three-dimensional reconstructions of individual burial structures as well as sweeping views of the countryside, designed to give the viewer a
thorough overview of the different stages of the burial site. The use of short films has also proved
particularly useful in providing a historical and topographical framework for the necropolis. The
films reveal insights into the methods of excavation and restoration, raising issues related to the
conservation of the site.
In 2012, the Vatican Museums signed an agreement with the École Française of Rome, the Laboratory of Anthropology at the University of Bordeaux, and the Archaeological Survey of Rome. This
agreement allowed for a major excavation project of the necropolis and an in-depth anthropological
study of the skeletal remains discovered there. The dedicated, four-person anthropological research
team lead by Professor Henri Duday and Dr. Paola Catalan accompanied and shadowed the archaeologists in the early stages of the excavation, documenting and interpreting the data they uncovered.
This team is presently working on the area of the Tomb of Alcimus and is also examining the graves
discovered in the 2003 excavation. These ongoing investigations unveiled the most interesting results of the Roman funeral process and burial rites that have already been released.
The work planned for the coming years will be directed to follow the following projects:
Excavation and archaeological evidence
v
Surveys and analyses of archaeological excavations aimed at clarifying the sequence of
stratigraphic deposits (sector Santa Rosa area and the new excavation).
v Completion of the excavation in the graves with burial tombs (IX, XXIX, XII, V) in order to highlight the burials contained therein, prompting subsequent anthropological research (sector Santa Rosa). v Completion of the computerization of reliefs and graphic documentation
The coordination of anthropological investigations
v
30
the excavation of burials containing
anthropological cremation in the tombs of the ‘pitch of Alcimus’ (sector Santa Rosa).
v Processing and interpretingthe data of the dig in light of the results of the
anthropological analysis of skeletal remains and artifacts. v Updating multimedia devices with to include the data emerging from the excavation and anthropoligical research, with new
hypotheses of reconstruction of some graves
Coordination of restoration work
v
Drafting of the new leadership of the
necropolis in particular as regards aspects
of the most recent excavations
TOTAL COST for 2 years € 88.000,00 (APPROX $ 99,300.00)
Monica Ricciardi at
work
31
w i20
s h 16
book
Classical Antiquities Department
Ancient Statue
of
Charioteer
Private Collection
from the
T
of Sixstus V
his sculpture is on display in the scenic Biga Hall close to the entrance of the Gallery of the
Candelabras. It depicts a charioteer as evidenced by the figure’s specific clothing, which includes a short tunic banded with leather up to chest height.
This sort of bodice had the function of protecting the body from shock during chariot races. Sharp
movements common in races could result in rib fractures and other serious injuries. A curved sickle
was traditionally caught between the leather bands and the reins, which were also wrapped around
the torso. The sickle served to cut the reins if the carts were to overturned, preventing the charioteer
from being dragged along. Originally, the dress would have been painted in one of circus’s team
colors: red (russata), white (albata), green (prasina) or blue (veneta).
This statue was sold to the papal collection in 1785 by Mr. Thomas Jenkins. The original location of
the statue was the villa Peretti Montallto, the magnificent private residence of Cardinal Felice Peretti,
who later became Pope Sixtus V (1585-1590). Cardinal Peretti built this elaborate villa between the
Viminale and the Esquiline hills, near the ancient Baths of Diocletian. The Vatican Museums have
on display many of the sculptures that originally formed part of this important collection of Cardinal
Peretti, including the colossal marble statue of the Dacian Prince, which was recently restored thanks
to the generosity of the Patrons of the Arts of the Colorado Chapter.
Throughout its long history, this statue has undergone several restorations. The head, though ancient,
did not originally belong to the statue and was added at the time the sculpture entered the Pope’s collection. The legs and arms, which show the palm and the “mappa” (a cloth, used to give the starting
sign during the races), date back to the late 18th century restoration.
Through the study of documents, engravings and drawings from the 1600 century (contained in the
Album Montalto 1623-1631), it is apparent that the statue looked different when it was located in
Villa Peretti Montalto. It is possible that this ancient statue was provided with a palm, the ancient
symobol of victory in the competition.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to trace the exact origin of the statue due to the fact that there are not
many examples of this same iconography.
Recently, some scholars have suggested that this sculpture forms part of a group of Hermam with
portraits of charioteers found near the train station of Trastevere at the end of the 19th century. This
area was anciently known as the area of the Horti of Ceasar, where originally was a small shrine
dedicated to Hercules, the patron of athletes and the hero of competitions. While this theory is not
certain, it is nice to think about the possibility that our statue comes from this shrine and originally
served as a “ex-voto” offered by a Charioteer to Hercules in gratitude of the protection granted by
the mythical hero on the occasion of the circus games.
At the time of its location in the Biga Hall, the statue of the Auriga was placed on a funerary altar
32
found in the mid-18th century near Pozzuoli in
Campania. The altar is decorated at the corners
by two heads of Ammon, whose horns are hung
with garlands of fruit, below are represented
two eagles with widely spread wings. On each
side of the altar are typical funerary motifs from
the second half of the 1st century AD: figures of
small cupids, birds shown in their nest or in the
process of capturing a butterfly, a pig, and a calf.
The inscription indicates that this altar was dedicated by Numerius Naevius Moschus “augustalis”, (priest of the imperial cult) of Puteoli, the
ancient name for Pozzuoli, to “his sweet child
Numerius Naevius Vitulus and his dearest wife
Naevia Saturnina”.
view of the
Side
Funerary Altar
ARTIST: DATE: Unknown
Second half of the 1st
century AD, with additions of the late 18th
century
DIMENSIONS: 184 cm
MATERIALS: Fine-grained white marble
INVENTORY NO:2344
FUNERARY ALTAR
ARTIST: Unknown
DATE: 60-70 AD
DIMENSIONS: 93.5 x 76.5 cm
MATERIALS: Fine-grained white marble
INVENTORY NO:2345
The works are covered with a thick layer of dirt
and greasy dust that obscure the real appearance
of the statues and impede their purely aesthetic
enjoyment. The original marble is fairly well
preserved, but has some areas with increased porosity and variation of surface texture due to previous cleanings. Additionally, the old protective
layer no longer used in restoration, has damaged
the surface.
Photographic documentation of the state of conservation.
v Development of cleaning systems that
allows for the gradual removal of dust and dirt depostis. The lightening of stains that have penetrated the marble, where possible, through the use of a specific absorbent paste, or other established chemical means.
v Check the tightness of restoration bolts and stabilization inserts with specific adhesives or by reactivating adhesives made in
previous restorations.
v
w i20
s h 16
book
Gregorian Etruscan Department
Gregorian Etruscan
Department
T
his museum was founded by Pope Gregory XVI and inaugurated on February 2nd,
1837. Today, its Curator, Dr. Maurizio Sannibale, takes a personal interest
in doing some restoration of the pieces. Most of the artifacts on display came from
private excavations carried out in the cemeteries of Southern Terrie (modern day
Tuscany), by licence from the government of the Papal State. They were purchased
by the papal authorities, on the recommendation of the General Advisory Committee
for Antiquities and Fine Arts, and on the basis of the right of pre-emption guaranteed
to public collections by the Pacca Edict of 1820. After the end of the Papal State and
its jurisdiction over Southern Etruria, the museum grew only sporadically, though
new acquisitions and bequests were of considerable importance, such as the Falcioni
Collection, purchased in 1898, Benedetto Guglielmi’s donation to Pius XI in 1935,
Mario Astarita’s to Paul VI in 1967, and the purchase of the Giacinto Guglielmi Collection in 1987. A collection of Roman antiquities (Antiquarium Romanum) from
Rome and Latium, and a large collection of Greek, Italiot (from Greek-colonized
southern Italy) and Etruscan vases, also form an integral part of the museum. These
vases are of great importance for the history of ancient pottery, though their original
archaeological context has been long destroyed, due to the manner in which 18th and
19th century excavations were conducted. The central rooms of the Etruscan Museum
occupy the second and third floor of the Palazzetto del Belvedere, while the Vase
Collection is housed in an adjoined building constructed under Pius IV. Besides its
stunning collection, this room enjoys a breathtaking view of the city of Rome.
34
Dr.MaurizioSannibale
Born in 1961, Maurizio Sannibale
studied at the University “La
Sapienza” in Rome, where he
graduated with a degree in the Arts.
He later learned a diploma from the
Specialized School of Archaeology.
He has been a corresponding member
of the National Institute of Etruscan
Studies since 2010 and the Pontifical
Academy of Roman Archeology since
2013. In 2014, he earned his university
professor qualification from the
National Scientific Institute in the field
of Archaeology.
He has worked in the Vatican Museums
since 1986 and has served as curator
of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum
since 1996.
He has authored over 100 publications,
including five monographs and articles
in scientific journals, conference
publications, and essays and
contributions in catalogues. He has
dealt with different aspects of artistic
production, particularly regarding
jewellery, bronzes, sculpture, and
figurative ceramics. He has also been
involved with research into the ancient
execution techniques of the artifacts
and their restoration. He has written
in depth on iconographic themes
and the relationship between the
Etruscan religion and other Ancient
Mediterranean Civilizations.
w i20
s h 16
book
Gold Leaf Jewelry
with Repoussé
Decoration
T
he Regolini-Galassi Tomb, located in the necropolis of Sorbo in Cerveteri, takes its name
from its two discoverers, the archpriest Alessandro Regolini and General Vincenzo Galassi
who received a special permission for excavation from the Papal Government in 1836. It is one of
the richest and most representative Etruscan tombs ever discovered, dated between 675 and 650
B.C. Immediately after its discovery, all objects found in the tomb were purchased for the Gregorian
Etruscan Museum, where they have been exhibited for almost two centuries. The tomb is a unique
testimony of the “Orientalizing” period, a cultural phenomenon that spanned the entire Mediterranean basin, and Etruria, with the circulation of goods and extensive knowledge from Egypt and the
Near East being spread thanks to the activity of Phoenician and Greek navigators.
36
ARTIST: Unknown
DATE: 675-650 B.C.
DIMENSIONS: Varied
MATERIALS: Gold and gilded silver
INVENTORY NO:20541; 20542; 20589-
20599, 22214-22215, 20578-20588; 20200, 20478, 20531-20536
(fragments); 20537, 20538 (2 necklaces in gilded
silver); 20474 (missing fragments for a necklace).
TOTAL COST € 23.600,00 (APPROX $ 26,700.00)
The decorated gold foil pieces are glued on glass
panels of varying shapes, while the smaller fragments are divided into groups and arranged on
open holders with the risk of dispersion. The state of preservation of the two necklaces is seriously compromised. The original silver sheen is no
longer visible, having been covered by a thick
sediment of dark-colored byproducts of corrosion. Some missing areas were integrated with
wood in a previous restoration. The loose fragments that were not reintegrated into the missing
areas of the large necklace are in a separate area.
Plating and fragments
v Creation of specially shaped supports
v Creation of specialized, closed containers
for displaying those fragments not reassembled.
v Removal of the plating from the old support.
v Light surface cleaning
v Visual examination of the fragments to
explore possible connections.
The necklaces
v Dismantling of necklaces from the current support
v Cleaning with microscope the surfaces for silver
v Creation of a new support and replacement
of necklaces
w i20
s h 16
book
38
“Part of this collection
included a costly array
of objects, worthy of
kings and queens“
The architecture of the tomb, which is still visible in Cerveteri, was carved into the volcanic
rock (tufo in Italian) and partially built with stone blocks. It was then covered by an impressive
mound.
The tomb consists of a hall with two elliptical
side cells and a lower chamber, separated by a
wall with a triangular window. At least two people of royal blood were buried inside: a cremated
individual in the room on the right and a woman
buried in the chamber. The latter lies on a low
bed and is accompanied by a rich collection consisting of personal jewelry of refined workmanship, pottery, and silvered bronze. Part of this
collection included a costly array of objects,
worthy of kings and queens, of which only the
gold foil remains. All are decorated with embossed geometric patterns (meanders, circles, rosettes) or showing a figurative “orientalizing” repertoire (a winged woman, the head of the
goddess Hathor, a lion). Originally they must
have numbered several hundred. Today, there are
489 of those works intact, to which must be added countless fragments.
This project intends to address the restoration of
the decorated foil pieces and the two necklaces
in gilded silver, all currently exhibited in room II
of the Gregorian Etruscan Museum.
39
w i20
s h 16
book
Astarita collection of
First Century Greek Vases
T
he project intends to restore thirty-six figurative Greek vases, particularly of Attic origins. All
are part of the Astarita collection and are exhibited in the display case B in the room dedicated
to this important donation to the Museums.
In fact, the Astarita collection was founded in 1913, thanks to the work of an exemplary expert in the
field, Mario Astarita, who, in 1967, intended to give it to the Vatican. He donated the collection to
Pope Paul VI in memory of his parents Tommaso Astarita and Teresa Castellano and his wife Anna
Ferrante of the aristocratic Marchesi di Ruffano. These names are seen in the Latin epigraph located
in the Astarita room.
The collection is comprised mainly of Attic pottery, with other Greek ceramics of Corinthian, GreekEastern, Laconic, and Euboian manufacture as well as a core of Etruscan pottery.
The vases covered by this project are signed by or attributed to different masters and span a time period
of almost a hundred years, from 560 to 460 B.C. With the exception of the black-figured amphora of
40
ARTIST: Euboian production portraying boxing figures,
most of the vases are of Attic production. For
many, the place of origin is not known, except
for the cup of Sakonides, circa 540 BC, with
its elegant bust of a woman in miniaturist style,
discovered in Orvieto and thus from the Etruscan
territory. We know, moreover, that much of the
pottery was produced in Greece for the rich
markets of the Western Mediterranean and that
the Etruscans were among the first importers.
This selection of vases is a sample of the
transformation of Greek art from the archaic
to the severe style, through the painting of
vases. Beyond the stylistic aspect, they express
different aspects of Greek life and culture.
We find ourselves in the world of myths and
gods: with examples such as an amphora by
“The Swing Painter” depicting the introduction
of Heracles in the Olympus and images of
athletics (the Euboian amphora with its boxers
and the cup by the Antiphon Painter) and war
(cup by Douris with warriors and fight scenes).
The world of Dionysus, the symposium,
the ritualized consumption of wine, and
Greek camaraderie are all shown in different
representations. One particularly fine late
archaic cup depicts a young boy drinking in a
sitting position. The famous Oxford Scholar
known for his classification of Attic pottery, Sir
John Beazly, named the unknown painter of this
cup “The Mario Painter” in honor of his friend
Mario Astarita.
In these works, one can underline a suggestive
link to a feminine world. A work attributed to
a vase-painter near to the Douris style, around
460 B.C., shows an image of a elegantly dressed
women preparing for her bath. She pours a
precious perfume into the water, transforming
the care of the body into an intimate ritual.
Various, such as Xenokles, Sakonides, Douris, the “Mario Painter”, the “
Brygos Painter”
DATE:
CA. 560-460 B.C.
MEASUREMENT: Various
MATERIALS: Painted ceramic
INVENTORY NO:34950; 34951; 34963; 34976; 34983; 34984; 34986; 34987; 34990; 34991; 34994; 34996; 34999; 35020; 35021; 35035; 35048; 35051; 35124; 35271; 35290; 35309; 35330; 35457; 35458; 35544; 35545; 35622; 35668; 35725; 35765; 35784; 35860; 35861; 35862.
The vases have been restored at different times
during the twentieth century. The materials
then used for the restoration are now partly
compromised and require a revision in terms
of both preservation and aesthetics. The new
project will be realized with proper materials
and current criteria, to return new visibility to
this important section of the collection.
v
Control of the old bonding agent and
eventual disassembly
v Scientific Analysis
v Revision of the old additions
v Removal of loose surface deposits
v Repositioning the fragments with new
adhesion
v Integration of cracks and holes
v Integration of color supplements
v Photographic documentation
w i20
s h 16
book
Rediscovering the Etruscans:
Interactive Educational
Displays
in the Etruscan Museum
T
he Museum multimedia in-depth analysis application proposed for the Gregorian Etruscan Museum will require the development of software and the installation of a dynamic,
digital multitouch and multilingual system (Italian and English). The end goal is to introduce the public to the history, the art, and the daily life of the Etruscans, over the course of nearly
one thousand years.
This comprehensive system will have in-depth thematic analyses that will enrich each visitor’s experience of the Etruscan Museum. The cutting edge technology will effectively give detailed information in a short time, using comprehensible language and clear images. Using multiple digital computer and cinematographic effects, high-resolution graphic technologies will produce the animation
and effects that the public will view. The application will be easy-to-use with an intuitive touchscreen that will allow visitors to select the subject and the language.
In the case of a large flux of people or of guided visits, it will be possible to activate the Play All
mode - an automatic launch of content that will follow a predetermined order.
The presentation will start with a chronological and topographical contextualization of the Etruscan
civilization, after which the visitors can choose from 100 different topics to learn about.
42
43
w i20
s h 16
book
Shields
of
the
PrinceWarrior
T
he individuals who discovered the eight large, finely embossed bronze shields, hung
upon the walls of the tomb, were very impressed by their grandeur. The shields
appeared very fragile, even if they were at one point reinforced by wood or leather
covering, although we have no evidence of this. Their fragility indicates that they were meant
merely as indications of rank, traits of the prince-warrior, rather than true and typical weapons.
The decoration consists of geometric motifs of ancient tradition, and in some cases, also includes friezes completed in the Orientalizing style with figures of animals. The intended restoration will be the first to be carried out with scientific methodologies since the discovery of the
shields two centuries ago and many decades after some early restoration attempts. The shields
are extremely fragile and fragmented with gaps on 20-90% of the surface. They are now mounted on supports made of acrylic material. The intervention will primarily focus on the cleaning
of the surfaces, the prevention of further corrosion, the restoration and the
strengthening of cracks, the application of resin integrations that will
make the piece more cohesive, and color treatments. Simultaneously, researchers will create accurate graphical and photographical
documentation that will help to clarify details of the decoration and its technical details for further study and subsequent
publication. The analyses will allow researchers to identify
the components of the constitutive alloy. This information
will give a wealth of information about the history of the
shields, from their deposition in the tomb in the 7th century BC until their restorations in the 19th and 20th centuries. These pieces are expected to return on display in
the Estruscan Museum.
44
ARTIST: Unknown
DATE: Ca. 650 BC
DIMENSIONS: Various
MATERIALS: Bronze
INVENTORY NO:20544 - 20551
The surface of each piece is completely encrusted with organic residues and biproducts of
bronze and the silver corrosion.ì Large portions
of the decorations are missing.
Cleaning and eliminating the corrosive salt bi-products
v Systematic cleaning of all the surfaces
v Stabilizing the residual products of
corrosion
v Consolidation of the fractures and filling
of existing lacunae (small holes)
v Further studies of the pieces and their
history/functions
v Protective final varnish
v
w i20
s h 16
book
Decorative Arts Department
Decorative Arts
Department
T
he Decorative Arts Department is a very recent section of the Vatican Museums. Infact, this department was created in 1999 by Pope John Paul II who
wished to place the Vatican Museum Library under the jurisdiction of the Vatican
Museums. However, the origins of the rooms that form the Vatican Museums Library reach back to 1756, during the papacy of Benedict XIV when the Christian
Museum (which includes three rooms: Christian Museum, Room of the Tributes and
Room of the Tributes to Pius IX) was the first to be formally addressed as the Vatican
Museums (Costitutio Optimarum Artium). The objects on display in the Christian
Museum rooms were intended for scholars and priests who, while studying the origins of Christianity in the Library, could easily compare and complete their readings
with the real object. The Curator is Professor Guido Cornini with the assistance of
Dr. Claudia Lega. The Decorative Arts Department takes care of the Christian Museum, the Profane Museum and the Museum of the Gifts. Actually, these three Museums form part of the Gallery of the Ancient Library (or Vatican Library Museum),
a gallery our Patrons are accustomed to walking through when they visit the Vatican
Museums (and which is also the exit for the visitors leaving the Sistine Chapel).
Since October 2008, this Department has also acquired the micromosaics, liturgical
vestments, as well as medieval and modern ceramics of the Vatican Museums.
46
Dr. Guido Cornini
Guido Cornini graduated with honors
in 1981 from the University of Rome
“La Sapienza”with a thesis on the last
period of Botticelli. He
received a degree in Secondary School
education with a focus on History of
Art in 1982. He was then accepted
into the PhD program in History at the
University of Rome. In 1988 he
accepted the position of Scientific
Director of the Photographic Archives
of the Vatican Museums. He has served
as the Curator of the Department of
Decorative Arts at the Vatican
Museums since 2009.
With the help of colleagues Umberto
Utro and Claudia Lega, Calvesi
oversaw the reorganization of the main
halls of the Sacred (2005) and Profane
(2013) museums and designed the
exhibitsPrecious Antiquities and The
Profane Museum in the Days of Pius
VI. In the 2012-2013 year, he curated
the exhibition Leonardo, Michelangelo,
Raphael and the Glory of the
Renaissance, Italian Art 1300 - 1600
(Seoul, December 2012 - March 2013).
In June 2015, the new layout of the
Hall of Addresses in the Vatican Palace
opened to the public. He represented
the Vatican Museums
w i20
s h 16
book
Decortative Arts Departmewnt
New Display
of Sacred Objects
from the
SanctaSanctorum
T
he display presently located in the Chapel of St Pius V is probably the most important of those which preserves the Christian part of the collections of the Decorative Arts Department.
It contains the splendid shrines that were found on June 6, 1905 in a cypress box that, for want of
Pope Leo III (795-816), was placed under the altar in the papal oratory of St. Lawrence. In the past,
this chapel was part of the southern perimeter of the complex attached to the Constantinian Basilica
of St. John Lateran (the famous Lateran Patriarchate, headquarters of the public offices of the papal
court throughout the Middle Ages) and survived later as part of the renovated Palace and Holy Steps
complex, built under Sixtus V in 1586.
Throughout the early Middle Ages until the late thirteenth century, the ‘Treasury’ was increased by
the addition of new objects inside the case. The continuous influx of relics from the East, necessitated
the construction of new shrines for their conservation or the adaptation of the older ones for their
display. In addition to the religious veneration of multitudes of the faithful (which earned the location
of the ‘Treasury’ the biblical nickname of Sancta Sanctorum, by which today it is universally known)
the reliquaries collected under the altar were the subject of accurate inventories by Lateran clerics,
the most recent of which, refers to the concluding session of the Fifth Lateran Council (1512-1517)
and attests to a formal recognition of the pieces even under Leo X.
From that date, and for almost four hundred years, the altar and its precious content remained sealed
and virtually unexplored, until their final unveiling early last century, at the inquiries mentioned
above. Without mentioning the importance of many of these shrines - and relics that they once
contained - for the history of the Western Christianity, it will be sufficient to draw attention to
the value and the beauty of some of them, such as the enameled cross of Paschal I, the embossed
48
PROPOSAL FOR INTERVENTION
The display for the exhibition of the relics of
the Sancta Sanctorum is located in the southern
part of the Chapel of St. Peter Martyr, at the
beginning of the corridor leading to the library.
While keeping the whole gallery in use, in
correspondence of a window of the space,
specially “blinded” (lack of alternative space
imposes unfortunate confirmation of this
solution), the proposed project aims to remodulate the internal structure of the display, by
redistributing the material. In order to facilitate
aesthetic enjoyment (and, with the help of
external captions, a more ready identification of
inventory), the covering fabric will be replaced
with another of appropriate color, and lights will
be changed for a better presentation of the pieces.
Fabric, lighting, and didactic material must
of course be made compatible with the most
conservative and advanced parameters, available
today.
Present layout of the
display in the
Chapel of St. Pius V
silver containers donated to the ‘Treasury’ by
that same Pope, the reliquaries of the “head of
Santa Praxedes”, the “True Cross”, or “stones
of the Holy Land”, respectively from the XI, X,
and V centuries, to understand the centrality of
these artifacts in the exhibition itinerary of the
Museum.
Unfortunately, the outdated structure of the
display - dating, in its original construction,
to 1964 - is no longer in line with modern
exhibition standards regarding storage, lighting,
and arrangement.
w i20
s h 16
book
Decortative Arts Departmewnt
XVIICentury hand painted
plates from the
CarpegnaCollection
O
ne of the central facets of the collection of Decorative Arts of the Vatican Museums is a group
of thirty polychrome glazed ceramic plates, part of the collection of the Cardinal Gaspare Carpegna (1625-1714).
The original inventory of this collection of antiques, which was acquired by the Vatican in 1741,
describes the individual pieces of the series as “golden”, “black” or “colored stone blends” arranged
within frames. It is clear from the descriptions that in the Roman residence of the Cardinal (rebuilt
in 1935 in Corso Rinascimento) these pieces were hung on the wall as though they were small paintings.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the manufacture of painted pottery and ceramic utensils, often with
whimsical shapes and bright surface decorations, was typical for Italian artisans. Initially, cities in
Umbria and Lazio like Viterbo and Orvieto, were known to be famous for the production of this kind
of tableware, including plates, pots, jugs, jars and trays of various shapes and sizes. Later, in the
fifteenth and sixteenth century, the cities of Marche Castel Durante and Urbino joined these others
in similar prominence.
Despite the persistence of archaic techniques that date back to the beginning of the medieval era,
in the Renaissance, innovations became evident. Tradition connects new techniques in this work
to Raphael and the students of his school and these are demonstrated in the themes of literary and
50
humanistic inspiration, which were initially codified in paintings and now began to be set into
ceramics. The thirty-three ‘stained’ pieces presented can be divided, according to their subject,
into four distinct groups.
The first, depicting sacred subjects, consists of
five plates, including four from the Old Testament and one from the Gospels. These are: Adam
and Eve Expelled from the Terrestrial Paradise (inv. 62273), The Flight of Lot from Sodom
(inv. 62249), Joseph Makes Himself Known to
His Brothers (inv. 62248), Ahab, King of Judea,
Who Makes a Sacrifice to Idols (inv. 62244),
The Nativity of Jesus (inv. 62258).
The second group is made up of seven plates,
which show heroic scenes: Hercules Defeating
Antaeus (inv. 62270), Perseus Freeing Andromeda (inv. 62271), The Return of Theseus (inv.
62250), The Battle of Hector and Achilles (inv.
62257), Aeneas Fleeing from Troy (inv. 62253),
The Virgin Tarpea Killed by the Sabines (inv.
62245), The Victory of the Romans Over the Sabines (inv. 62286). The third and most numerous
group, consists of eighteen pieces with mythological scenes, taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses:
Jupiter Coming to Leda as a Swan (inv. 62251),
Jupiter with Europa in the Form of a Bull
(62247), The Rape of Europa (inv. 62268), Venus and Cupid (inv. 62243), Venus and Adonis
(inv. 62261), Pan and Syrinx (inv. 62266),
Apollo and Pan (inv. 62264) , Apollo Cursing King Midas with Donkey Ears (inv.
62256), Apollo and Pan (inv. 62265),
Apollo and Marsyas (inv. 62269), Apollo Flaying Marsyas (inv. 62262), Neptune and Anfrite ( inv. 62272), Diana and
Endymion (inv. 62260), Proserphina,
Queen of the Averno (inv. 62276), Diana
Banishing Callisto (inv. 62263), Deucalion and Pyrrha (inv. 62274), Apollo and
Daphne (inv. 62275). The fourth group is
made up of only four pieces, with allegorical themes: Time brings out the Truth (inv.
62267), The Temple of Fame or the Allegories
of the Courtier (inv. 62254), The Three Graces
(inv. 62259), Berta who Rows (inv. 62252).
Not all the dishes are of an equal artistic quality,
nor are all their sources uniquely attributed to
Raphael, but their iconographic originality and
their survival as unchanged group, are reason
enough for them to have great museographic interest and necessitate restorative action.
Proposal for renovationof the display
Regarding set up, when considering the
placement of the rest of the collections, we
propose using the first Room of San Pio V for the
display of the pieces. Currently these cases are
on four legs, set in a cross-shaped arrangement
in the center of the room. These already contain
a portion of the Museums’ ceramic collection.
In tandem with the Department of Tapestries and
Fabrics, we propose to integrate this exhibit with
stained glass ceramics, through the purchase and
installation of special wall showcases, within
which will reside the entire collection (in place
of the currently displayed tapestries).
w i20
s h 16
book
Medieval Byzantine Tapestries and Textiles Department
Medieval Byzantine Tapestries
and TextilesDepartment
T
his Department includes a wide collection of paintings from 1100 to 1400
located in the Vatican Museums Pinacoteca as well as many tapestries. The
majority of the tapestries are displayed in the in the Gallery of Tapestries where are
on display both the Scuola Nuova (New School) and the Scuola Vecchia (Old School) tapestries; they are called with two different names in order to distinguish the
Scuola Nuova from the tapestries of the Scuola Vecchia based on Raphael original
design, now displayed in the Vatican Pinacoteca. The walls of the gallery are also
hung with the series of the Life of Pope Urban VIII, woven in Rome between 1663
and 1679. The tapestry collection of the Vatican Museums also includes the wonderful tapestries on display in the Lateran Palace, some of the most beautiful examples
of Les Gobelins manufacture from France.
52
Dr. Anna Maria
De Strobel
On October 1st, 1983 Anna Maria
De Strobel was hired by the Vatican
Museums to work on didactic and educational projects. Two years later she
began a leadership role focusing on art
works from the Byzantine, Medeival,
and Modern Art. She began to oversee restoration work, and the historic-scientific research on the tapestries
of the Vatican collection, continuing to
coordinate the operation of these activities within the Byzantine, Medeival,
and Modern art departments. Of the
major restoration works of scientific
and artistic interest that were realized
under her leadership in the Tapestries
laboratory, her most prized accomplishment is the Acts of the Apostles by
Raphael. From 1986, Dr. De Strobel
began to undergo historical and documentary research related the many
spaces of the Apostolic Palace,
specifically delving into the Sistine
Chapel, the Pontifical Apartments, and
the Niccoline and Pauline Chapels.
Dr. De Strobel was then honored with
the position of supervisor for the a
course at the Pontificia Università Gregoriana about the cultural patrimony
of churches. Here, she also taught
museum studies and science of restoration. From 2009 to the current day,
she is the curator for the Tapestries
and Textiles department of the Vatican
Museums, as well as the curator for
Byzantine and Medieval art.
w i20
s h 16
book
of Diana
by Le Gobelins
Tapestry
T
he tapestry of Diana was woven between 1728 and 1740 based on the design
of Pierre-Josse Perrot. In this genre of tapestries, Roman gods were frequently included as allegorical representations of the seasons and elements. The first of
these tapestries were woven at Gobelins in 1700 and were based on designs prepared
in 1699-1703 by the ornamental design painter Claude III Audran and his collaborators. They later continued to be replicated for a good part of the 18th Century up until
the outbreak of the revolution. The cycle contains eight scenes dedicated to eight
pagan divinities meant to personify the seasons (Venus-Spring, Ceres-Summer, Bacchus-Autumn, Saturn-Winter) and the elements (Diana-Earth, Juno-Air, Jupiter-Fire,
Neptune-Water). The various subjects of the tapestries were replicated countless times between 1700 and 1789 in compliance with a sizeable request from the French
court as well as commissions from other European buyers. 237 tapestries created in
various Gobelins workshops during the 18th Century have been documented. The
Vatican tapestry must have been created in the workshop of Luis-Ovis De La Tour
circa 1734 or in the workshop of Audran and Monmerquè sometime between 1734
and 1740. This particular piece was woven based on a novel design by Pierre-Josse
Perrot that is starkly different from his previous artwork. In August of 1748 the Duke
of Nivernois received four tapestries of Diana upon his departure to Rome. The Vatican tapestry most likely is one of these. Considering that the Roman deities Juno,
Cybele, and Pluto were most often associated with the earth cult, it is uncommon to
see Diana personify this element. Here, the presence of Diana transforms this scene
into a celebration of the hunt, which was a popular pastime of the nobility during
the time period. Meanwhile in the other versions, the goddess of the hunt is featured
in the center of the tapestry, seated on a cloud with her legs turned towards the left.
She is easily recognizable by the bow she holds in her hand. In the tapestries woven
from the designs of Perrot, Diana typically appears in a central roundel, surrounded
by three female figures who carry her trademarks: dogs and a quiver. The lower
zone contains two female figures at the sides that hold the other two attributes of
the goddess. Between them there is a hunting trophy consisting of a deer head and
weapons, beneath which are two dogs. The central scene is surrounded by a precious
and fragile architectural structure that is decisively not classical. There is a sort of
pavilion that accommodates, from the base to the top, decorative elements including
animals, garlands, and other objects. At the four sides the French lily is present. This
piece is expected to be returned on display in the Room of Solomon in St. John in
Lateran of the Lateran Palace.
54
ARTIST: Le Gobelins Manufactory
DATE: 1728-1740
DIMENSIONS: 340 x 272 cm
MATERIALS: Tapestry of wool, silk,
golden and silver fibers
INVENTORY NO:43808
The tapestry is in a fair state of conservation.
The bottom, made entirely of silk threads, is
extremely dry due to excessive exposure to light and air. As a result, the fibers are very weak
and missing in various areas. In addition, almost
all the gaps typical of tapestry weaving became
fragmented, creating further serious damage to
the tapestry. Currently, the situation of the selvages cannot be easily observed since these are
folded inwards.
Graphic and photographic documentation
v Removal of the lining
v Removal of the loose deposits with a
micro-vacuum
v Chemical-physical studies designed to
recognize the commercial origin of the fibers,
define their conservation state, and to evaluate
the degree of pollution, as well as to identify the original pigments
v Application and attachment of a covering on the front and back to avoid further
breakdown of the fabric during washing
v Washing in demineralized water and
nonionic surfactant under the supervision of the Cabinet of Scientific Research
v Removal of old interventions that are
harmful to the work
v Restoration intervention of a conservative
type
v
w i 20
s h b16
ook
tapestry with the
Weddingof EmperorLuisXIV
T
his tapestry is an 18th century copy of a 17th century original, completed in the
workshop of Gobelins after a design by the artist Charles Le Brun. This tapestry was one of fourteen completed by these artists depicting the acts of King Louis
XIV of France, otherwise known as the sun king. As part of a program undertaken
by the Petite Academie to redecorate the royal residences, King Louis XIV commissioned Charles Le Brun to depict some of his most illustrious accomplishments.
This reliance on art to broadcast the greatness of the king had long been a tradition
in France, but the Sun King took it to a new level with his construction of the great
palace of Versailles. Le Brun’s original designs were grand images of the King accompanied by the Olympian gods.
These designs were refused by the King in favor of more realistic depictions of his
civil and military accomplishments. The King was particularly fond of images depicting his role in the War of Spanish Succession, in which his marriage to the Spanish
Hapsburg princess Maria Theresa played a crucial role.
King Louis XIV married his double first cousin, Princess Maria Theresa Hapsburg,
in November of 1658 in an attempt to secure peace between France and Spain, who
had long been at war. Louis marriage to a Hapsburg princess was a personal as well
as military victory, as it secured him a reasonable claim to the Spanish throne during
the War of Spanish Succession. The pair had six children, of which only one survived to adulthood: Louis, the Gran Dauphin. This tapestry is currently on display in
the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
56
Previously on display in the Lateran Museum,
the gallery moved to the Vatican at the request
of Pope John XXIII (1963) and the copies were
placed in storage and forgotten. Recently, three
pieces were recuperated and placed back on exhibition in the grand ambiance where the sarcofago dogmatico, the dogmatic sarcophagus, is
located. One quarter of the works were placed
in the Painting Restoration Laboratory division.
The vast majority of these pieces are in precarious condition and are in need of intervention,
beginning with the cleaning and improvement
of the overall conservation status in a total and
definitive restoration operation.
ARTIST: Le Gobleins after
Charles Le Brun
DATE: 1725-1728
DIMENSIONS: 383x565 cm
MATERIALS: Silk, wool, and gold thread
INVENTORY NO:43752
The tapestry is in a fair state of conservation.
However, after being hung in the Patriarchio in
St. John in Lateran for decades, the fibers are
very weak and missing in various areas. In addition, almost all the gaps typical of tapestry weaving became fragmented, creating further serious
damage to the tapestry.
v Removal of the lining
v Removal of the loose deposits with a
micro-vacuum
v Chemical-physical studies designed to recognize the commercial origin of the fibers, define their conservation state, and to evaluate the degree of pollution, as well as to identify the original pigments
v Application and attachment of a covering on the front and back to avoid further
breakdown of the fabric during washing
v Washing in demineralized water and non-ionic surfactant under the supervision of the Cabinet of Scientific Research
v Removal of old interventions that are
harmful to the work
v Restoration intervention of a conservative type
v
w i20
s h 16
book
XV-XVII Century Art Department
Century
Art Department
XV-XVII
P
rofessor Arnold Nesselrath is in charge of the XV-XVIII Century Art Department and is the Deputy Director for the scholarly Departments and the
Restoration Laboratories of the Vatican Museums. This department includes some of
the most famous works of art in the world. The following is a brief list of some of
the most noteworthy:
- The Sistine Chapel, named after Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere who reorganized the
Chapel between 1477 and 1482. He commissioned Botticelli, Perugino, Pinturicchio, Ghirlandaio, Signorelli and Cosimo Rosselli to create the two fresco cycles
of the Life of Moses (left wall) and of the Life of Christ (right wall). It is known
throughout the world for its ceiling with Stories from the Genesis (1508-1512), and
for the large fresco of the Last Judgment (1535-1541), both done by Michelangelo.
- The Raphael Rooms (1508-1524), the state apartments frescoed by Raphael and his
workshop for Pope Julius II della Rovere and his successor Leo X Medici, which
was continued after the artist’s death in 1520 by his assistants.
- The Chapel of Pope Nicholas V Parentuccelli, which is located in the most ancient
part of the Apostolic Palace, the Tower of Innocent III. It was decorated by Fra Angelico between 1447 and 1451 with scenes from the Life of St. Stephen and of the
Life of St. Lawrence.
- The Borgia Apartments which were decorated from 1492 to 1494 by the Umbrian
artist Pinturicchio and commissioned by Pope Alexander VI Borgia (1492-1503)
which boast a complex iconographic program embellished with golden stucco reliefs.
- The Gallery of Maps, a 120 meters long gallery frescoed with forty topographical
maps representing in great detail Italy and its regions at the time of Pope Gregory
XIII Boncompagni (1572-1585). It was conceived between 1580 and 1583 by the
cosmographer Ignazio Danti and revised under Urbano VIII Barberini (1623-1644)
by the German geographer Luca Holstenio.
- The Picture Gallery, which contains paintings from the 13th Century to the early
19th Century such as the Stefaneschi Altarpiece by Giotto, the Entombment of Christ
by Caravaggio, as well as several works by Raphael including the series of ten tapestries designed by the artist for the Sistine Chapel and woven in Brussels by the
workshop of Pieter van der Aelst.
58
Arnold Nesselrath
Arnold Nesselrath studied art history,
archaeology and Latin in Mainz and
Bonn in Germany and at the Courtauld
Institute in London. He has taught
at the Universities of Mainz, Urbino,
Rome, and Berlin where he is holding
a professorship in art history. Since
1981 he is the Director of the Census of
Antique Works of Art and Architecture
Known to the Renaissance, a research
project building amongst others a computerized database which is the oldest
running database in art history. He has
been working with the Vatican Museums since 1982, since 2008 as their
Deputy Director. He has worked with
the Max-Planck-Institute (Rome), with
the Warburg Institute (London) and the
J.P. Getty Trust (Los Angeles). He has
directed the restoration of the Raphael
Stanze, the 15th century frescoes in the
Sistine Chapel, the Nicolina Chapel,
mosaics in Santa Maria Maggiore,
the Borgia Apartment and the Pauline
Chapel. Along with numerous publication he has lectured around the world.
He has organized major exhibitions in
England, USA, Germany, Italy and the
Vatican. He has won the Hanno-andIlse Hahn Prize of the Max-Planck Society, the Salimbeni Prize, and received
the order of merit of the Federal Republic of Germany. He is a member of the
CISA Andrea Palladio in Vicenza and a
corresponding member of the German
Archaeological Institute as well as a
board member of the Winckelmann Society in Stendal.
w i20
s h 16
book
SculptedPortrait of GiuseppeBossi
O
by Antonio Canova
n December 9, 1815, friends and admirers gathered to remember the famous
writer, painter and critic, Giuseppe Bossi. Bossi, who served as the Secretary
of the Brera Academy between 1801 and 1807, was a dynamic and important intellectual personality of the Illuminaries and Romantic periods. At his funeral service
held in S. Giorgio in Palazzo, the famous poet, Gaetano Cattaneo, recited a funeral
prayer. Two years later, in 1817, the Academy of Fine Arts of Brera dedicated a beautiful “erma”, carved by Camillo Pacetti, to the thinker. But, perhaps the most striking
homage to Bossi is the bust made in his memory by sculptor Antonio Canova. Originally intended for the cenotaph designed by Palagio Palagi and Giacomo Moraglia,
it was inaugurated in the Sala Custodi dell’Ambrosiana on May 16, 1818.
This bust was the result of a great friendship between the two artists, characterized
by mutual respect and unconditional devotion. The hundreds of letters that the two
exchanged between 1801 and 1814 stand as testimony to their great camaraderie.
Canova also stayed with Bossi at his home in Palazzo Durini in Milan while the
sculptor traveled and gave lectures in the early nineteenth century. There are two
existing casts of Canova’s portrait of Bossi, both slightly different from the version
in marble at the Ambrosiana; one is in the collection of the Gipsoteca di Possagno
and the other, in the Vatican Museums.
The works by Canova now in the Vatican Collection were discovered in the sculptor’s studio by Antonio d’Este following the Canova’s death. Upon his own death,
d’Este donated the works to Cardinal Placido Zurla, who then bequeathed them to
Pope Gregory XVI in 1834. The Pope bestowed them to the Seminario Romano
Maggiore in Laterano. This portrait has been in the Vatican Museums’ collection
since 1984.
The attention that Canova lavished on these casts presents an excellent opportunity
to learn about the process of creating sculpture. Canova was first introduced to plaster casts in Venice, where the artist became fascinated with the collection of Abbot
Phillip Farsetti. Farsetti’s eclectic collection of plaster casts included casts of both
ancient works and those of more modern artists such as Michelangelo, Sansovino,
Giambologna, and Duquesnoy. During his trip to Rome in 1779, Canova recognized
many works from Farsetti’s collections and became convinced of the importance of
molds. Once Canova settled in the capital, he began an ongoing collaboration with
the expert teacher Vincenzo Malpieri to create casts not only of the clay models upon
which he would base his marble sculptures, but also of the finished works themselves, which he then magnanimously made available to fellow sculptors.
Their purpose, however, was not wholly instructive. Many of these casts were destined for private residences, where they were seen both as art and as a physical
manifestation of the refined taste of the owner.
60
ARTIST: Antonio Canova
DATE: 1815 ca.
MATERIALS: Plaster
INVENTORY NO: 44547
This bust is affected by missing areas, which
must be fixed by plaster that will fill in the
deficiencies. After scientific investigation, the
restorers will complete the intervention by
cleaning and rebalancing of the surface.
Based on the experience of similar pieces as
these, we plan to complete a proper cleaning,
a balancing of the tones of the surface color, as
well as other small technical adjustments that
become clear during the intervention.
v
v
v
v
v
v
Removal of dust
Complete cleaning
Consolidation of cracks and gaps
Reintegration of missing parts
Scientific research
2016
Pair of Umbrian
Decorated Panels
with Saints
T
he current allocation of these beautiful pieces to the Marche painter Vincenzo
Pagani (Monterubbiano, Fermo, ca 1490-1567), is in the process of verification. Pagani had a flourishing workshop in his native country and was very active in
the churches and monasteries of the southern Marche.
These two panels are the side panels of an altarpiece now lost, painted either for a
church in the town of Ascoli Piceno Ripatransone or one in the southern Marche
region.
In 1844 the City of Ripatransone donated these panels, held in the town hall, due to
a Napoleonic pillage, and several other works to Pope Gregory XVI (1831-1846) for
the then newly-formed Pinoteca Laterano. In 1909, the panels were transferred to
the Pinoteca of St. Pius X (1903-1914) and they are now on display in the Pinoteca
Vaticana.
On each panel are represented three saints, with the lower figures on marble plinths
and the upper figures on shelves, branching out from acanthus scrolls. On the panel
that would have originally been to the right of the lost centerpiece, is St. Sebastian.
He is dressed in the fashion of the time, with a short, gold, brocade robe and long, red
cloak highlighting the arrows characteristic of his martyrdom. Above him, the white
lily and attributes of the Gospel identify the monk in habit as St. Anthony of Padua.
At the top, is a Bishop, beardless and dressed in a gold, brocade cope and mider.
On the left-hand side, St. Rocco is shown on a plinth, wearing a tight-fitting dark suit,
pink cape and boots. He bears the staff of the pilgrim and a band around his thigh that
hides the swelling of the plague. Above him is a Holy Nun (the exact name of the nun
is unknown), dressed in a white robe and wimple, black veil and stole, and brown
coat. She is holding the rulebook traditionally associated with Saint Claire of Assisi.
Finally, in the top register, is a crusader in a holy hat and red clothes, in keeping with
the fashions of that time. He holds a banner and has been identified as such saints as
Vittore, Giuliano, Venancio and Sylvester.
The Bishop on the right-hand panel is likewise lacking the attributes that would
present a concrete identification. It has been suggested that he is meant to represent
several saints including Saints Nicholas of Bari, Augustine of Ippona, and finally-as
the presence of Saints Claire of Assisi and Anthony of Padua suggest a Franciscan
client-Louis of Toulouse. Saints Rocco and Sebastian, typically invoked by the
ARTIST: Attributed to Vincenzo
Pagani
DATE: Early decades of the
XV Century
DIMENSIONS: 215 x 17
MATERIALS: Tempera on Wood
INVENTORY NO:40341, 40345
This paintings need complete cleaning of the
surface and touch-up because of the oxidation of
the original varnish. Both the pieces appear to be
a little damaged with some fissures and cracks.
v
v
v
v
v
faithful to guard against epidemics and plagues,
are depicted as young and beautiful. Their long,
softly curled hair stands in great contrast to their
wounds and visible signs of disease.
Both paintings can be dated to the early decades
of the 16th century and are attributed to a painter
from central Italy of Umbrian education and
influenced by the style of Perugino (Raphael’s
teacher), as the style reveals certain figurative
aspects characteristic of the Late Gothic of the
Marche region.
The current attribution of this work to the painter
Vincenzo Pagani (Monterubbiano, Fermo, c.
1490-1567), who ran a flourishing workshop
in his native country and was very active in
the churches and monasteries of the southern
Marche, has yet to be verified.
Consolidation of wooden panels
Cleaning and consolidation of the
pictorial surfaces
Touching-up of the pictorial surfaces
Application of varnishes
w i20
s h 16
book
Wooden
of
Bust
Homo
Ecce
T
his polychrome wooden sculpture depicts the bust of Christ with his arms crossed in front of
his chest, his beautiful face gaunt with his distinctively sharp cheekbones. Christ’s physical
appearance recalls the Byzantine tradition with big eyes, a straight nose, long hair parted in the
middle, and a mustache and beard that is divided into two strands on the chin. A large purple robe
is draped across his chest and is thrown over his shoulder. The crown of thorns, tilted to one side,
weighs heavily on his head. Drops of blood litter his forehead and the rest of the bust.
This image represents a particular moment of the Passion, relayed in tragic detail in the Gospel of
John. Accused of having proclaimed himself the King of the Jews, Christ is delivered to the Roman
procurator of Judea, Pilate. Pilate, believing him to be innocent, did not want to sentence him to
death and instead subjected him to flogging. The Roman soldiers beat, insult and mock Jesus, dres-
64
ARTIST: DATE: Unknown
First decades of the
XVI Century
MATERIALS: Wood
INVENTORY NO:44937
The fragile nature of the wood will make this
restoration a difficult one. The restoration will
aim to repair the wood, enhancing the delicate
original color with a throughough cleaning that
removes layers of dust and overpaint.
Anti-infestation measures
v Consolidation of the wooden support
v Cleaning of the pictorial layer and removal of previous restorative interventions
v Cleaning and consolidation of the pictorial surfaces
v Stuccoing of the cracks
v Touching-up of the pictorial and gilt surfaces
v Application of varnishes
v
sing him as a king in a purple robe and a crown
of thorns. Thus attired, wounded and bleeding,
Pilate reveals Jesus to the crowd proclaiming:
“Behold the Man “ (John 19: 5). But the crowd
continued in its determination to accuse Jesus.
Then Pilate, washing the blood of the innocent
from his hands, turns Jesus over to the Jews.
This bust of Christ is notable for its naturalism.
Christ’s torso is carefully formed and his muscles softly built. The position of his arms suggests that his wrists are tied together with rope,
as is frequently shown in other wooden sculptures of the same subject. The sculptor accentuates
the bloodiness of the Passion of Christ, while
capturing the subtle melancholy that reveals
Christ’s serene acceptance of his fate. Christ’s
downward gaze involves the viewer emotionally
in the scene, drawing attention to the wounds the
artist so carefully rendered.
The sweetness of the facial features and the fluidity of the bust’s soft naturalism indicate that it
is the work of an unknown sculptor from central
Italy, perhaps between Umbria and Marche, in
the early decades of the 16th century.
Statues of this kind are deeply tied to the Passion
and were mainly used during Lenten processions
on Good Friday.
w i20
s h 16
book
XIX Century and Contemporary Art Department
Century and
ContemporaryArt Department
xix
T
he 19th Century and Contemporary Art Collection is displayed in no less than
fiftyfive rooms of the Vatican Museums. This Department is overseen by Dr.
Micol Forti. The collection, inaugurated by Pope Paul VI in 1973, is comprised of
600 works including paintings along with sculpture and graphic works of art; these
were collected thanks to the generosity of artists, collectors and public and private
benefactors. Most of the donations were the outcome of the direct contacts with the
world of the art that Pope Paul VI fostered following his meeting with artists in the
Sistine Chapel on May 7, 1964. On that occasion, the Pope emphasized the need
to re-establish a dialogue between the Church and contemporary art. His hope was
that the close and fruitful links of the past could be revived. His desire was also a
way of contributing to his ambitious project: the realization of a 20th Century Art
Museum in the Vatican collections. The works of art collected by Paul VI, and by
his Secretary Monsignor Pasquale Macchi, thus came to enrich the small nucleus of
already existing works, which had entered the Vatican Pinacoteca at the time of Pius
XII. Over the last few decades, the collection has been further extended with the
goal of expanding and completing the existing historical sections. The Collection is
displayed along an area leading from the Apartments of Innocent III, Sixtus V and
Alexander VI Borgia to the Sistine Chapel, enabling the visitors to see a representative selection of Italian and international 20th Century art through the works of
some 250 artists. It is our hope that, with the generous donations of modern religious
works of art, we can continue to expand this important collection.
66
Dr. Micol Forti
Micol Forti is a scholar of modern and
contemporary art who has served as
Director of the Contemporary Art
Collection of the Vatican Museums
since 2000 and who teaches
Museology at “La Sapienza”
University of Rome. In 2011, she was
appointed as a constultant to the
Pontifical Council for Culture. She
is also the curator of the Pavillion of
the Holy See at the Fifty-sixth Venice
Biennale in 2015. She also conducts
research into the methodological
aspects of museuology, history of art,
and art criticism with special reference
to the relationship between sacred art,
contemporary culture and the
Papal collections. Her forthcoming
publications include a book for the
Vatican Museums Editions on the
presence of the Vatican at the
Universal Expositions and a
monograph on Henri Matisse and the
Chapelle de Vence.
w i20
s h 16
book
Sphere
S
within a
phere
byArnaldo Pomodoro
A
rnaldo Pomodoro was born in Morciano di Romagna (Rimini) in 1926. Between 1949 and 1952 he
attended the Art Institute of Pesaro where he pursued his
interest in scenic design and jewelry. In 1954 he moved
to Milano, where he became acquainted with the fervent
cultural environment of the city, spending time with artists as Lucio Fontana and Enrico Baj. At the same time,
he began to exhibit in Italy and abroad.
The first sculptures date back to the mid-fifties: reliefs
modeled in iron, tin, lead, silver and bronze. The desire
to try out new ways of form and expression is strongly
evident. In 1959 he went to the United States where he
met the sculptors David Smith and Louise Nevelson, Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso; he was invited to teach
at prestigious Universities such as Stanford and Berkeley. In 1960 he joined the group “Continuità” which includes also Bemporad, Consagra, Fontana, Perilli, Novelli,
Tancredi, Turcato, Dorazio and his brother Giò Pomodoro.
In this context he deepened the research between matter, materials and sign and refined his stylistic balance between external and internal geometries. The sculptures of the sixties mark the opening of his research
from the frontality of the relief to the spatial complexity of the
shapes. Starting from abstract and geometric researches as well
as from informal art, Pomodoro comes to simple forms, rigorously
aggregated. On the shiny and smooth surface emerge lacerations
and perforations of gears, as if it were autonomous and transparent
mechanisms. 68
ARTIST: Arnaldo Pomodoro
DATE: 1990
DIMENSIONS: Diameter 400 cm
MATERIALS: Bronze
INVENTORY NO:24850
TOTAL COST € 40.500,66 APPROX $ 45,700.00
The Sfera is still in a fairly good state of preservation. However, due to its exposure to the
elements this work needs an immediate check
and restoration of the outside surface, and inside
areas where the deposits of dust and rain are affecting the bronze daily.
v
v
v
v
v
Preliminary removal of any protective
substances dating from previous restorations
Polishing the flat surface of the inside sphere
Removal of the patina from the surface
Construction of a structure to protect the sphere during the restoration
Application of a protective layer suitable for the piece ideated by the GRS
5
w i20
s h 16
book
Arnaldo Pomodoro
Right:Sphere within a
Sphere, 1990
Throughout his long and well-known international career, Pomodoro received many commissions both public and private around the world.
His monumental works are currently placed in
large squares, in Italy and abroad, as the Sfera
in front of the United Nations Building in New
York. He currently lives and works in Milano in
his studio located in Porta Ticinese. In 1995 he
established the Arnaldo Pomodoro Foundation
in Milano, which aims to promote studies on the
history and criticism of the sculpture process in
the twentieth century.
Since the sixties, Arnaldo Pomodoro, fascinated
by the geometry of the sphere, began to create
numerous versions of it, often designed to be located in urban areas of great importance. Among
many great examples, there are Sfera Grande,
made in 1966, for the Italian Pavilion at the Expo
in Montreal, currently located in front of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, and Sfera con
Sfera, 1991, located in the Square of the United
Nations in New York.
The artist considers this geometry “perfect, magical” and is attracted by the possibility of discovering “internal, mysterious, living, monstrous,
and pure fermentations.”
Therefore, he does not create frozen and impenetrable elements, but responds instead to the
inherent need of humans to discover by creating
spheres that can move and rotate, thus forming a
connection with both the visitor and the surrounding space.
Pomodoro uses the surrounding context of is
works to determine the size and the development
70
of their internal gears, splits and indentations.
Created between 1989 and 1990, the monumental Sfera con Sfera, placed in the Cortile della Pigna, is the outcome of a project launched in 1963
and resulted from an idea by Carlo Pietrangeli,
Director of the Vatican Museums at that time,
and Italo Mussa, his former assistant at the Capitoline Museums. In the great Renaissance courtyard there was a fountain, removed in the nineteenth century to accommodate the base of the
column of Antoninus Pius, replaced after 1870
by a column commemorating the First Vatican
Ecumenical Council, which was later removed
for stability problems.
It was also on this occasion that it was proposed
to Arnaldo Pomodoro to design a sculpture for
this open space; the sculptor used the surrounding architecture as a starting point in order to
decide the sculptures proportions.
As he recounts on September the 27th, 1990 in
his inaugural address: “My study of the proportions of this sculpture has been linked with both
the pinecone, with the staircase of Michelangelo, which leads to the balustrade, and, especially,
with the space of the courtyard, which has influenced me for its perfection of opening to the
sky and to the inner life, in the combination of
all the buildings.
I must say that, lately, watching the courtyard,
the idea was to repeat the size of the arc, namely,
that this form repeated constantly, of about 4 meters, had - in my opinion – to be the diameter of
the ball.”
w i20
s h 16
book
Eduardo
Alabaster Altar by
Chillida
E
duardo Chillida was a Spanish sculptor born on January 10, 1924 in San Sebastian in the Basque country. In 1943, Chillida began to study architecture, but
soon dropped out. Later, in 1947, he registered at the private art academy “Circulo
de Bellas Artes” in Madrid. Initially, while focused on working with gypsum and
clay, his first sculptures were very well received. In 1949, Eduardo Chillida began working on iron sculptures during a sojourn to Paris, and upon his return he settled in the Spanish town of Hernani, where he began to
produce the abstract sculpture “Llarik” in 1950, in which his artistic focus on pace
is well represented. During the following years this idea of the limitations of space permeated his sculptural oeuvre more and more through his use of reflecting parallels. Therefore, over the following years, Eduardo Chillida became a renowned sculptor and graphic artist, and his
work has been displayed at numerous international exhibitions and Biennales.
In 1958, he was awarded the Grand Prize for Sculpture at the Venice Biennale and
two years later he received the Kandinsky-Prize. Further international awards followed and in 1980 the New York Guggenheim Museum exhibited a retrospective of his work. Eduardo Chillida spent
the last few years of his artistic career in San Sebastián. Chillida became one
of the most important sculptors, whose concrete style, homogeneous material, and division of figure shapes became characteristics of his sculptural work.
Eduardo Chillida died in San Sebastián on August 19, 2002.
In the mid 60’s, Eduardo Chillida began to experiment with the use of alabaster, a
unique material for its transparency and sensitivity to light, mimicking the transcendence of reality.
His first project for an alabaster monument dates back to 1967: initially designed
72
ARTIST: Eduardo Chillida
DATE: 1969
DIMENSIONS: 36 x 65 x 41 cm
MATERIALS: Alabaster,
INVENTORY NO:23114
This sculpture is in an overall good state of
preservation. However, in order to preserve its
wonderful alabaster it needs overall cleaning and
restoration.
Total check of its conditions
v Tests for the various phases of the
completion of the work itself
v The removal of dust deposits on the surface (both consistent and inconsistent)
v Removal of substances of various nature, such as wax, etc
v Removal of metallic elements such as safety pins
v Replacing of the support base
v
for Stortorget square in Lund, Sweden, together
with architect Juan Daniel Fullaondo, it consisted of four cruciform structures cut in the same
block with an empty space at the center so as to
accommodate the light inside.
The project was abandoned but the artist continued to reflect on the work and in 1969 decided to eliminate one of the four cruciform walls,
allowing the light to penetrate the space highlighting the central cross. At this point the artist
was asked to place the artwork in the Sanctuary
of Aranzazu, Basque Country, as main altar of
the temple. Even this time, the project was never
completed because the sculptor refused to adapt
the work to the demands of the friars.
Four years later Chillida donated the work of
art, in his model scale, to the Vatican Museums
and in 1998 accepts to complete a copy in white
granite for the church of St. Peter in Cologne.
This sculpture was placed as altar Cross (Gurutz
aldare) in a chapel of the left nave of the church.
In regards to his working methods, Chillida
avoids right angles and straight edges, characterizing his cuts by slight irregularities to give a
greater natural harmony to the work.
w i20
s h 16
book
Inside
museum
Travelling Photographic Exhibition
the
NEW COLLECTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
FROM THE CONTEMPORARY
ART COLLECTION
THE EXHIBITION
INTERNATIONAL TOUR - THE US AND EUROPE - 2017/2018
T
he project Inside the Museum, begun two years ago by the Department of Contemporary Art,
is reaching the conclusion of its first phase, dedicated to the production of images. Nine artists, masters of contemporary photography, have been working over the past few months to interpret
the complex reality of the Vatican Museums: their spaces, works, problems and everyday life.
The photographers have captured shots that document the urban and architectural space of the halls,
the flow of visitors and the many memories that animate them daily, the wear of time, and the works
on display and storage.
The project was designed to be an important group of photography in the Collection of Contemporary Art, curated by Micol Forti. Forti, alongside Alessandra Mauro, an expert in contemporary
photography, selected artists who were to create new works on a variety of different topics selected
by the Vatican Museums. This is the first time that an international institution such as the Vatican
Museums has undertaken a project such as this.
After the photography phase, made possible through the generosity of Patrons and their ability to
support daring and complex projets, we must address the second and much more difficult phase. We
would like to construct an international exhibition able to convey the extraordinary importance and
74
novelty of our project and the beauty of the Vatican Museums interpreted through the original,
creative, and diverse “styles” of the nine artists.
This prestigious international tour will be displayed in major museum spaces around the
world, from the great American museums, to the
major exhibition halls in Europe (Paris, London,
and Berlin). It will end up right where it began,
in the Vatican Museums, where the photographs
can reconnect with the context that generated
them.
The various international museums in which this
collection will be exhibited are not only guests,
but an integral part of the project. The involvement of their directors, curators and experts
will create a rich catalog, translated into three
languages (English, Italian and French). This
catalogue addresses not only the photography
itself, but also the wider issues of conservation,
management, and development of museums and
their assets.
The exhibition is designed to emphasize the style
and visual language unique to each artist. The
nine photographic collections will be combined
into four thematic sections in order to establish
a dialogue within each group and highlight the
many points of contact between the works despite their inherent diversity. These categories
are:
m Time and History
m Spaces
m People inside the Spaces
m Works and Memory
Each thematic unit will have its own independent mode of exhibition that will highlight the
style of the photographer. The proposed route
through the exhibit will be almost circular: the
“pilgrimage” of Alain Fleischer will blend into
the “memory” of the faces of Mimmo Jodice,
whose faces continue with the viewer even after
he exits the Museums.
During the long realization process video and
photographic footage will follow the project and
document each artist’s individual style of working. This will be captured by Alessandro Prinzivalle of the Photographic Laboratory of the Vatican Museums.
This fascinating material will lead to the creation
of a CD that documents the project.
Analysis of Costs for the 5 exhibitions
(2 United States – 3 Europe)
Transports: 300.000.00 Insurance (total value 600.000): 2.000.00
Installation/education: 300.000.00
Catalogue in 3 languages IT/en/FR: 70.000.00
Translations: 5.000.00
Compensation for Essays: 4.000.00
One Year Scientific Contract: 15.000.00
Curatorship: 20.000.00
Travel Expenses: 150.000.00
Representations and Openings: 20.000.00
Lights and Other Equipment: 30.000.00
Graphics, Invitations and Press Releases: 10.000.00
Press Office: 25.000.00
Video and CD: 25.000.00
TOTAL COST FOR THE EXHIBITS € 1.073.600,00
(approx $ 1,212,000.00)
75
w i20
s h 16
book
FIRST SECTION
Time and
History
ALAIN FLEISCHER. The Experience of the Visitor
Fleischer presents a journey through the halls of the Vatican Museuns through the eyes of a lucky
visitor. The artist used a particular panorama device that expands and transforms the natural perception of the exhibition space.
10 works, in color, size 120x300 cm, printed on paper with silver salts.
76
ANTONIO BIASIUCCI. The
StorageRooms
Biasiucci has created a series of black and white images, dedicated to capturing the details and interpretations of works currently in the storerooms of the Vatican Museums. These photographs are
mounted in a single installation to create a photo mosaic.
28 works in black and white, size 24 x 24 cm, printed on fiber paper.
77
w i20
s h 16
book
SECOND SECTION
The Spaces
PETER BIALOBRZESKI. Architectural Structures
Bialobrzeski has created a series of works that document the external architectural structure of the
Vatican Museums, highlighting the relationship between the city of Rome and the smallest state in
the world, its historic buildings and the ages that have determined their transformations.
7 works in color, size 120 x 160 cm, made with

an ink print technique on fiber paper.
78
MASSIMO SIRAGUSA. The
Rooms and Interior Spaces
Siragusa has created a series of evocative views of the halls of the Vatican Museums, interpreted
with visionary and luminescent quality.
15 works in color, 60 x 90 cm, printed with a technique called “giclé” on Hahnemuhle
¨ paper.
79
w i20
s h 16
book
SECOND SECTION
The Spaces
RINKO KAWAUCHI. The Space of Waiting
The only female aritist involved in the project, Japanese photographer Rinko Kawauchi, has
created a series of images concentrated on the spatial details of the Vatican Museums. These
photographs emphasize the contrasts between presence and absence, light and shadow, and the
traces left by the movement of visitors.
15 works in color, format 60 x 90 cm.
80
81
w i20
s h 16
book
THIRD SECTION
The People
inside
the Spaces
FRANCESCO JODICE. The
Visitors
Jodice’s involvement in the project was to stop visitors, who have agreed to pose for a picture, in
various parts of the Vatican Museums in order to create a multiethnic and multicultural panorama
that relfects the extrodinary antrhopoligical range of the visitors to the Vatican Museuns.
20 works in color, size 70 x 100 cm, and two life-size.
82
MARTIN PARR. Outside and Around the Museums
British photographer, Parr wanted to capture the colorful and varied flow of pilgrims and tourists
who flock to the Vatican Museums at various times of the year. Parr built a magnificent dialogue
between the gestures, attitudes, and expressions of the works and the public.
12 color prints, size 51 x 76 cm.
83
w i20
s h 16
book
FOURTH SECTION
The Works and the
Memory
BILL ARMSTRONG. The Life of the Works
The gestures and the faces of the characters that populate the Sistine Chapel, were the subject of the
Armstrong’s work. He transformed and reinterpreted the power and grace of Michelangeo and the
other 15th century painters whose work inhabits the space, through his own work and poetic use of
color.
20 works printed in color of size 51 x 61 cm.
84
MIMMO JODICE. The Faces
of Memory
Jodice has created a gallery of faces, drawn mainly from the classical sculptures of the Pio-Clementine Museum, to investigate how artistic tradition has interpreted and deepened the themes and
expressions of human emotions, partly transfiguring, partly classifying them.
15 works in black and white, size 50 x 60 cm , silver gelatin print on fiber paper .
85
w i20
s h 16
book
VATICAN EXHIBITION
A Century of GRAPHIC ART
KOKOSCHKA, MATISSE, KANDINSKY, MUNCH, ERNST AND MORE
FROM THE CONTEMPORARY ART COLLECTION
the exhibition
Braccio di Carlo Magno – Spring 2017
T
his exhibition, dedicated to XX century images from the Contemporary Art Collection of
the Vatican Museums, comes from the desire to make lovers and specialists of modern and
contemporay art aware of the wonderful graphic masterpieces of the collection that are, for the most
part, very little known.
Founded in 1973, the core of the Contemporary Art Collection now boasts about 4.000 works, including prints and drawings. For conservation reasons, the pieces rotate through the rooms of the museums devoted to contemporary art, meaning that only a few pieces of the collection are on display at
any one time. The core, particularly wide and rich, documents a century of artistic production, both
Italian and foreign, and includes some truly exceptional pieces. Some of the important international
artists represented in the collection are Braque, Denis, Ernst, Klee, Kandinsky, Kokoschka, Matisse,
Munch, Nolde. Among the Italian artists represnted are Cambellotti, Morandi, Casorati, De Carolis,
Lorenzo Viani. This exhibition aims to present a selection of about 100 engravings and prints organized by author’s name, cronology and artistic theme. These prints will be presented side by side with
86
Analysis of Costs
Installation/Education: 130.000,00
Catalogue IT/EN: 40.000,00
Compensation for Essays: 5.000,00
Press and Graphics: 5.000,00
TOTAL COST FOR THE EXHIBIT: € 198.000,00
(approx $ 223,500.00)
paintings, sculptures and drawings. The choice
to focus on graphic production of engravings
and prints, comes from the desire to reflect on
the linguistic implications that accompany the
extraordinary variety of techniques offered by
this type of work, with each artist altering the
artistic medium to suit his or her specific artistic
needs.
The anthology of selected works testifies to the
great experiment of graphic production in the
20th century visible through the birth of modern
screen printing and new methods of mechanical reproduction. This includes the use of never
before used materials, such as linoleum, and
the review of traditional methods, frequently
combined with innovative procedures to create
ever-varied outcomes. The exhibition, organized
in thematic sections, aims to stimulate the visitor
to investigate the comparisions, relationships,
and similarties between the works.
Icons and Storytelling Section
This section compares masterpieces that belong
to two figurative artistic poles: “icon” and “narrative.” Modern interpretations of the Byzantine
icons or iconographic subjects - God the Father,
Christ, the Virgin and Child - are juxtaposed
with “narrative” images.
These two methods of representation often share
a panoramic format that favors the development
of a spatial and temporal dimension. Artists such
as Kandinsky, Nolde, Beckmann, Pechstein,
Cambellotti, Lorenzo Viani are all represented
in this section.
The Sentiments of the Sacred Section
This section emphasizes the wide range of human feelings contained in the sacred iconography, from the most frequently represented,
such as the maternal love of the Virgin (represented by Carra, Matisse, and others), to the
87
w i20
s h 16
book
more unusual, such as subjects taken from the
Old and New Testament, like The Kiss of Judas
by Casorati, Susanna and the Elders by Tappert,
and Saul and David by Dix .
The sense of protection and amazement brought
on by manifestations of the sacred representations and the subsequent moments of prayer are
brilliantly captured by Munch, Nolde, and Denis.
Suffering in Sacred Art and
Etchings of War Section
During times of war, especially in the
years of the two World Wars, many
artists devoted great creative energy
to sacred subjects that served as metaphors for the current state of the
world.
The works of Casorati, Chagall,
Kokoschka, Marino Marini, Messina,
Moore, Rouault, and Sutherland presented in this section are connected
by the common thread of suffering
and injustice.
They each offer a unique reflection on the theme
of the cruficied Christ.
Footprints of Reality Section
Faces of family, still lives, representations of
everyday objects, and corners of landscapes are
the focus of this section. It is almost entirely
comprised of Italian artists who presented an intimate look at everyday things, such as Morandi,
the undisputed master of engraving unique and
perfect everyday visions. Also in this section are
lesser-known artists such as Boccioni and Nunzio Gulino, Primo Conti, and the Slovenian, Zoran Mušič.
88
The City and Architecture Section
This section presents a small precious nucleus
of views of the cities of the Tens and Twenties.
Particularly well represented in this section are
works made by the masters of engraving and
lithograph, Bucci, Nolde, Delaunay, and works
from the Bauhaus artists Klee and Feininger.
There are also exact representations, or fantastic
interpretations, of churches and monuments, and
a series of serigraphs by Mario Radice reproducing his paintings for “Casa Terragni” in the
1930s.
Technique: Tradition and Experiment
Section
This section presents a comparison between the
sheets and wooden matrices of Japanese artists Akusawa and Watanabe - and Italian artist - Bruno da Osimo and Venturino Venturi. It inquires
about the differences and similarties between
works created by different cultures and different
uses of the same technique, woodcut, but with
the same materials, wood and ink.
Form and Color Section
This section presents a comprehensive overview
of Italian and foreign artists, who have researched the full abstraction of the 1900s. These
works represent such diverse techniques as lithography, silkscreen, etching, aquatint, and
collagraph, by artists as widespread as Braque,
Ernst, Miro, Consagra, Fontana, and Melotti.
The results illustrate the wide variety of formal experimentation generated by the dialogue
between figure and abstraction, and the wealth
of the combinations resulting from the distinct
worldview of the artists.
The Resurrection of Fazzini Section
This section is a small tribute to the Pope who
founded the Collection of Contemporary Art,
Paul VI. Pericle Fazzini created the big sculpture
Resurrection for the Aula Nervi, realized under
Pope Paul VI. Several studies for the artwork
are exhibited in this section, in order to give the
opportunity to compare the similar outcomes
achieved through different mediums.
89
w i20
s h 16
book
Oriental Antiquities Department
Oriental Antiquities
Department
P
ope Gregory XVI had the Gregorian Egyptian Museum founded in 1839. It
houses monuments and artifacts of ancient Egypt partly coming from Rome
and from Villa Adriana (Tivoli), where they had been transferred mostly in the Imperial age, and partly from private collections, that is purchased by nineteenth century
collectors. The Popes’ interest in Egypt was connected with the fundamental role
attributed to this country by the Sacred Scripture in the History of Salvation. The
Museum occupies nine rooms divided by a large hemicycle that opens towards the
terrace of the “Niche of the Fir Cone”, in which there are numerous sculptures. The
last two rooms house finds from ancient Mesopotamia and from Syria-Palestine.
90
Dr.Alessia Amenta
Alessia Amenta has been curator of the
Department of Egyptian and Near
Eastern Antiquities of the Vatican
Museums since 2007. She graduated
with a PhD Egyptology from the
University La Sapienza in Rome, where
she also completed postdoctorate work
in Egyptology. She attended courses
for specialists in the field at the
Universities of Heidelberg, Bonn,
Berlin and Oxford. She has
participated in numerous excavations
in Italy and Egypt, most notably those
of Theban Tomb 27 of Sheshonq and
the Morturary Temple of Merenptah in
Luxor. She serves as scientific curator
and promoter of the “International
Conference of Young Egyptoligists”,
launched in 2003 and now in its fifth
cycle (Vienna, 2015). She also serves
as director of international projects
such as the Vatican Coffin Project,
which focuses on the study of
polychrome, wooden sarcophagi, and
the Vatican Mummy Project, which
studies the many human and animal
mummies in the collections of the
Vatican Museums. She is also scientific
curator of the Ancient Egypt Series
published by L’Erma di Bretscneider
and Studies on Ancient Egypt
published by Tau Publishing.
w i20
s h 16
book
Rare Bronze Statuette
ofAnima
Buto
DATE: Late Period
(712 BC-333 BC)
DIMENSIONS: H 27 cm
MATERIALS: Bronze
INVENTORY NO:37393
This piece is encrusted with various organic residues, by-products typical of bronze corrosion.
The bronze is in fragile condition. This piece is
expected to return to being on display in the
Egyptian Museum.
Cleaning and eliminating the corrosive salt by-products
v Washing of the piece in de-mineralized water with special controls on the soluble salts
v Dehydration
v Protective final varnish
v Support completing the tripod in order to show the whole aspect of the pieces
v Chemical analysis to determine technique and material used
v Further study of the history of the sculpture
v
T
he statue represents the “genius” of Buto,
a personification of the ancient kings of
the city of Buto, the modern Tell el-Fara’ in the
Nile Delta. This “genius”, also called “soul (ba)
of Buto” was a powerful spirit who helped the
living king to rule the country and continued to
serve the king in his afterlife once he died.
According to Egyptian mythology, Buto reigned
over Lower Egypt before the country was reunited into a single kingdom at the beginning
of the IV millennium BC. The “genius” Buto
originates with the falcon-headed deity who represents the ancient kings of Lower Egypt. These
kings reigned before the beginning of the dynasties. Buto’s counterpart, Nekhen, was jackel-headed, and represented the predynastic kings
of Upper Egypt and the Nile Valley. Traditional
Egyptian iconography depicts these deities on
their knees. This is the characteristic position
of joy, or Henu, the act of greeting the sunrise.
They are also frequently shown in midst of ritual
celebration.
Bronzes similar to this statue appear infrequently
in museum collections, making this piece quite
rare. This gem of the Vatican Collection was donated to the Vatican in 1951 by Mrs. Edda Grassi, widow of Carlo Grassi the prolific collector of
Pharaonic, Hellenistic, and Roman antiquities.
God
Uadjet
Lion Headed Statuette
of the
T
his statue depicts the lion-headed goddess
Wadjet, venerated in the city of Buto, modern Tell el-Fara’in the Nile Delta. She is the patron
goddess of royalty as well as the lower region of
Egypt. Here, the goddess is seated on a four-sided,
low-backed throne. Her wig falls onto her shoulders
in three parts. Over her head floats the sun disk god,
adorned with its manifestation, the ureaus snake.
The decoration of the goddess’s throne is of particular interest. It presents various scenes of a pharoh,
identified as Apries, an important XXVI Dynasty
ruler.
The cult of the goddess Wadjet was documented
continuously since ancient times, but experienced
increased popularity during the XXVI Dynasty. This
increased popularity lead to a greater production of
similar statues.
This statue, hollow on the inside, served as a sarcophagus for an ichneumon or Egyptian mongoose,
the sacred animal of the local god of the city of Letopolis, modern Ausim, who is usually identified as
Wadjet’s husband.
Mrs. Edda Grassi, widow of the wealthy Italian industrialist Carlo Grassi, donated the statue to the
Gregorian Egyptian Museum in 1951. As resident
of Alexandria, Egypt, Carlo Grassi was a prolific
collector of Pharonic, Hellenistic, and Roman antiquities.
DATE: XXVI Dynasty, Reign of Apries, 589-570 BC
DIMENSIONS: H 42 cm
MATERIALS: Bronze
INVENTORY NO:37381
The surfaces are corroded and several portions
are encrusted with corrosive salt by-products. It
is possible that in the past this piece was poorly
restored using a solvent that was too strong.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Cleaning and elimination of the corrosive salt by-products.
Systematic cleaning of all the surfaces
Dehydration
Stabilization of the residual products of corrosion
Consolidation of the fractures
Protective final varnish
Creation of a support to display the piece
w i20
s h 16
book
Richly Decorated
Sarcophagus from
an Ancient Dynasty
96
T
his coffin is currently divided into six pieces. The lid and bottom are detached from
the two sides, and some smaller fragments exist.
The restoration and study of this coffin began in
2008 by the Department of Egyptian Antiquities
and the Near East in collaboration with the Diagnostic Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration of the Vatican Museums. The restoration
is part of the Vatican Coffin Project, which is set
up for the study of the construction and painting
techniques of the Egyptian polychrome coffins.
In this intervention, restorers will further study
the construction and painting techniques used
in the coffin’s construction. They will identify
the type of wood used, in order to compare the
findings with those of the Vatican Coffin Project.
Where possible, the labs will use morphometric
investigations to reassemble the different elements of the coffin and reconstruct the missing
parts.
The rich decoration of the lid allows us to date
the sarcophagus coffin to the XXVI Dynasty.
This period was a time of great splendor following a long stretch of crisis that marred the
beginning of the first millennium BC. The sumptuousness of the lid offers investigators the opportunity to delve into the history of this period
alongside performing the restoration. Among the
most significant scene of the so-called “Book of
the Dead,” is a funeral ritual frequently seen in
the Valley of the Kings and that guaranteed the
regeneration of the deceased every day alongside the sun god Ra.
DATE: XXVI Dynasty,
664-525 BC
DIMENSIONS: Cover lid h 191.5 cm ; width 0.67 cm; float box: h 193 cm ; width 35 cm (missing the entire right half)
MATERIALS: Wood
INVENTORY NO:D 2067
There is damage both on the wooden and on
the pictorial surfaces. While the colors are
visible they are in poor condition and need
urgent restoration. There is a lot of accumulated dust on the surface.
v
v
v
v
v
Consolidation of the wood
Restoration of the colors
Removal of the dust
New stuccoing and touching-up of the
pictorial surfaces
Affixing of the outer layers, including the painted and inlayed decorations
Photographic documentation w i20
s h 16
book
Missionary Ethnological Department
Missionary Ethnological
Department
T
he Curator of the Missionary-Ethnological Museum is Father Nicola Mapelli.
The Missionary-Ethnological Museum was first established by Pius XI in the
Lateran Palace, and founded on 21 December 1926. Pope John XXIII then transferred it to the Vatican. The museum contains objects associated with non-European
cultures. The objects come from the Missionary Exhibition (1925) the Borgia Museum, and donations made by various missionary congregations, and private donors.
Actually, this Museum displays unique objects from all over the world: Asia, Oceania, Africa, America. For example, on display is a stone sculpture of “Quetzalcòatl”,
the sacred snake of Mexico, (Aztec, 15th Century); the Wampum belt, a unique document of Christianity among the Mic Mac (Canada, 1831); a cover for the Mass
Book of the Chaplain for the second expedition of Christopher Columbus to Cuba
(16th Century); and a manuscript on white silk, “Letter of Alessandro Hoang to the
Bishop of Pechino”, which is the oldest testimony of Christianity in Korea. In addition, the thirteen Japanese kakemonos with thirteen Buddha (17th Century) and a
Thang-ka representing the Buddha were donated by the Dalai Lama to His Holiness
Pope John Paul II. The museum is divided into two sections. The first is designed
for the general public and comprises objects illustrating the various forms of religion
in countries outside Europe. The second includes ethnographical collections, and is
intended for scholars.
98
Fr.Nicola Mapelli
Father Nicola Mapelli is a priest of
the Pontifical Institute for Foreign
Missions (PIME). Since taking charge
of the Ethnological Museum he has
inaugurated a policy of re-connecting
the objects held in the Museum with the
peoples who donated them, and their
descendants. In this context, art and
culture are presented in the
Ethnological Museum as a gateway to
understanding the living culture and
spirituality of diverse people.
w i20
s h 16
book
Four Shields
from the
illustriousCollection
of Fr. Kirschbaum SJ
T
hese four sculpted and painted wooden
shields belong to the illustrious Kirschbaum collection. They are one of the products of Verbese missionary Father F. Kirschbaum’s enduring work in
the Sepik zone. They were initially kept close to
Kirschbaum’s residence at Marienberg, but were
later sent to Rome to enhance the collection of
artifacts from Oceania, conserved at the Lateran
Museum, and afterwards displayed in the Ethnological Museum of the Vatican Museums. According to the reports of Father F. Kirschbaum,
which are conserved in the Historical Archive of
the Museum, these objects were used for decoration in the house of the spirits, the Tambaran.
Kirschbaum describes how these pieces were
used in rituals such as the “singsing” dance, also
called átei. This dance invoked Áto, the god of
war, to hold back the enemies and lessen their
power. The tables are rectangular, fashioned from a single wooden log and sculpted and painted on the
front. On the upper part of each table is sculpted,
in high relief, a face below a disk and the head of
a bird. The rest of the
surface is decorated by designs stylized with
white, red, and black pigments. Currently the
Ethnological Museum is under renovation, but
it is expected that these pieces will return on display in the near future.
The first Tambaran of this group (originally
made of five) was restored last year thanks to the
generosity of the Franciscan University of Steubenville (Ohio) and the Corporate Travel Michigan Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums.
100
DATE: DIMENSIONS:
Before 1932
197 x 26 cm, 200 x 27 cm, 206 x 27 cm, 204 x 42 cm
MATERIALS: Wood sculpted and
painted
INVENTORY NO:100408, 100409, 100424, 100433
COST FOR EACH TAMBARAN
N.1
€ 50.000,00 (APPROX $56,400.00)
N.2
€ 26.500,00 (APPROX $29,900.00)
N.3
€ 50.000,00(APPROX $ 56,500,00)
N.4
€ 27.500,00 (APPROX $ 31,000.00)
The tables are in a bleak state of conservation.
On the wooden supports fissures and fractures
of mild and moderate nature are present. All the
tables have been affected by biological issues, as
is evident by visible tracks, insect holes and, in
the most serious cases, the loss of wood pieces.
The pigment is flaking in numerous areas, and
is detaching entirely in others. There are visible
scratches, abrasions, watermarks, and stains The
entire surface is covered in loose deposits.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Scientific studies
Anoxic disinfestations
Localized micro-vacuuming where possible
Consolidation of the support
Consolidation of the pigment
Re-adhesion of the flaking layer of paint
Cleaning
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Pre ColumbianChiseled
TerracottaStatuette
T
he Anthropomorphic figure is a hollow, cast terracotta model fixed upon a metal support. The
figure depicts a person missing the lower appendages, with its arms bent across the chest. The
figure’s face takes the form of a shield, with
the eyes and mouth formed by double horizontal bars in relief, a long nose, and protruding ears.
The figure wears an elaborate headdress
carved with decorative diamonds, circles, and points that spread across the
neck and most of the back. The figure’s
breast is adorned with an ornament
made by circular carvings at the neck
and with a great “bow” on the chest.
The figure is formed out of a soft, gray,
porous terracotta. The slip is light brown
with traces of red paint. The figure is
rough and unrefined because it was poorly sanded and not polished.
The name Muisca (in the Chibcha language, “muexa”) means “the people” and
“the human beings”. This self-given
title designated the ethnic group who
lived in the Plateau of Cordigliera,
east of the Colombian Andes. The individual depicted by this figure was
likely a person of rank, perhaps a
chieftan, if the richness of his vestments
and his hieratic expression are any indication. He is shown in the act of prayer
directed towards the solar divinity, a predominant cult-belief among the chibcha-speaking populations. Currently the Ethnological Museum is under renovation, but it is
expected that this piece will return on display in
the near future.
102
DATE: Pre-Columbian period,
650 - 1600
MATERIALS: Cast terracotta with
modeling done by hand, colored pigments
INVENTORY NO:101353
This figure is in fair condition. In the past, the
sculpture underwent several restorations and was
broken into six parts. The fragments were glued
together and, in the hollow interior part, plastered
together with gypsum material. In the head cavity, a gypsum cast blocks a stake of steel that had
been used to anchor the sculpture to a cement
base - an old display method used in the ethnological museum in the past. The ceramic surface is
marred by surface deposits, chipping, hollows,
abrasions, decay, loss of color and traces of degraded glue and gypsum along the juncture lines
of the fragments. A fragment on the back of the
sculpture was positioned in an incorrect manner.
Scientific studies
Elimination of gypsum inside the sculpture
v Removal of the steel stake
v Cleaning of the surfaces and the inside walls
v Disassembly of misplaced fragments
and new reassembly
v Consolidation of fractures and lesions in
the ceramic
v Integrations with gypsum and pictorial
reintegration
v Photographic and graphic representation
v
v
7
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Five XV Century Painted
Scrolls by Zhao Yong
T
his project is composed of five vertical paintings on silk, depicting a Chinese
scholar and his attendant, perched on a seat of bamboo with an open book on
his knees. Nearby, two young boys prepare tea. The figures are featured in a landscape of high bamboo trees and jagged rocks. The painter, Zhao Yong (ca.1289-1362),
native of Huzhou in Zhejiang province and second-born son of the celebrated painter Zhao Mengfu (1254-1322), was a magistrate. The emperor bestowed upon him
104
the title of Editor and Organizer of the Imperial
Collections. Following his father’s example, he
dedicated himself to calligraphy and painting, focusing especially on the depiction of human figures, landscapes, horses, and bamboo. Among his
most noteworthy works are Hunter on Horseback
(Taipei, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo) and Hunter
on Horseback in Spring (Beijing, Museo Nazionale di Palazzo). Another piece, Horses and Horse Groomers, belongs to the John M. Crawford
collection of the Metropolitan Museum. This
scroll features three paintings, each representing
a horse with a horse groomer. The three paintings were created respectively by his father (1296),
by Zhao Yong himself, and by his son Zhao Lin.
ARTIST: DATE: DIMENSIONS: MATERIALS: Zhao Yong
13th-14th century
250 x 90 x 4.5 cm
Silk, paper, ink, pigments, wood
INVENTORY NO: 110108, 110109, 110110, 110111, 110112
The painted scrolls are in a decent state of
conservation. The works are all affected by dirt
build-ups on the front and the back. The damage
on the back, which is most evident along the upper
part and in the lateral margins, was caused by
insects. Rust stains are also present. The silken
support of all the paintings has a brown tint due
to exposure to light mixed with a high degree of
fiber oxidation. The scrolls were kept rolled-up on
a circular stick for many years; such folding for a
long period as well as a stiffening of the glue used
for the lining has contributed to the damages to
the paper such as the formation of deep horizontal
creases. The paper and silk are detached in a number
of places and there are a number of abrasions and
discolorations to the silk.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
In this painting, the use of color, especially green and blue, leads back to the “blue, green, and
gold” style of Li Sixun and Li Zhaotao, painters
of the Tang age (618-907), who were famous for
their detailed style. Currently the Ethnological
Museum is under renovation, but it is expected
that these pieces will return on display in the near
future.
v
v
v
v
Photographic and graphic documentation
Scientific analyses
Anoxic disinfestations
Superficial dusting
Dry cleaning
Consolidation of the pigment
Cleaning with humidity of the back
Consolidation of the silk fibers
Suture of the tears
Reinforcement of the abraded parts
Chromatic integration of the inserts
w i20
s h 16
book
Masterpiece representing
Amida
Nyorai
T
his amazing and remarkable statue in gilt lacquer of
Amida is a masterpiece of the Ethnological Museum.
The iconography and the style of the statue was first produced in the late twelfth century.
Amida Nyorai presides over the Great Western Paradise.
When a devotee dies, it is believed that Amida descends
from his paradise to lead the faithful back to Pure Land.
The hand gesture of Amida indicates that he descends from
heaven to lead followers back to paradise.
This sculpture is made of wood that was incised, lacquered,
gold plated, and painted. It depicts Amida in a standing position on top of a lotus flower. His hair
and the lotus flower are richly decorated with incisions and painted in
blue and green, respectively. The
gold plating of the mantle and the
base was completed using many
layers of gold leaf on top of a
black lacquer surface. The hair of
the figure and it’s front are decorated with pieces of glass. The sculpture is positioned on a gold plated
lacquer base and secured
with a wooden peg that
fits into a small hole in
the base.
106
DATE: End of 12th Century, Hein Period (794-1185), Gift for
the expositions of 1925 of International Missions of Paris
MATERIALS: Gold plated and lacquered wood, glass, painted
majolica worked in relief
INVENTORY NO:119860
The surface is dirty because of several layers of
grime. These deposits are particularly visible
in the underneath areas of the object. Some
staining is visible on its back. Abrasions and
scratches are present on the surface. The smaller section of the base, incised, lacquered, and
gold plated, shows micro infestations and is
missing elements. The upper part of the sculpture, also incised but painted in green, is in a
particularly fragile state.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Anoxic disinfestation
Photographic and graphic documentation
Scientific analysis
Cleaning
Pre-consolidation
Adhering fragments
Replacement of hands and feet
Modeling and reintegration
w i20
s h 16
book
Coffer
Lacquer
from the collection
of the Marchese Henri de Laurens
108
DATE: 16th – 18th century, end of the Ming Dynasty
beginning of the Qing
Dynasty
DIMENSIONS: 4.4 cm x 10.2 cm
MATERIALS: Wood, gauze, black
lacquer, red incised lacquer
INVENTORY NO:125688
T
his is a very fine work which belonged in
the collection of the Captain of Fregata
Marchese Henri de Laurens and entered the Vatican collections as a gift of the widow countess
Ruffin di Tours on November 30th, 1928.
This coffer is a testimony to the technical virtuosity of a long, laborious, and detail oriented
process which overlaps many layers of red lacquer. The thickness of the red lacquer allows for
incisions to be made at each different level of
depth on the object. This creates a richer display
of iconography.
This kind of box, used by people of high rank,
was part of a larger set, or occasionaly used as a
precious gift. The decorative motifs used on this
box often symbolized good fortune.
The box is decorated with red incised lacquer.
The technique used consisted of numerous layers of lacquer that together created a thickness
such that the lacquer could be incised. On the
mirror on the lid of the box, outlined by a Greek
styled frame, there is a scene in which a Taoist environment is depicted in a relief technique.
The scene is surrounded by an argyle flower and
swastika pattern. The figures, depicted in a landscape dominated by a large curved tree, include
an older man with a fan, thought to be one of
the Eight Taoist Immortals. He stands with two
young assistants, one of whom carries on his
shoulders a “mushroom of immortality” called
lingzhi. On the external side of the box and the
cover is the argyle flower design.
This object is covered in deposits of grime that
are unidentifiable. These deposits are particularly heavy in the undercut areas of the decoration,
obscuring some of the incised decorative motifs.
One can also see some stains and other black dirt
deposits on the edges of the box.
Both the red lacquer and the black lacquer are
affected by cracks and a dense network of chips
visible under a microscope. There are also other shortcomings affecting both of the layers of
lacquer all the way through until the wooden
support. On the edges, the gaps make up about
90% of the surface. The base of the box contains
more cracks, abrasions, scratches, and holes.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Disinfection
Scientific analysis
Cleaning
Consolidation
Readhesions of the broken parts
Reintegration of the gaps
w i20
s h 16
book
Rare
Crown of
the Dance
DATE: Date: 17th – 18th century
DIMENSIONS: Various
MATERIALS: Wood, paper, leather, gold plated lacquer, red lacquer, mirrors, metal
INVENTORY NO:AS 8931 A, AS 8931 B
T
his kind of crown was worn by women
during a traditional dance festival in
Thailand. The decorative elements found on this
artifact, such as flaming wings and flowers, create the legendary figure Kinnara, a protective and
benevolent figure who is half human and half
bird. People would come into various temples
where they would find this object, and place offerings for divinity inside it. Antique examples
of this kind of delicate manufacturing of lacquer
are extremely rare. The preciousness of the design of this object signifies its use by people of
high rank.
The crown is made from wood, dressed with paper, and/or leather, black lacquer, and decorative
geometric motifs using mirrors and a relief technique.
The inside of the base of the crown is built with
a circular wooden structure. Small sticks have
been applied to this structure and they in turn
support the soft metal pieces which act as decorative elements. All of the decorative elements
of this object are highly refined and many of the
decorations protrude from the base supported by
metal elements. The offertory part of the object
has similar characteristics to the crown. The top
part of the object is done in red lacquer.
The object is in very poor condition with many
damaged areas. One can see fractures, gaps, detachments, and chips in the lacquer work. Many
of the decorative elements also show fractures
and gaps. There is a red substance visible in
these gaps. It is most likely that this substance
was the glue used to attach the decorative elements to the crown. Many of the small mirrors
are also missing. Many of the protruding objects found on the base and the upper part of the
crown are deformed, missing or partially broken.
There are also mechanical issues with some of
these protruding parts.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Disinfection
Scientific analysis
Consolidation
Cleaning
Readhesions of the broken parts
Reintegration of the gaps
w i20
s h 16
book
Three Taoist
Paintings from the
Ming Dinasty
112
T
hese works are an excellent example of
the “human figure” paintings of late Ming
and Qing Dynasty and they represent the ability of the artists, a particularly high skill level in
their use of color.
Although the artists of these works are unknown,
the paintings are surely those of great masters of
high level.
The paintings represent: “Heavenly Congregation”, Chinese heavenly gods among the clouds.
The iconography of the image refers to the figures of Lei Gong “Lord of Thunder”, the Seven
Stars “Ursa Major” in the human form, and other
Celestial deities.
“Islands of the Immortals”, the Baxian, where
the eight immortals are in front of the Shouxing
God of Longevity. These are historical figures,
divine and legendary, especially venerated in the
Taoism religion.
These mythical figures live in a group of islands
in heaven and represent the spirit of immortality.
According to the legend, Shouxing bears the
actual herbs of immortality.
Finally, “Yudi Emperor”, depicts the Jade Emperor seated on the dragon throne flanked on his
right by Zhongkui, the Evils Catcher, and on his
left Guan Gong, the God of War.
DATE: 17th Century, late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and 19th Century Qing Dynasty
DIMENSIONS: 142 x 79 cm; 155.5 x 82 cm;
165 x 95 cm
MATERIALS: Tempera on paper attached to canvas, gold
INVENTORY NO:130706; 130705 ; 130704
These paintings were completed on paper, and
are in a mediocre state of conservation. The paper is reinforced by a backing of canvas. They
are mounted on a wooden support structure and
provided with black frames, possibly from a past
restoration. These works are affected by deposits of dirt on the front and back as well as on the
areas where the paper and canvas adhere to each
other. The most severe damages can be found on
the front of the work; other than a general browning of color, there are tears on the paper. There
are also visible stains on the surface and numerous interventions of past restorations, which attempted to fill the gaps that were present. There
are biological infestations.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Scientific investigations
Measuring the level of pH
Surface cleaning to get rid of dust
Solubility tests of the pigments and inks
Dismantling the frame and other supports
Eventual detachment of the paper from the canvas if it is necessary
Wet cleaning of the back
Dry cleaning
Reattaching parts of the paper
Consolidating the paper fibers
Sewing the tears
Filling in the gapped spaces on the paper
Integrating colors
Installing supports
w i20
s h 16
book
Antique
bronze
of Songzi
Guanyin
T
his antique and precious statue was completed in bronze, lacquer and gold and
depicts the Bodhisattva of Infinite Compassion,
Guanyin.
This sculpture was donated by the Franciscans
of the city of the Taiyuan province Shanxi, for
the occasion of the Exposition of 1925. Songzi
Guanyin, represented as “Giver of Children” is
seated in Lalitasana or Rajalisana, in the position “Posture of Kings” with his left foot on a
lotus bud that is coming out of the water. Seated on his right leg is a child seated in a frontal position. The Bodhisattva is dressed in a
crown, where, in the center is the depiction of a
figure Buddha Amithaba, of which Guanyin is
an enactment.
The base of this sculpture references a rock that
is emerging out of water from which grows the
lotus flower.
This is a clear reference to the Potala island,
one of the residences of divinity. The figure
is part of a home altar. One can see where the
sculpture was constantly rubbed by devotees.
In fact, the shiny left knee lacks its original
lacquer because of this. Guanyin is the Chinese denomination of one of the most important figures alongside the Mahayana Buddhism
(of the Great Vehicle) Bodhisattva of Infinite
Compassion Avalokitesvara (Sanscript).
In China this god is venerated like the Bodhisattva of Grace, of Compassion, and of Fertility. It
is mainly women who are expecting or hoping
for children that look to this god because this
god helps with conception, successful pregnancies, and the protection of sick or underserved
children.
The healing powers of this god are also understood to protect sailors from shipwrecks, farmers from insect invasions, and travelers from
the attacks of bandits. Popular belief has it that
Guanyin has the power to prevent natural disasters such as typhoons, floods, and droughts.
Guanyins blessing is also deemed effective to
secure luck in business, prosperity, health and
happiness.
The religious origin of Guanyin in found in
Buddhism where he is venerated in the masculine form of Avalokitesvara “the Lord looking
in every direction”.
DATE: 15-16th century during the Ming Dynasty
DIMENSIONS: 24,5 x 14 x 11,5 cm
MATERIALS: Lacquered and golden
bronze
INVENTORY NO:127837
TOTAL COST € 18.000,00
(APPROX $ 20,300.00)
This work is in extreme need. There is much deterioration of the lacquer and of the bronze. The
red lacquer is incomplete and in some zones,
because of microcrettature, seems to be opaque.
The gold coatings are worn and faded. The metal
has suffered from oxidation and is totally worn
on the left knee. There are deposits across the
surface of the sculpture, more concentrated in
some areas than others.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Photographic documentation of all phases of the restoration
Graphic documentation
Scientific investigations
Preconsolidation and Consolidation of the coatings of deteriorated metal
Superficial cleaning of the lacquer and gold
Cleaning of the metal
Surface level protection of the metal
w i20
s h 16
book
116
Sacred
Buddhist Scroll
T
he thang-ka is a large portable canvas and
depicts the sacred in Tibet Buddhism. It
was stored in the monestaries, rolled, and was
only brought out for particular ceremonies. The
work that needs restoration is part of a large and
important series of tibetan thang-ka in the ethnological museum of the Vatican Museums.
The painting was created with tempera on canvas. One very thin preparatory layer was inserted into a mount with blue silk and patterned
dragon medallions. The central figure represents
Tara Verde encircled by 1000 Buddha. Tara is a
symbol of wisdom and incarnation of mercy and
exists in many kinds of manifestations. Tara is a
diety that is extremely venerated in the environment of the pantheon buddhusta as the one who
puts an end to suffering. Tara Verde, Utpala, is
usually represented with a rosary or a book while
guiding the faithful across the ocean of existence. Three silk veils, affixed on the length side of
the upper edge of the blue satin, were used when
it was necessary to cover the painted window.
The work of art is lined with a red-brown cotton
cloth, decorated with various sized pieces sewn
on. There are two long supports on the top and
bottom of the object used to suspend it.
ARTIST: DATE: DIMENSIONS: MATERIALS: Unknown
18-19th century
128 x 79 x 2.5 cm
Painted canvas,
embroidered silk, wood
INVENTORY NO:110022
This objects conservation status is mediocre. The
thang-ka displays deformations on the fabric and
on the painted window because of the pulling tension caused by the sewing. On the painting one
can find many abrasions, scratches, color chips,
and generally incoherent zones. The blue silk is
affected by small gaps, broken fibers, and old restorations that caused tensions, and in some case,
very grave consequential damages. The upper areas of the frames covered in gold or bronze silk
have many cuts. The three veils used to cover the
object at the appropriate times are severely compromised. The sewing that allowed for the assembly of the various pieces of fabric and the painting
in general are partially incomplete. Across the
entire surface there are problem areas.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Disinfection
Scientific analysis
Cleaning through micro vacuuming technique
Removing of fabrics from the painting
Local cleaning of incoherent deposits on the painting on the upper board of the blue satin
Consolidation of pigments
Consolidation of three silk veils
Leveling of deformations of the painted
window
Consolidation of needlework on the satin framework
Reattachment of broken off pieces
w i20
s h 16
book
118
Mandarin
Imperial Vestment
DATE: T
hese mannequins were added to the
Ethnological Museum in the 60’s
after being a part of the Universal Missionary
Exposition, which occurred in the Vatican in 1925,
and were then placed directly after in the Lateran
Museum. The necklace was sent to the Vatican
by the Missions of the clergy of the Portuguese
Macao, clothes were donated by the Missions
of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary During
these various movements of the mannequins,
some elements of the dress were torn. It will be
important to intervene with a complete restoration
project, useful for the safekeeping of such a
unique and rich collection of ethnological objects.
This mannequin is part of a very rich collection
that displays various traditional costumes from
the territory “China”. The costume is composed
of many elements. The dress Longpao, is of an
imperial status and thus made of blue silk, embroidered with polychrome silk yarn, and laminated golden paper. The decoration, completed
with silk threads and oblique lines, the waves
of the Cosmi, Mount Kunlun entirely patterned
on the bottom of auspicious clouds, Buddhist
symbols, bats, dragons, five clawed figures associated with the flaming pearls, long sleeves, a
hand guard “a horseshoe” Matixiu, are in black
silk. His winter headgear is made of black and
red silk, and is topped with a transparent crystal prism (this is a symbol of having a 5th grade
rank). The entire headdress is embedded in a
metal support. There are many symbolic meanings in this headdress which allude to the rank
of the person wearing the dress; these symbols
include grains in glass, jade and coral fossil. The
dress was worn with black velvet high heeled
boots and often times paired with a white linen
or gray cotton shirt.
End of the 18th century,
beginning of the 19th
century
MATERIALS: Blue silk dress,
embroidered with silk threads and gold paper, necklace made from man
darin chaozhu glass, jade, coral, and fossil; headgear in silk black and red, metal, glass; boots in velvet and white linen.
INVENTORY NO: 364; 4490; 4491; 4496
TOTAL COST € 29.000,00 $ 32,700.00
The dress is affected by oxidation, torn fibers,
tears and rips in the fabric, and detached areas
between the paper and the gilding. One can see
the oxidation of the metal and deposits on the
crystal of the headgear. The necklace is broken,
there are grains within the glass, and the jade and
coral appear dull.
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
v
Disinfection
Scientific analysis
Cleaning of the dress using a vacuum cleaner fitted with a mico-nozzle
Chemical cleaning of inorganic elements (glass, jade, coral, metal, crystal)
Consolidation of needlework
Readhesion of the detached gilding
Analysis to deepen the correct historical attribution for the understanding of various types of fabric, materials and embroidery
w i 20
s h b16
ook
Special Projects
Special Projects
T
he Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums is dedicated to restoring and
conserving timeless creations. While we restore many paintings, sculptures,
and frescoes, we also restore many other fascinating things in the Vatican Museums.
Anything that isn’t an actual piece of art falls under the category of Special Projects.
This category gives the Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums community a
chance to be a pioneer in truly unique projects such as educational technologies
and new lighting systems in the galleries. We have had great success with Special
Projects in the past and we are excited by the growth of this incredible category. By
being able to expand our reach to different areas of the Vatican, we can expand The
Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums community.
120
121
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
View of the Pius
Christian Museums
light
Bringing
the
to
AncientWorld
NEW LIGHTING FOR THE PIUS CHRISTIAN
AND GREGORIAN PROFANE MUSEUMS
TOTAL COST: € 581.900,00 (APPROX $ 658,225.00)
T
he Gregorian Profane and Pius Christian Museums are galleries to discover, explore, and learn about the creativity and history of the ancients. These museums contain collections of the
antiquities formerly housed in the Lateran Museum and Palace until 1963 and exhibit objects from
excavations conducted both in and outside of the Papal State including: sculptures, mosaics, architectural fragments, inscriptions, historical portraits, reliefs, urns, funerary monuments, sarcophagi,
and cult statues. These artifacts, enjoyed by thousands of visitors every week, are displayed in two
defined spaces realized by architect Tullio Passarelli.
122
In this year’s Wishbook, we present you with an
important request for new illumination in these
galleries to shed new light on some of the world’s most ancient treasures. Light is arguably
the single greatest cause of deterioration in art
collections. Several causes contribute to its damaging effects: the materials of which objects
are made, the type and intensity of light they are
exposed to, and the duration of the exposure.
Such corruption is cumulative over the life of
an object and often irreversible. Similarly, natural light is harmful to art collections as well. It
has a high light output and contains very high
concentrations of ultraviolet rays which damage
artifacts.
Harnessing the benefits of current science and technology, we are slowly modernizing the Vatican
Museums for the primary purpose of better protecting our collection and the secondary, practical
benefit of ensuring that our visitors are afforded
a properly lit viewing of our collection. Contemporary museum illumination design incorporates
these two main goals in its purpose: it provides
the best protection and preservation of the art
objects and works to enhance the museum visitor’s viewing experience.
Light plays a significant role in the interaction
between the observer and the museum artifacts. It
is essential for the synergy, as it creates a unique
atmosphere for an evocative museum experience.
Lighting design must encompass the dynamics
Above and left: views
of the Pius Christian
Museum. Bottom left
view of the Gregorian
Profane Museum
123
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
of daylight and use light properly to facilitate an interactive and
comfortable museum experience
for the visitor. While daylight adds
to the overall ambiance of the space, this light can cause glares and
shadows making it difficult for the
viewer to read the work. A new
illumination scheme would not
only prevent damaging effects,
but also would allow visitors to
view the pieces as intended.
Due to the electrical systems in the
Vatican Museums, we propose the
lighting of these two galleries together as the modernization must
be performed simultaneously.
The proposed project takes into
consideration the following
aspects:
v Minimum adjustment to the current electrical system
v Minimum interference on structures
v Removable and mountable
apparatuses
v Easy and inexpensive
installation of the technical
scenes, without moving the exposed elements.
v “Sustainability” of the
intervention through the use/
using of LED lighting
(Elcom technology), low
energy consumption,
recyclability of technical
scenes’ materials, excellent
quality/price ratio
v Minimal and easy
maintenance of technical scenes and LED illuminators
v Security of the equipment
used in relation to the space opened to the public
125
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
Primary School Educational
Didactic
Program
Software Development for Eudcational
ACTIVITIES €
7.000,00
60 TABLET
€
18.000,00
Celestron HDM Pro-Digital
Microscope,with 5 megapixel
sensor, magnification
from 20x a 200x, with 1.2 m
USB The Construction of a Tablet
ChargingStation
€
€
150,00
L.I.M. Lavagna Interattiva
Multimediale, schermo LED
da 70’, pannello Touch
Screen, computer integrato,
software di gestione
€
8.000,00
4.000,00
TOTAL COST €
B
37.150,00
(APPROX $ 41,940.00)
eginning in 2008, the Vatican Museums vastly expanded their educational services as part
of a complex project aimed at modernizing the museums. As part of this project, the Office
for Educational Activities developed a series of initiatives aimed at improving the access of different
user groups to the immeasurable array of global artistic, historical, spiritual, and anthropological
knowledge under the protection of the Holy See. The educational projects are designed to be informative about both the art and the conservation techniques employed by the museums. The program
was specifically designed to enhance the relationships between the museum and civic institutions
that take as their mission the education of the citizenry.
The extraordinary richness and variety of the papal collections crosses human history without being
limited by space, time, or culture. This allows for the development of projects beneficial to students
of all levels of education. Alongside the more traditional educational methods is a lively visit that
transforms the student from a passive listener into a direct participant. The students are called to
compare and contrast works of art using tools developed during the visit and actively interact with
the instructor’s teaching. We are hoping to update the graphic material currently being used during
these visits to be more in line with current technology, utilizing tablets and related apps. This technological expansion would allow “digital natives,” children who have been raised with technology,
126
to explore in a medium with which they are more
familiar. This familiarity would hopefully allow
these “natives” to absorb more detailed information about the works under study.
Since 2010, the formal learning of a guided tour
has been enriched significantly by combining
games and activities that delve into issues relating to the museum into the educational setting.
Far from being a toy factory, the laboratory seeks to reflect the scientific specificity and high
standards held by the Vatican Museums. The
educational projects undertaken, therefore, seek
to strike a balance between work and play, main-
taining a level of fun while preparing the student
for the incredibly specific museum industry. The
program will be developed in close collaboration
with the heads of the Scientific Departments and
representatives of the “historical” Restoration
Laboratories. During our workshop, the students
will delve into the meaning of different artistic
techniques, such as fresco, tempera, oil painting,
mosaics, and weaving and the significance of the
materials used, such as organic and inorganic
pigments and binders. At the completion of the
course, the students will be able to implement
their knowledge of materials and techniques
Children visiting the
Museums with the
didactive activities
127
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
through specific scientific workshops and analyses, using tools such as the digital microscope.
The spread of new multimedia teaching aids in
Italian schools, referred to as ICT (Information
and Communication Technology), is changing
the learning landscape of schools. The traditional style that relies heavily on written texts has
been replaced by a new cognitive process characterized by the multisensory acquisition of
knowledge by young people.
This is a main reason why the Educational Services of the Vatican Museums wishes to upgrade the educational tools currently at use in their
school. They aim to provide the laboratory with
a digital whiteboard, capable of revolutionizing
the visualization, interaction, and communication between participants in different activities.
Among the many applications provided by this
technology is the visualization of specifically developed educational presentations, the ability to
connect the board to other consumer electronics
such as digital microscopes, and the addition of
photographs and videos to group activities.
128
Dr. Maria Serlupi Crescenzi attended “La Sapienza” University in Rome where she graduated with honors, after defending her final thesis
on the topic of graffiti and decorated facades in
Rome in the 15th and 16th centuries. She also
earned a Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Florence. She has worked as the Head
of the Office of Didactic Activities and Special
Visits of the Vatican Museums since 1989. She
is responsible for welcoming and guiding important visitors to the Vatican Museums, such as
Heads of State and diplomatic delegations.
She also oversees projects intended to open up
the museums to schools, universities, and cultural associations and coordinates and promotes
visits to the museums.
129
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
Year long
Patrons’ Office Fellowship
A
s the Patrons of the Arts continues to grow and
expand, the number of projects, events, and visits
from our beloved Patrons do too. In order to keep up with
this increased activity, our Vatican office has created a new
role—the Eleven Month Patrons’ Fellowship.
Since its launch in 2010, this special position has become a
crucial part of our Vatican office operations. The longevity
and commitment of this position, as opposed to the short,
sporadic terms of our volunteer intern program, affords the
office an essential level of continuity and the fellow, him/
herself, a more comprehensive work experience.
During the course of the year, the one-year intern functions
mainly as the visits coordinator, handling all aspects of arranging the daily tours and visits of Patrons from all over
the world. This alone allows them to exercise and develop
their Italian language proficiency, learn more about the
Museums’ structure and operations, hone their writing and
communications skills, and experience the public relations aspect of working in a non-profit organization. The year-long intern greatly helps our office in handling its duties, functioning as a reliable
member of the team, adopting long term responsibilities and projects. The position enables the Patrons of the Arts to expand, continue, and improve upon our special development projects, from our
e-newsletter, social networking platforms, and website to our online fundraising through CrowdRise
and content management systems.
Additionally, the office fellow will have the opportunity to develop a familiarity with the office
and have a stronger relationship with our patrons through a variety of events, tours, and daily interactions. They will be able to develop a level of Italian language skills at which they can communicate reliably with the Museum Staff and Vatican City community.
This sponsored intern would be able to join the Patrons Office team earning valuable experience with
the Vatican Museums, the mission of the Catholic Church, and a non-profit organization. Overall,
they gain many valuable experiences throughout the term, from writing and compiling our biannual
newsletter to even translating and editing restoration reports. In turn, this intern is expected to serve as the sponsoring chapter’s personal liaison in Rome, available for everything from restaurant
recommendations to exclusive guided tours in order to enrich their visit experience. Throughout
the year, the Patrons are guaranteed added support from an experienced extra hand, one who will
be familiar with the workings of Vatican City, the Museums, and the office itself. This sponsorship
ensures that the high standards of service to our Patrons are met by the Patrons Vatican office, all
the while creating the opportunity of a lifetime for a deserving candidate to experience the legacy
of the Vatican Museums Collection firsthand while working for an amazing cause, furthering the
mission of the Patrons of the Arts. After calculating the basic living expenses for an intern over an
eleven month period in the city of Rome, we propose the following price for a chapter to sponsor this
invaluable position. As it has been in the past, the internship would be named after the sponsoring
chapter.
130
Social Media Internship
TOTAL COST: € 25.000,00 (APPROX $28,300.00)
A
s the Patrons of the Arts continues to grow, so does our online presence. The Internet is
an important tool that we need to embrace in order to broaden our audience and recruit
members to join our family. To keep up with our fast growing online community, we are introducing
an 11-month communications internship. This position is crucial for maintaining a high level of
quantity and quality for our ever-changing world of communications within the Patrons of the Arts
community. In the recent past, we have been blessed to have talented individuals create and increase
our online presence. In order to preserve that work and grow to new heights, we must expand our
communications department by offering an internship to someone who is well versed in online communications management. During this internship, he/she would monitor all social media accounts,
including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In order to be a leader in the social
media world, forecasting new and unique social media outlets is crucial.
The intern would be responsible for scouting and implementing the Patrons presence on up and coming sights and growing the existing Patrons of the Arts community with high quality communication skills. In addition to monitoring social media, he/she would write blog posts to be featured on the
Patrons of the Arts website, create the monthly e-Newsletter, edit and publish the biannual newsletter,
and produce short videos to give a behind the scenes look at the museums and restoration projects.
The longevity and commitment of this position as opposed to the brief duration of our volunteer internship program, affords an essential level of continuity and offers the intern a comprehensive work
and learning experience.Working in the Patrons of the Arts Rome headquarters, the intern would
have access to exclusive content within the museums. As a liaison between the Vatican headquarters
and the world at large, this internship offers an unparalleled journey through the World Wide Web.
The ideal candidate for this position is a motivated individual who has experience in online communications and a passion for art and history. Although the content is mainly driven in English, experience with written Italian would
be a bonus.
This is an incredibly unique experience for a young professional
who wants to spread a spiritual
message and good works of the
Patrons of the Arts. In the past
year, the Patron of the Arts Facebook community has grown by
600%. We are projected to grossly exceed that number in the next
year and many years to come. By
adding a talented individual to
our Patrons of the Arts family, we
will be able to spread the Word of
God through art and our mission.
To learn more about this position,
be sure to like “The Patrons of the
Arts in the Vatican Museums” on
Facebook and follow us on Twitter
and Instagram. 131
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
new crane for marble
RestorationLab
The Marble Restoration
Laboratory Team.
From left: Giampiero
Salvatorelli, Stefano
Spada, Micaela
Gottardo, Anna Lea
Mattozzi, Valentina
Felici, Andrea Felice,
Patrizia Rossi, Massimo
Bernacchi, Maestro Guy
Devreux.
T
he Marble Restoration Lab plays a crucial role in ensuring the preservation of nearly 20,000
works in stone present in the Vatican Museums. This is accompanied by the task of overseeing the restoration of the valuable stone surfaces of the whole Vatican territory, inside and outside
the city walls.
In the lab, there are nine specialists who carry out all of these tasks related directly to the normal
maintenance of the works in the Museums, movements of works of art between galleries and labs,
quick interventions, monitoring of the works exhibited in the gallery, preparation of operations designed for placing works of art on loan for exhibitions, and external assistance in all actions that
could pose a risk to the works themselves.
In the laboratory, staff is assigned to all of the restoration works in stone regardless of their historical
period, or if they are small or monumental works. The restorations are likely sculptures inside the
Museums, in tunnels or corridors or external spaces (courtyards, gardens, etc.), works from archaeological sites’ restored in the labs or directly at the excavation, monumental, decorative pieces, and
architectural elements (colonnade of St. Peter’s Square, marble wall, paving, fountains, etc). The
team uses a wide variety of tools to accomplish their goals, and most presently we are in great need
of a construction strength crane. This crane will give us the flexibility to move, rotate, and transport
a larger range of works for study and exhibition regardless of their weight or shape.
132
In the Marble Lab, copies of the materials in
various sculptural collections of the Vatican Museums are made, both for internal use such and
for the replacement of works exhibited outdoors.
These replacement pieces can be created either
for the demand of other institutions such as National and International Museums, scientific or
educational use, or for exhibition.
The work done in the lab is conducted in close
collaboration with the areas of expertise that can
accommodate the individual works of art, led by
art historians and archaeologists, in close contact with Scientific Research Laboratory (GRS)
and using the whole logistical support of the Vat-
ican Museums. In some cases, the Marble Lab
collaborates with external companies specializing in stone restoration. It strives to follow the
work, providing these companies with the protocols and basic guidelines to be utilized during
the various operational phases. These protocols
have been prepared in the laboratory on the basis
of joint experience, acquired over time. They are
constantly being refined with the help of numerous studies that are undertaken whenever a new
restoration is completed.
This operating procedure allows for interdisciplinary philological guidelines, methodological
and scientific conservation applied to all of the
works in stone preserved in the Vatican City
State, maintaining a common defined identity,
receptive to input mirroring original master techniques.
TOTAL COST € 80.000,00
(APPROX $ 90,300.00)
133
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
New Entrance and Exhibition
Hall
ofthe Carriage
Museum
TOTAL COST € 1.300.000,00 (APPROX $ 1.467.000,00)
L
ast year the Pavilion of the Carriages underwent a dramatic transformation thanks to the direction of its new curator. This exhibition, which was inaugurated on April 19, 1973 by Paul
VI, has grown over the years and now holds an enlarged, beautified, and enriched collection. It now
features a lighting system with the latest LED technology and an enhanced exhibition that utilizes
revised educational methods.
This renovation was performed in order to properly conserve the pieces that make up the extraordinary collection of Catholic heritage housed within the pavilion. The project was also inspired by
the desire to share these pieces with the world, reaching the heart of every visitor, expert and novice
alike, without elitist digressions or useless technicalities. In the past, the magnificent Berlina di
Gran Gala, constructed in Rome in 1826 by Leone XII, stood as the focal point of the Pavilion of
the Carriages alongside the new ceremonial carriages that belonged to the Popes, or the Princes, of
the Holy Roman Church. Later, some large paintings were added to the collection; these depict the
papacy’s mobility throughout history as the Church’s seat of power moved to a number of different
locations. A series of splendid marble and bronze busts depicting the pontiffs from Pius VI through
Saint John Paul II were also installed, corresponding with the vehicles on display. The Pavilion of
the Carriages collection also contains sedan chairs and the splendid court vestments of lay dignitaries
who accompanied the Popes during their voyages. Until recently, only the Graham Paige 837 from
1929, the Citroën Lictoria C6 from 1930, the Mercedes 460 Nürburg limousine designed by Ferdinand Porsche, one Mercedes 300 Sel, and three Popemobiles (Land Rover, Toyota and Mercedes 230
GE) belonged to the popemobile section. In the last two years, the Fiat Campagnola linked to the
1981 assassination attempt of Pope John Paul II in the Piazza San Pietro, the last Maggiolino pro-
134
duced by Volkswagen in Mexico in 2003, and a
Renault 4 given to Papa Francesco in 2012 were
added to the small automobile fleet of the Vatican Museums.
In order to enhance the entrance to the Pavilion
of the Carriages, the construction of a covering
structure and a wide elevator has been proposed.
The entrance to the Pavilion of the Carriages
is situated entirely outdoors and, thus, exposed
to the elements. The only way to access it is by
descending four flights of stairs, which poses
extreme difficulty to handicapped persons. We
hope to remedy this problem by installing an elevator that would allow people to enter the exhibit
without having to take the stairs. The proposed
solution will require that the exhibition space be
doubled in order to accommodate the new covering structure that will occupy part of the pre-existing flowerbed in the direction of the Gate of
Gregory XVI. A glass window structure that
will permit an unobscured view of the Vatican
Gardens will span 475 square meters (totalling
29,80 m in length and 16,50 in width). The exhibition space will have an area of approximately 200 square meters and will serve as a space
“The project was also
inspired by the desire
to share these pieces
with the world “
for temporary exhibits, conventions, and other
events. To allow for the enlargement, it will be
necessary to incorporate, into the new architectural arrangement, the cypress tree that currently
grows in the adjacent flowerbed. The tall Mediterranean pines, however, will not be touched
by the construction. To accentuate the formal
dynamism of the flat covering, this zone one will
be decentered and made asymmetric with the
perimeter of the glass walls. The result will be
two cornices and a platform along the principal
façade and the left side, where entrances for the
public will be opened. Two entrances will allow
135
Two views of the
Carriages Museum.
Above new display.
Below: old display
136
Dr. Sandro Barbagallo
After studying at the Special School of the Vatican Private Archives and earning his degree
in History of Art from the University of Siena,
Sandro Barbagallo participated in the creation
of exhibitions and edited monographs focused
on the art of Dutch and French Artists of the
19th Century, such as Matisse, Manet, and
Bonard.
He has worked with the Tribunal for Lost and
Stolen Antiquities in Rome. Since 2008, he has
written art criticism for the L’Osservatore Romano. Barbagalo also serves as Vatican News
Correspondant for Il Giornale dell’Arte.
He has worked for the Direction of the Vatican
Museums as Curator of the Historical Collections Department since 2012. In this roll he has
overseen the upgrade of the Carriage Pavilion
and the construction of the Portrait Gallery of
the Popes in Castel Gondolfo. He is a member
of the Scientific Committee of Roman Work for
the Preservation of Faith and the Provision of
New Churches, a committee formed to rethink
the design of churches. In July 2015, he was
named Scientific Advisor for the Redevelopment
of the Museum of the Treasury at the Basilica of
St. John Lateran.
access to the stairs or the new room, and a third
will lead directly to the rear. The layout of the
trees of the Vatican Gardens, is mirrored in the
steel shaft that will hold the elevator, furthering
the conceptual parallelism with the nature that
penetrates the new architecture. This architectural element allows integral structural systems,
such as pairs of round steel pillars, to be incorporated into the interior. These are meant to sustain
the parallel beams set in place that support the
entire extension, leaving the pillars unburdened.
The paving in the internal space will be similar
to historical travertine floors with the perimeter
bordered in peperine and supported by the glass
walls. Meanwhile, the interior false ceiling will
be made of metal panels, where cutting-edge
LED lights will be installed. Finally, it is important to note that the entire project design was conceived with the express intention of remaining
faithful to the elegant austerity that this exhibition has always evoked.
Views and plan project
of the new Entrance of
the Carriages Museum
137
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
University
Pass Program
T
138
his past year, students from all over the world were given an exclusive experience at the Vatican Museums, including unprecedented and convenient access, dynamic lectures, private
tours, and merchandise discounts all as a part of our partnership program with universities.
These partnerships allow universities to receive recognition for restoration of crucial elements of our
museums while giving their students the opportunity of a lifetime that students will love. Last year
we welcomed students from the Sotheby’s Institute of London, the University of Steubenville and
Marist College, to name a few, and received raves from students and faculty.
This becomes a formative experience for students who are not only given the rare chance to learn
from Vatican Museum experts but also to see the importance of a life filled with philanthropic care.
The University partnership is one that truly provides a spiritual and classical education.
If you or someone you know is linked to a university and may be interested please keep this program
in mind.
The Sotheby’s Institute
with Fr. Mark Haydu LC
and Romina Cometti
It’s a wonderful way to spread the word of our
mission!
Visit one Restoration Lab, meet
restorers and learning about the restoration process
For a donation to the Restoration & Preservation v A 30% discount in the Vatican Museums Efforts of the Vatican Museums, your school can shop on the day of the tour
have an exclusive, behind the scenes experience v Your school will receive the Vatican
Museums Report
at the Vatican.
v Your school will receive the Vatican
This Special University Pass Includes:
Museums eNewsletter
v Up to 30 individuals per visit, one visit per
v A plaque displaying your school’s name semester for a total of two visits
alongside the masterpiece which your funds v Complimentary entrance
restored
v Private, Official Vatican Museums Guide
v The unrivalled experience of preserving
v No wait in line, your group will be met at the one of theworld’s foremost art collections
Museum Exit at the Viale Vaticano
and sharing in the legacy and
v Includes a semi-private viewing of the Sistine heritage of the art of the
Chapel
Vatican Museums!
v
139
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
life
The
of a Swiss Guard,
a private view
EXHIBITION:
I
Photographer
Fabio Mantegna
- jubilee 2016
n 2016,on the highly anticipated occasion of the special Jubilee of Mercy declared by
Pope Francis, the Vatican Museums will inaugurate the first ever exhibition revealing
the life of the Swiss Guards. The exhibition will capture the previously unexplored
places that characterize the daily lives of the members of a military force that holds unparalleled historical significance. Titled Acriter Fideltier, the motto of the Guard which translates to “strenuously
and loyal”, the photographs will weave a narrative about the core morals and practices of the Guard,
as protectors of the Holy Father. The exhibition will be displayed in a courtyard of great significance
and attention, La Cortile Delle Corazze. All visitors to the museum walk through this space as it is
part of the prescribed path one takes, and will have the opportunity to learn about the Swiss Guards,
but also the Pope. As the Swiss Guards are a direct extension of the Pope and thus
must always be in accordance with his mission as a holy, and global religious leader, the exhibition will touch on the social influence and goals of the Pope. The
exhibition has been curated by the Patrons office and Father Mark Haydu L.C.,
under the supervision of Dr. Romina Cometti, with contemporary photographer
Fabio Mantegna. Alongside the images are extensive text panels which craft educational themes and narrative. On display will also be examples of the Swiss
Guard uniforms, armor, etc..
acriter e fideliter exhibition
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
Photographs and Items
“My dear Fabio, you have the eye of a Sherlock
Holmes poet”. With these words Arturo Schwarz,
a major and eminent international scholar, art
historian, poet, writer, lecturer, and curator,
expressed his appreciation to Fabio Mantegna.
The photographs on display in the Acriter and
Fideliter exhibition are beyond the mere documentary, sterile and impersonal reportage. The
artistic identity given by Fabio Mantegna to his
photographs creates time and space in the surrounding environment.
This young artist give us a privileged glimpse
into stolen moments, characterized by poetic and
personal research, not mystified by the filter of
the camera lens. Revealing the inherent individuality of a military body, always shrouded in an
aura of mystery, Fabio Mantegna evokes, through harmonic language and an authorial gaze, not
only a collective identity, but an intimate, social,
mystical consciousness made of ideals and honor.
The aesthetic and conceptual honesty with which Mantegna chose to observe a unique reality,
like the one of the Swiss Guards, is a vehicle to
pass on the memory of an Army of unparalleled
value. The photographs were taken over several
weeks during which Mantegna was able to participate in the daily life of the Military Corps. An
unusual and rare “full immersion” in the Swiss
Quarter has allowed the realization of unique
shots(oath, leave, confirmation, marriage, sports and military training, dressing, personal relationships).
In order to enrich and complete the photographic
section, made up of prints of various size, in color and in black and white, the following will be
also exhibited:
• The official Swiss Guards’s uniform-blue, red and dark yellow, with distinct Renaissance traits and other uniforms of Officials, Generals and Commanders.
• Helmetor’ Morion “- silver hats, adorned with ostrich feathers of different colors
depending on the degree of military and some examples from the 1500.
• The seventeenth century armor raised on
special occasions
• Weapons, halberds and swords
‘Your historical uniforms speak to pilgrims
and tourists from every part of the world of something that in spite of all does not change, in
142
other words they speak of your commitment to
serve God by serving the “Servant of his servants”.’
Address of his Holiness Benedict XVI to the
Swiss Guards And Their Relatives Prior To The
Swearing-In Ceremony Clementine Hall Monday, 5 May 2008.
Cultural and Social Value
The intrinsic value of such an exhibition is to be
found in the oneness of a multidisciplinary and
experiential path, where the enjoyment is inseparably linked to learning. Perfectly in line with
the philosophy and the approach of His Holiness
Pope Francis, an intimate and introspective itinerary, made of snapshots and objects of various
kinds has been created. Through this media, an
international audience of different social, cultural, and religious backgrounds can enjoy a unique and once in a lifetime show.
Target
The Target audience to whom this exhibit is
addressed is massive and heterogeneous. Such
exposure could arouse interest in an age range
between 12 and 90 years old. Our goal is to involve Middle and High Schools - Universities,
institutions, and organizations of various kinds
in Italy, as well as tourists and pilgrims who will
come to Rome during the 2016 Jubilee.
Location
The Cortile delle Corazze is a perfect location
for such an exhibition, as it is the central location and provides easy access.
Using a banner placed outside the entrance to
the Museum, with a section dedicated to the
colophon (GSP, the Vatican Museums, Patrons
of the Arts) the resonance and flow that such
a show could get would bean undoubted success.
At the bookshop desks, the exhibition catalogue
and other information materials will be sold.
Financing of the Project
We are seeking the support to organize this temporary exhibition in the Cortile delle Corazze,
Vatican Museums. This support will cover costs including the printing of the photographs, the
framing of these images, hanging the exhibition,
display cases for the armors, helmets, swords
Analysis of Costs
Printing and framing for 50-60 photographs different sizes: 4.000,00
Mounting of the Exhibition, 12 panels for the display, showcases for the
armors, helmets and objects, 4 perspex cylinders for protection of the
mannequins (all these items are completed and ready for packing the entire
exhibition and send it oversea if required), 6 totems to indicate the exhibition
and location, 2 banners, tombstone labels for photographs, 16 “alabarde”
70.000.00
in plate to decorate the panels, graphic, lights and other equipments:
Graphic Design 2.500.00
Texts and Contents
2.000,00
Catalogue in 2 languages Edizioni Musei Vaticani IT and EN: 30.000,00
Translation: 2.000,00
Editing:
1.500,00
Curatorial and Photographer: 10.500.00
TOTAL COST
(APPROX
The Annual Swearing
of the Swiss Guard son
May 6th 2015
€122.500,00
$140.000,00)
The invitations and Press Releases will be organized by the Vatican Press Office and the Vatican
Museums will organize the venue.
etc.) Printing didactic materials and panels, and
publishing a catalogue.
We would also like to tour the exhibition after its
period at the Vatican to reach beyond the visitors
of the Museums.
We plan to tour the exhibition to the institutions
in the cities were we have active Patrons and
Chapters. We look forward to honoring the Patrons who are able to support this project with
status of guest of honor at each exhibition opening, hosting private Patrons viewings sharing
our work and attracting new members, as well
as securing public legacy in the cultural institution where the exhibition is held. For touring the
exhibition, funds will be raised by the interested
Chapters used to secure proper shipping of all
didactic materials, artwork, and objects such as
the armor, swords, etc.
143
w i20
s h 16
book
Special Projects
View of the Pinecone
Courtyard and the
Nicchione
Restoration
ofCourtyard
the
T
Bramante
he current Pinecone Courtyard takes its name from the colossal bronze Pigna (pinecone)
sculpture. Famously described by Dante in his Inferno, this sculpture was likely discovered
in the Middle Ages at a sanctuary dedicated to the Egyptian gods Isis and Serapis at the Campus
Martius in Rome. Though initially placed in the atrium of the old St. Peter’s Basilica, together with
the two bronze peacocks of Hadrian, the Pigna was later relocated in 1608 and positioned as the
crowning piece for the double staircase of the Nicchione—the central Niche of the Vatican courtyard—again, flanked by the two peacock sculptures.
The Pinecone Courtyard was part of the grand construction of the Belvedere Courtyard, designed by
Bramante and commissioned by Pope Julius II (della Rovere, 1503-1513) soon after his accession
to the throne of Peter. This large architectural project was started right after 1504, but was realized
over the course of many decades. Over time, certain modifications were made that compromised
the elegance of Bramante’s initial design. The Belvedere Courtyard had to connect the medieval
palace next to St. Peter’s with the Villa Belvedere, erected for Pope Innocent VIII atop of Vatican
Hill. Today, the Pinecone Courtyard is divided into its own autonomous entity. Lining the east side
of the Courtyard is an original Bramante wing, which houses the Museum Gallery of Chiaramonti; to
the north lies another Bramante building that, while first begun by Pirro Ligorio under Pope Pius IV
(Medici 1560 -65), gained its current, large niche façade (the Nicchione) during the papacy of Clement IX (Albani, 1700-1721). The corridor to the west was constructed by Mascherino, according to
the plans of Bramante, under Pope Gregory XIII (Boncompagni, 1572-1585) with the addition of a
loggia built on its upper floor in the eighteenth century. Finally, the Braccio Nuovo (“New Wing”)
by Raphael Stern, still today closes the space to the south, where terraces once opened towards St.
Peter’s Basilica.
The appearance of the internal and external facades of the corridors are very diverse: those which
144
Plan of the Courtyard,
drawing of the section
of the Nicchione
overlook the Courtyard, from the corridor called
the “hall of pleasure” in the sixteenth century,
are ornate, yet the external ones, known as the
“moenia Belvidere,” are unadorned and functioned as walls of defense in place of those demolished during the pomerium of Nicholas III.
Bramante had designed a complex system of
architecture dominated by the Corinthian order
for the façade of the Pinecone Courtyard, which
had always been the starting point throughout its
many stages of development and modification.
These façades are among those that have defined
the architecture of the Renaissance, those which
have influenced architectural form for centuries,
throughout the world. The sophisticated syntax
of the order should be recovered in full by careful work that pays attention to all the details in
part hidden by interventions subsequent to construction.
During this past year, work has continued on the
outside of the galleries, especially focusing on
the possibility of developing an approach that
aesthetically combines the different parts of the
building, with respect to the philology of its stratographic history and that conserves and consolidates, as much as possible, its substance and its
original materials, such as the historic plasters
and moldings of the façade. As stated in last
year Wishbook, this restoration regards solely
the architectural structure of the courtyard and
does not consider the Archaeological nor Egyptian collections exposed in this area. Presently,
we are not in a position to give an accurate price
on the project, since there are still studies and
meetings going on in order to determine the best
restoration procedures.
Prices:
Wall of the “Nicchione”
both facades West Wing (ex BAV)
Braccio Nuovo Wing
Est Wing New Lighting System
€ 1.980.000,00
$ 2.240.000,00
€ 1.430.000,00
$ 1,612,500.00
€ 1.430.000,00
$ 1,612,500.00
€ 1.430.000,00
$ 1,612,500.00
€ 1.430.000,00
$ 1,612,500.00
TOTAL AMOUNT
€ 6.270.000,00
(approx $ 7,077,500.00)
145
w i20
s h 16
book
Scientific Research Laboratory
Scientific Research
Laboratory
I
n any restoration or conservation project or study of a work of art, a preliminary scientific study is conducted to devise a fundamental base for all the
following steps of the restoration process.
Defined in the “Rules of Restoration” of the Vatican Museums, this approach has
always been a fundamental aspect for the proper study of art and its preservation. As
a result, the Diagnostic Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration is present in
every restoration and scientific study performed on pieces of the Vatican Museums’
Collection.
The research and scientific studies that the Laboratory performs are numerous and
examine many scientific aspects ranging from chemistry to physics, the study of
static for anti-seismic verification of the statues to the definition of mineral materials
on the works. To continue to conduct these studies to the best of our abilities, we will
need the suitable tools required to meet various challenges. As time goes by, the industries provide more and more updated instruments which return increasingly higher quality results characterized by a greater degree of precision among other benefits.
146
Prof. Ulderico
Santamaria
Ulderico Santamaria is a professor
at the University of Tuscia, where he
teaches the Science and Technology of
Materials in the DISBEC department.
He is actively engaged in the testing
of products for the consolidation and
cleaning of artworks. He taught at the
School of Restoration at the Central
Institute for Restoration in Rome
since 2004 and has served as the
head of the Laboratory that evaluates
preservatives applied to stone artifacts
and murals and the physic-chemical
characteristics of the constituent
materials at that same institute since
1996. Since 2001, he has worked with
international institutions such as the
Getty Conservation Institute in Los
Angeles (US) and the Louvre Museum
in Paris (France).
In 1997, he was appointed by the
Director of the Central Institute
for Restoration in Rome, Professor
Michele Codara, to coordinate the first
Italian research group dedicated to
testing the interaction between lasers
and the surface of artistic artifacts.
He was again commissioned by the
Professor Michele Codaro, Director of
the ICR, to test the composite material,
chemical, physic-chemical, and physicmechanical properties of the material
used for the consolidation of the Upper
Basilica of Assisi.
w i20
s h 16
book
Discovering Origins:
Laser-Ablation
icpMass Spectrometer
earth elements (REEs), categorizing them into
clay compositional groups in direct correspondence with the origin of production.
This incredible tool also makes it possible
to study the sources of different types of mar-
T
he Laser-ablation inductively-coupled
plasma mass spectrometer is an important tool to analyze samples taken from works of
art. It is used for the direct surface analysis of solid samples. This instrument makes it possible to
do isotope analysis on archaeological artifacts,
such as Roman silver coins or Etruscan gold, allowing researchers to learn about the origins of
the metallic materials. The technique requires no
chemical preparation and does minimal damage
to the sample. The isotope analysis technique
shows isotope compositions that reveal fingerprints on a sample, as well as the sample’s source
and production process. The analysis of elemental pollutants can provide useful archaeo-metallurgical information on the production process
and the origin of metallic materials present on
the sample. This instrument is also capable of
performing another important study of ceramics
from different geographical and geological areas. It is capable of performing analysis on rare
148
ble by their isotopic compositions and through
the analysis of trace elements. The study of
rare earth elements (REEs) allows researchers
to identify different types of pozzolana so as
to understand the various volcanic districts and
quarries of origin; for example researchers could
identify the mortars used by Michelangelo in the
Sistine Chapel and Raphael in his the Raphael
Rooms. With LA-ICP-MS it is possible to perform chemical analysis on materials used, even
volcanically-created obsidian artifacts, to determine the origins of each. This information will
allow researchers to study the possible cultural
relationships and patterns of movement among
prehistoric populations.
This instrument can be used to determine trace
elements present in natural pigments, to study
their origins and to distinguish between their different types. LA-ICP-MS allows a non-destructive analysis of archaeological objects, combining
the best parts of the different classical methods
in order to characterize these materials with high
sensitivity and rapidity.
LA-ICP-MS is a very powerful analytical tool
and, at this time, is the only instrument of its
kind that can non-destructively determine such
an important number of elements with such low
detection limits. This instrument is fundamentally necessary for a research laboratory that analyzes many different kinds of objects and materials
from artwork.
Behind the Century:
Laser for Cleaning
T
he process of cleaning artwork requires
the most selective and non-destructive
tools so that minimum impact is made on the
pictorial layers during cleaning. Laser technology is one of the techniques utilized by modern
restoration laboratories because it is a high-tech
solution that can be used with tradition cleaning
techniques. Laser technology can be used to clean many different materials: stones, stucco, wall paintings,
metal and wood. It guarantees the precise cleaning of objects without any damage to the substrate.
Recent laser cleanings have taken place in the
restoration of the Santa Rosa Necropolis in order
to remove layers of alteration, thus preserving
the original pictorial layers. This instrument can
operate on extremely degraded substrates without pre-consolidation, allowing the restorer to
work with high precision and control because of
the pointing system. It’s small size makes this
machine perfect for use in laboratories and inside the Museums themselves. This laser is extremely easy to use, allowing the restorer to choose
the operating mode directly from the display
screen.
The laser’s reliability and precision makes it an
essential tool in correctly preserving the timeless
treasures within the Vatican Museums, especially because it allows restorers to clean those pieces that cannot be manually cleaned. After attempts with different types of lasers, researchers
have developed an absolutely innovative laser
device.
Eos Syntesis is the first laser system set up for
laser cleaning that allows restorers to tune the
pulse duration by nanoseconds to hundredths of
a nanosecond to microseconds. This laser allows
for two different pulses to merge in the same laser beam, creating a brand new and innovative
process in restorative cleaning.
The main parameters are:
Detail of the restorers at
work, cleaning a fresco
with the laser
Short Q-sw (SQS) ≈
100 mJ ≈10 ns up to 20 Hz
Long Q-sw (LQS) > 150 mJ ≈
120 ns up to 20 Hz
Short free-running (SFR)
up to a 2 J 20-40 ?s up to 20 Hz
149
w i20
s h 16
book
In the details:
micro X-Ray
Diffractometer
W
ith the micro X-Ray diffractometer,
(µ-XRD) it is possible to identify and
analyze many types of samples.
This instrument is indispensable when determining the mineralogical composition of a sample, such as the inorganic pigments used in a
work of art and each pigments’ composition.
With many pieces, the techniques used by the
original artist or restorations over the centuries
may have caused deterioration of some natural
pigments that fortunately, with µ-XRD, can be
definitively characterized. For instance, by allowing researchers to identify the current crystal structure of the blue, green and copper-base
pigments used in Egyptian coffins, the µ-XRD
helps to determine the causes of degradation of
these important historical artifacts. This is very
important for the restoration and proper conservation of each work of art.
One of the main goals of this instrument is to
analyze micro-samples and to identify mate-
150
rials in cross-section. This is possible because
of the µ-XRD’s microfocus technology. With
this technology, restorers can identify localized materials (like pigments, preparation layer,
mortar) and understand the techniques used by
artists in works such as the Borgia Apartments,
the Candelabri Galleries and Carte Geografiche
Galleries. Another very important capability of
the µ-XRD is the characterization of restoration
materials like polymeric materials and pigments used for reintegration of a paint.
This technique will allow researchers to evaluate the potential interaction between restoration
materials and the original materials already present.
This is an essential part of restoration because it
ensures that the restorative process does no further harm to the piece. The µ-XRD will make it
possible to study minerals from the pozzolana
used to make mortar and to identify the quarries where this came from. Since some types of
degradation in frescoes are due to the minerals
present in pozzolana, the in-depth study of the
substance and its origins will be very helpful in
the restoration process.
Another very important study that can be carried out with µ-XRD is the classification of organic materials to determine their crystal structures their degradation mechanisms.
The Rigaku company have developed a R-AXIS RAPID/MicroMax-002 diffractometer,
which could be the perfect tool for these studies. It is a versatile and sensitive instrument to
study powder, macromolecules and small molecules, making it the most appropriate for our
research laboratory.
Under the Surface:
Dual Energy Computed
AxialTomographys
A
modern approach to diagnostic art restoration allows non-destructive techniques that do not alter the works of art that
are analyzed. For this reason, X-rays are widely
used and, in recent years, computerized axial tomography, better known as CT, has come to be
a key resource in the diagnostic art restoration
process. This technique allows researchers to
analyze the artifacts with a three-dimensional reconstruction, providing high spatial and density
resolution.
The technology of three-dimensional reconstruction has been widely used for the study of
artifacts of historical and artistic value. In the
Vatican Museum’s case, however, researchers
have made use of a new type of medical CT,
which is based on the principle of Dual Energy. The operation is similar because it scans the
same structure, but with two X-ray tubes of different voltage.
The information the researchers receive from the
dual-energy X-ray is compared with a known
density, such as water and iodine, and in this way
provides information about the inner structure
of the object with respect to a monoenergetic
object. Recently, two small mummies and an
Egyptian sarcophagus from the necropolis of
Luxor (800 BC) were scanned. The dual-energy
CT made it possible to not only investigate the
interior of the two mummiettes, but also to create three-dimensional models to be dissected and
investigated from every point of view. Through
this process, a thin tin foil in the grout of the
face, which would normally have been impossible to detect, was discovered. The discovery of
the lamina revealed both mummies to be false
historical artifacts, likely from the 19th Century.
The dual-energy CT scan of the sarcophagus
provided a great deal of evidence supporting the
argument that the cover is composed of material reuse. The CT scan is capable of showing
the assembly technique of the layers, but is also
able to separate the different layers through densitometric measurement of materials (wood and
stucco), using filters already set for medical use.
Through this intensive process, researchers have
learned some very useful and innovative techniques for the study of important historical and
artistic artifacts. The aim of this project is to
gain access to this capability of dualenergy CT
in order to differentiate the various densities of
materials in order to study in detail the assembly and polychrome paint film of any work. With
the help of this tool, researchers will be able to
distinguish each pigment according to its densitometric characteristics, and then will be able
to dissect the paint film by identifying the precise location of the pigmented layer on it. Today,
no laboratory instrument has this capability, so
obtaining this tool will be extremely beneficial
to the work of the Vatican Museums restoration
teams.
151
w i20
s h 16
book
Back to Basics:
Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance Spectroscopic
N
uclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy,
most commonly known as NMR
spectroscopy, is a research
technique that exploits the
magnetic properties of certain atomic nuclei. It determines the physical and chemical properties of atoms or
the molecules in which they
are contained. It relies on
the phenomenon of nuclear
magnetic resonance and can
provide detailed information about the structure, dynamics, reaction state, and
chemical environment of
molecules. The NMR is an
important tool to analyze
many different kind of materials.
It is possible to study
chemical structure of organic materials, like proteinaceous binders and
drying oils used to create a
work of art, to understand
and compare their native
structure with their degradation mechanism. A common goal of these investigations is to obtain high
resolution 3-dimensional
structures of the protein,
similar to what can be
achieved by X-ray crystallography. NMR spectroscopy is often the only way to obtain high
152
resolution information on partially or wholly
intrinsically unstructured proteins. Another
very interesting study that
could be carried out with this
instrument is the examination of natural dyes’s chemical structures in relation to
their process of production
or natural source.
This is very important in
study of tapestries, because
natural dyes are very degradable materials that change
their chemical structure.
This instrument allow to study
also archeological materials,
like pottery artifacts; in
fact, with the analysis of
cooking temperature it’s
possible to characterize
different process and geographical areas of productions.
The important of NMR
spectroscopy is related to
the range of information
and the diversity of samples, including solutions
and solids.
The Agilent Techologies
have developed a 400
MHz NMR Spectrometer
that allow to study solid,
liquid and semi-solid material, used in a very large number of works of
art present in Vatican Museums.
Proactive Care:
Remote Multispectral
Analysis
T
his project will develop a system of multispectral analysis (range 300-1000nm) to
analyze works of art such as canvas, paintings on
wood, and wall paintings. The aim of this project
is the creation of an engineering system with the
highest quality and precision. The system will be
composed of a high quality sensor with a sensitivity range from 300 to 1000 nanometers (range
of visible, ultraviolet and infrared
radiation) and a precise lens with
an automatic system of interchangeable filters. In any restoration
or conservation project or study
of a work of art, a preliminary
scientific study is conducted to
devise a fundamental base for
all the following steps of the restoration process. Defined in the
“Rules of Restoration” of the Vatican Museums, this approach has
always been a fundamental aspect
for the proper study of art and its
preservation. As a result, the Diagnostic Laboratory for Conservation and Restoration is present
in every restoration and scientific
study performed on pieces of the Vatican Museums’ Collection. The research and scientific studies that the Laboratory performs are numerous
and examine many scientific aspects ranging
from chemistry to physics, the study of static
for anti-seismic verification of the statues to the
definition of mineral materials on the works. To
continue to conduct these studies to the best of
our abilities, we will need the suitable tools required to meet various challenges. As time goes
by, the industries provide more and more updated instruments which return increasingly higher
quality results characterized by a greater degree
of precision among other benefits. It will be necessary to modify the camera with a number of
interchangeable optic filters that can be controlled by a remote system (communication by Wi-Fi
or Bluetooth). A remote control can maintain the
movement of sensor with micrometric precision and will provide a repeatable measurement
and microcontrast autofocus. It
will also allow the researcher to
compare a reference image to
the recorded image. Using a reference target, it will be possible
to see the chromatic alteration
in a piece of art over time. The
remote system can record the
image in visible, infrared and
ultraviolet range and then send
the data to a download server. It
will be possible to monitor any
punctual change to the paintings
(in each pixel or in any area of
interest). It will also be possible
to do a statistical analysis to estimate a trend of
alteration of pigments and other materials in the
paintings over time. This system of monitoring
will alert the Vatican Museums’ staff to any serious deterioration or alteration before it occurs.
This equipment is key to the continued preservation of many of the pieces inside the Vatican
Museum and will certainly be used to monitor
paintings like the Sistine Chapel, Raphael’s Rooms and the Gallery of the Geographical Maps.
153
w i20
s h 16
book
Coming Soon
Coming Soon
T
he Vatican Museums are always growing and new restoration needs are coming to our attention all the time. The projects you will find in this section
will appear in next years Wishbook. In the coming months, we will prepare a breakdown of costs, restoration processes, and the states of preservation for all of the
following projects. After all breakdowns have been completed, the projects listed in
this section will be prepared for the following Wishbook. This process gives the Patrons community a chance to get an insider look into the vision of the future of the
works in the Vatican Museums. It also gives Patrons an opportunity to be steadfast
in continuing their legacy within the Vatican Museums and the Patrons community.
154
Umberto Utro
Umberto Utro has served as Curator
of the Department of Christian
Antiquities of the Vatican Museums
since July, 2003. He has a Bachelor’s
Degree in Sacred Theology from the
Pontifical Theological Faculty of
Sicily, a Doctorate in Literature and
History of Art from the University of
Florence, and currently specializes in
Christian Archaeology at the Pontifical
Institute for Christian Archaeology.
He teaches Ancient Christian History
at the Gregorian Pontifical University
and Early Christian Iconography and
Patristic Literature at the Patristic
Institute Augustinianum of the
Pontifical Lateran University. He is the
author of numerous essays, scientific
articles, and dictonary entries on Early
Christian art. In his research, he aims
to investigate the relationship between
literary and artistic sources in order to
grow the academic knowledge on the
origins of Christianity.
155
w i20
shbook
16
Coming Soon
Breathing New Life:
Climatizing the Pinacoteca
T
he Painting Gallery of the Vatican Museums, constructed during the time of Pope Pius
XI Ratti and opened in 1932, contains hundreds of paintings, including the masterpieces
of Giotto, Gentile da Fabriano, Beato Angelico, Carlo Crivelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Giovanni Bellini, Caravaggio, Guercino, Valentin, and Poussin.
However, the Vatican Painting Gallery is world famous for housing the works of Raphael: the tapestries commissioned by Pope Leo X designed for the Sistine Chapel, The Coronation of the Virgin,
La Madonna di Foligno, and the Transfiguration.
Unfortunately, the building of the Painting Gallery, designed more than eighty years ago, is not
equipped with indoor climate control and lacks a lighting system worthy of the art works the building
holds. The paintings on panel are subject to a continued risk of swelling, to the point that our restorers are constantly forced to intervene.
The archaic and inadequate lighting also often causes protests from the visitors and is an embarrassment for the Vatican Museums. Therefore it has become absolutely urgent to ensure that the Painting
156
Gallery in the Vatican Museum has acceptable
environmental conditions and adequate lighting
worthy of the works housed in the gallery. Provision should be made for the design work and
then construction work, which is to be contracted
at the highest international operators that cannot
last less than two or three years at an estimated
“ The Vatican Painting
Gallery is world famous for
housing the works of Raphael “
Above: Sala del Domenichino. Below: Salone di Raffaello
Crucifixion
of St. Peter by
Guido Reni,
(1604-05) restored
thanks to generosity of
the California Chapter
of the Patrons of the
Arts in the Vatican
Museums
cost of € 3 million. At the beginning of the 1600s,
the Popes moved from the Vatican and took up
residence on the Quirinal. On this occasion the
living areas in the Vatican were largely stripped
of their furnishings, including paintings, which
were transferred to the new papal residence.
In 1748 Pope Benedict XIV decided to create the
new Pinacoteca Capitolina on the Capitol Hill,
thereby establishing the first public art gallery of
the Papal State in Rome.
Ever since their conception, the Pinacoteca Vaticana and the Pinacoteca Capitolina were considered as one and the same, but only in 1870
did the two collections actually become unified.
157
w i20
s h b16
ook
16
Coming Soon
Beginning in 1770, and thanks to the efforts first
of Clement XIV (1769-1774) and subsequently
of Pius VI (1775-1799), the great public sculpture collection of the Papal States began to be
created in the Vatican, taking over the role pre-
Transfiguration by
Raphael(1518-1520)
viously played by the Capitoline collection. It
was clear that this Museo Pio-Clementino would
soon be enhanced with the collection of paintings. According to the Diario Ordinario of 1790,
the museum was enriched with a collection of
paintings by the most celebrated historical and
contemporary artists.
The collection was hosted in three specially-created areas, in which the works of art were displayed without following any specific criteria.
Originally it consisted of one hundred and eighty
paintings, many of which have now been lost.
The Pinacoteca inaugurated by Pius VI survived
only a few years, because at the end of the 1700s
the Papal States were affected by the political
expansion of the new French State born of the
Revolution. In fact, General Napoleon Bonaparte invaded the Papal States and, in 1796, an armistice was signed according to which a hundred
works of art and a hundred and fìfty manuscripts
were to be consigned to the French conquerors.
Despite this agreement, hostilities soon broke
out again, and in 1797 Pius VI was obliged to
negotiate for peace and submit to the conditions
of the Treaty of Tolentino, which confirmed the
payment of war reparations and the consignment
of the works of art, which upon arriving in Paris
found a worthy setting in the halls of the Louvre.
In 1800 the newly-elected Pius VII undertook a
survey of the museums in Rome, including the
Pinacoteca of his predecessor which, he discovered, looked something like a ransacked apartment, not only due to the loss of works by the
Treaty of Tolentino, but also to pilfering that had
occurred during the occupation.
Amongst the first steps taken by Pius VII to recreate the artistic patrimony of the Papal State was
his appointment of Antonio Canova as Inspector
General of Fine Arts. As it was not possible to
reopen the Pinacoteca given the disastrous state
into which it had fallen, the surviving paintings
were distributed around the apartments of the
Quirinal.
Following the Congress of Vienna, which called
the French to return the works of art to the States
they had conquered, Canova was given the task
of travelling to Paris to recover paintings and
sculptures and, notwithstanding resistance on
the part of the French, succeeded in returning
at least the major works to Rome. Of the five
hundred and six paintings removed, two hundred
and forty-nine returned to their homeland, two
hundred and forty-eight remained in France and
nine were declared lost. The new Pinacoteca was
moved to the rooms of the Borgia Apartments,
and the paintings recovered by Canova were
held back to be put on display in the Vatican. In
1819 they were arranged in five halls modified
by Raffaele Stern, in keeping with the layout of
the main nuclei of the collection, which at the
time consisted of about fifty works. The new
home of the Pinacoteca soon proved inadequate
because of the lack of light, and thus the decision was taken to transfer the paintings to a new
location.
The first move took place in 1821, but in the decades that followed the Popes moved the collection on a number of occasions, not managing to
find a suitable home. At the same time the collection continued to grow in size. To Pope Pius X
(1903-1914) is due the merit of having created
the great Pinacoteca Vaticana, which for the
fìrst time consisted of suitably equipped premises, embodying criteria which were considered
modern for the times. The new museum, in fact,
had larger spaces, adequately illuminated and
distributed around nine large halls. At the same
time the works were classified and arranged following chronological and rational criteria. The
Pinacoteca, solemnly inaugurated in 1909, contained two hundred and seventy-seven paintings
taken from the collections of the old Pinacoteca,
the Pinacoteca Lateranense, the Vatican Library,
and the apartments and storerooms of the Sacred
Palaces.
During the Papacy of Pius XI (1922-1939), Vatican City State was established and it was necessary to create a new entrance to the Museums to
ensure the public did not cross Vatican territory,
the Pinacoteca was moved again.
The new building, inaugurated in 1932, was
constructed in the Gardens according to plans
by the Milanese architect Luca Beltrami, who
realized a work of an eclectic nature, inspired
by Renaissance architecture. The new building
had fifteen variously-illuminated rooms, and
the number of works on display was now a
considerable four hundred and sixty-three.
In the years that followed, up to the present day,
donations and purchases of artworks have continued to arrive.
A section of contemporary art has been instituted, and the halls have been modified, thereby
consolidating and increasing the fame and importance of this museum which, in its eighteen
halls, recounts the history of Italian and European art from the XII century onwards.
w i20
s h 16
book
Coming Soon
Travelling Exhibition:
An inside view of the
Restoration of the Masterpieces
of the Vatican Collection
A
n exhibition of art is by definition a public show of works of art which aims to attract the
viewer’s attention to a specific object. The restoration, which is a fundamental part of the
preservation and maintenance of any work of art, is an operation usually ignored in an exhibition.
Exhibitions usually opt to display the perfect, final state of various pieces. Would it not be interesting to undersand how the work of a restorer is articulated, and the role that these specialists play?
Wouldn’t it be interesting to explore what great responsibility they have towards society and future
generations?
160
Wouldn’t it be instructive to learn the correct
and responsible conservative approaches used
for the preservation of historical and artistic
heritage in Italy and in the world? To create
an exhibition in which works of art are complemented by materials and restoration tools,
in which videos and photographs illustrate techniques and conservative procedures, would
be a unique show of great interest.
The goal of such an exhibition is to share with
as many visitors as possible, not only objects of
priceless artistic and anthropological value, but
the logic and purpose behind the restoration promoted and implemented within the Vatican Museums. The Vatican Museums have six Restoration Laboratories specialized in six distinct areas
and artistic mediums: Painting, Stone Materials,
Metals and Ceramics, Polimateric, Paper and Tapestries. The Department of Scientific Research
completes chemical and physical studies in all of
these labs using the most up to date tools. In creating a virtual laboratory, through an exhibition
it would possible to reveal an artistic and scientific behind the scenes happenings of inestimable
educational and social value.
When we talk about the restoration of the Museum’s collection, we are talking about the heart
and soul of the institution; even if it is invisible to the tourists, it is the one that enlivens our
museums and our collections. In this project, the
visitor, for the first time will have the privileged
access to a virtual laboratory where they can follow the steps of restoration and see the invisible.
The renovation of the Art Gallery, scheduled for
the end of the Jubilee 2015-16, would make the
works preserved in the Pinacoteca available for
the exhibition, allowing us to exhibit paintings,
sculptures, tapestries / Textiles, Decorative Arts,
Below, from the left:
restorer Marco de Pillis
at work on a wooden
door; the Hermes (Hadrian Period I-II Century AD) in the Octagonal Courtyard during
the restoration sponsored by the Northwest
Chapter of the Patrons
of the Arts in the Vatican Museums; The
Adoration of the Magi
(drawing and painting,
half XVI century ca.)
by Raffellino del Colle,
restored thanks to the
generosity of the Oregon
Chapter of the Patrons
of the arts in the Vatican
Museums.
Ethnology/Polimateric, Egyptian, Etruscan. The
exhibition would occur in 2017 (assuming a full
year of organization to collect works of arts from
the Pinacoteca, movies, materials, and to creat a
catalogue) and would have as primary place of
exposure in the United States of America. Many
of the works on display are those restored by the
Patrons of the Arts.
Above: Restorer
Anna Lea Mattozzi at
work in the Marble
Restoration Laboratory
Left page: Restorer
Stefania Passerini at
work in the Polymatheric Laboratory
161
w i20
s h 16
book
Coming Soon
Preserving the Rooms
of the Pope:Climatizing the
W
Raphael Rooms
ith the numbers of people visiting the Vatican Museums growing quickly, conservation of
priceless masterpieces has never been more important. A minimum of 20,000 people per day
travel through the museums. The Raphael Rooms are some of the most popular attractions in the
museums. Thousands of people stop in these rooms everyday on their way to the Sistine Chapel. At
the same time as the construction of the Sistine Chapel, Raphael was competing with Michelangelo
to finish his four rooms, covered in masterpieces. Next year, we will be announcing our plan to conserve these four magnificent rooms using climate control. By adding air conditioning units, we can
rest assured the restorations of these works will live in much better condition.
Dispute on the Blessed
Sacrament, Room of the
Segnatura, restored
thanks to the generosity
of Mrs. Florence B.
D’Urso New York
Patrons of the Arts in
the Vatican Museums
162
Rooms of Raphael
The suite of rooms known as Raphael’s Stanze
(stanza: room) are part of the private apartment
of Pope Julius II della Rovere and his successors, down till Gregory XIII. The rooms are situated on the second floor of the Apostolic Palace, directly above the Borgia Apartment. Apart
from the Stanze proper, they also included the
Sala degli Svizzeri (Room of the Swiss Guards),
the Saladei Chiaroscuri, the Chapel of Nicholas
V (his private chapel), and the Logge. Julius II’s
bedroom (cubiculum), now closed to the public, communicated with the chapel and the Sala
dei Chiaroscuri. It was preceded by a small antechamber that linked the Sala dei Chiaroscuri
with the Stanza di Eliodoro. Julius II lived in this
apartment from 1507, not wishing to live in the
Borgia Apartment, since, as the master of ceremonies Paris de Grassis explained, “non volebat
videre omni hora figuram Alexandri praedecessoris sui”(“he did not want to see the image of his
predecessor Alexander VI at every moment”).
The Stanze were frescoed by Raphael and his assistants between 1508 and 1524. The decoration
of these rooms marked the debut of the brilliant
Roman career of Raphael, who took over from
artists then much better known than he himself, including his teacher Perugino and others.
Parts of their works were destroyed to make way
for those of the young master; the pre-existing
paintings of Piero della Francesca, Bartolomeo
della Gatta and Luca Signorelli were complete-
ly destroyed. There are four Stanze. They are
cross-vaulted. Except for the Sala di Costantino,
which forms part of the 13th-century wing of the
Apostolic Palace, they are situated in the range
of rooms built under Nicholas V. To the north
they overlook the Cortile del Belvedere, and to
the south the Cortile del Pappagallo.
Sala di Costantino (1517-1524)
This large room, named after the emperor Constantine and intended for receptions and official
ceremonies (caenaculumamplior), was decorated by pupils of Raphael, in part based on Raphael’s designs, painted after his premature death in
1520. Its iconographic programme is a continuation of that of the previous Stanze. It is intended
to celebrate the apotheosis of the Church. The
theme here is the Church’s victory over paganism,
Above: The Donation of
Rome, Room of
Constantine, pledged by
the New York Chapter of
the Patrons of the Arts
in the Vatican Museums.
Below: The Mass of
Bolsena, restored thanks
to the generosity of Mrs.
Florence B. D’Urso,
New York Patrons of the
Arts in the Vatican
Museums.
163
w i20
s h 16
book
Coming Soon
Right: The Battle of
Ponte Milvio, Room of
Constantine, pledged by
the New York Chapter of
Below: side view of the
Room of the Fire of
Borgo.
On the left the Fire of
Borgo, restored thanks
to the generosity of the
California Chapter of
On the right, The
Coronation of
Charlemagne.
and its establishment in the city of Rome. The
main scenes are painted on fictive arrases, while
allegorical figures, popes and virtues appear at
the corners. The room of Constantine is currently under restoration, sponsored by the New York
Chapter of The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican
Museums.
Stanza D’Eliodoro (1512-1514)
This was perhaps an audience room of the apartment. Raphael decorated it immediately after the
Stanza della Segnatura.
Its theme is political. It is intended to illustrate
the miraculous protection granted by God to a
Church threatened in its faith (Miracle of Bolse-
164
na), in the person of its pope (St Peter Delivered
from Prison), in its apostolic see (Meeting of
Leo the Great with Attila), and in its patrimony
(Heliodorus Expelled from the Temple).
The caryatids on the lower part of the wall were
painted by Raphael’s assistants, while the small
oblong panels were probably re-painted by Carlo
Maratta. The groins of the ceiling cross-vault are
frescoes with scenes of the Sacrifice of Isaac, the
Burning Bush, Jacob’s Ladder, and God Appears
to Noah, all by Raphael.
Stanza della Segnatura (1508-1511)
This was the library and study of Julius II. It was
the first of the rooms to be decorated by Raphael, and the frescoes here were almost entirely
executed by him. The iconographic programme
was undoubtedly established by a theologian ad
praescriptum Iulii pontificis (to the prescriptions
of Julius II himself). It is intended to illustrate
the three highest categories of the human spirit
according to the neo-Platonic vision: the True,
the Good and the Beautiful. Supernatural Truth
is represented by the Disputa, rational Truth by
the School of Athens, the Good by the Virtues
and the Law, and the Beautiful by the Parnassus.
The large medallions set into the ceiling depicting Theology, Philosophy, Justice and Poetry
are closely linked to the wall paintings. So too
are the paintings of Adam and Eve, the Primum
Mobile, the Judgement of Solomon, and Apollo
and Marsyas in the pendentives. The decorative
scheme of the ceiling antedates Raphael, and is
attributed to Sodoma. The grisaille paintings on
the lower part of the walls are by Perin del Vaga
and are datable to the pontificate of Paul III;
they replaced the wooden panelling by Giovanni Barile and Fra Giovanni da Verona, destroyed
during the Sack of Rome in 1527. The inlaid,
polychrome marble floor is ornamented with the
crossed keys of Nicholas V, the name of Julius
II, and emblems of Leo X.
Stanza dell’incendio di Borgo
(1514-1517)
This was Leo X’s private dining room (triclinium penitiar). The kitchens were located
in the adjoining room, still used as a service area today. It is the last of the rooms
decorated by Raphael, though here he left
a large part of the actual execution to his
assistants. The programme of this room
was largely aimed at enunciating in paint
the political ambitions of Leo X, through
the depiction of events from the lives of
two other Popes bearing the same name:
Leo III and Leo IV. The decoration of the
ceiling with allegories relating to the Holy
Trinity is by Perugino, and was completed
earlier, in the time of Julius II. The figures
below in the corners of the room represent
the Egyptian telamones (statues of male
figures used instead of columns to support an entablature) found in Tivoli before 1504, and now in the Pio-Clementine
Museum. The magnificently inlaid doors
are the work of Giovanni Barile and Fra
Giovanni da Verona.
Above: The School of
Athens, Room of the
Segnatura, restored
thanks to the generosity
of Mrs. Henry J.
Gaisman New York
Patrons of the Arts in
the Vatican Museums.
Below: The expulsion of
Heliodors from the
Temple restored thanks
to the generosity of Mrs.
Florence B. D’Urso
New York Patrons of the
Arts in the Vatican
Museums
165
EDITORIAL PRODUCTION: EDITORIAL COORDINATION: TRANSLATION AND EDITING: EDITORIAL PROJECT: Digigraph, Roma
Mark Haydu LC, Romina Cometti
Juliana Biondo, Catherine Shaw, Ami Badami, Chiara Lorenzetti
Maria Alessandra Mittiga
A special thanks to the Vatican Museums Photographic Archives and Photographic Laboratory