I had previously wished to have the tourists and school groups disappear, but as Berlin museums reopen, it feels reassuring to see famous artworks still up, but also eerie to see them without a large audience.
Raphael
Posted inArt
The Layers of History Behind Raphael’s Tapestries at the Sistine Chapel
Standing in the chapel last week, I had the feeling that I was seeing something I would never see again: the Sistine Chapel not just as a complete work of art, but as a complete cultural artifact, restored to its Renaissance appearance for a fleeting moment.
Posted inIn Brief
Raphael’s Tapestries Unite at Sistine Chapel for the First Time Since the Renaissance
The tapestries — made out of silk, wool, and gold and silver thread — have been restored over the past decade by conservationists at the Vatican Museum.
Posted inIn Brief
Divine Restoration: Vatican Conservators Identify New Figures Painted by Raphael
The two allegorical figures in the Hall of Constantine were previously attributed to his workshop, but a recent restoration revealed them to be the master’s work.
Posted inArt
Chronicling the Rivalry and Camaraderie of Michelangelo and Sebastiano
The exhibition methodically and academically does what it says on the tin: offer compelling instances of collaboration and reveal the twists and turns of a 25-year friendship and artistic relationship.
Posted inBooks
The Many Identities of Raphael’s “Lady with a Unicorn”
The 16th-century “Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn” by Raphael was altered twice: first by the artist, who replaced a lap dog with a tiny unicorn; then in the 17th century, when the sitter’s bare shoulders were covered and the broken martyrdom wheel of St. Catherine of Alexandria was painted over the mythical creature.
Posted inIn Brief
Lack of Air-Conditioning Warps Raphael Painting at Rome Museum
In order to visit the Galleria Borghese in Rome, you must buy timed tickets online in advance.
Posted inOpinion
Wait, Raphael Painted Porn at the Vatican?
I don’t know how I missed this detail in Renaissance art class, but here’s a first-hand account of visiting a sexy bathroom in the Papal apartment painted by one of the masters of the High Renaissance.
Posted inNews
Major Art Exchange Between Prado and Hermitage
Two European museum powerhouses, the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid and the Hermitage in St. Petersburg, have signed an agreement to temporarily swap 236 art masterpieces in what it is an unprecedented exchange between two major art institutions.