Vatican Museums monumental art in the Raphael Rooms
Raphael Rooms amazing and grand paintings
In the center, an elder Plato (modelled after Leonardo da Vinci) walks alongside a younger Aristotle, primary figures in The School of Athens (1509-1511) representing the theme of Philosophy
Vatican Museums Raphael Rooms
The Vatican Museums Raphael Rooms exhibit some of the most renowned and famous works of art by master Renaissance artist Raphael.
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The Vatican Museums collection is enormous. Over 70,000 works are housed in the museums within the Apostolic Palace, which contains the Papal Apartments, offices of the Catholic church, private and public chapels, the Vatican Museums and the Vatican Library.
Christ with Virgin Mary (right) and John the Baptist (left) detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael, Raphael Rooms
Together they represent one of the largest museum complexes and collections in the world.
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Founded in the sixteenth century, its collection of sacred art and artefacts of historical, cultural and artistic value of art is uniquely important and impressive.
Moses embracing the Ten Commandments, Abraham brandishing a knife, and Paul with his right hand on the hilt of a sword and his left hand gripping a book, detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael
Barbara Jatta, Director of the Vatican Museums explains its current mission:
“To present, preserve and share that extraordinary legacy of culture, history and beauty that the Roman Pontiffs have collected and preserved for centuries: this is the mission of the Vatican Museums today.”
Historical theologians, a detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael
The history of Christian art and architecture was fostered during the reign of Emperor Constantine. In 313 AD, he made Christianity legal with the Edict of Milan. Christians were then given the right to construct places for worship and were freed from previous constraints on their religious activities.
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Thereafter and following on nearly two-thousand years of the papacy, successive Popes created the Vatican Museums through the building of the Apostolic Palace, and they gathered and commissioned works of art that depict the history of humankind and the story of its redemption.
Doctors of the Church, saints and popes detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael
The Vatican Museums’ extensive collections are presented in extraordinary and artistically significant rooms that the Popes, through the past centuries, have chosen as places of residence for private prayer and reflection. Each room, corridor, gallery and hallway has artwork themed for the space.
Pope Julius II commissioned works for the Raphael Rooms
The Raphael Rooms, which used to be the private apartment of Pope Julius II, host some of the master painter’s most iconic works.
Pope Sixtus IV dressed in gold on the right, Dante, wearing red and sporting a laurel wreath directly behind the pope, detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael
The four rooms form a suite of reception rooms in the Apostolic Palace, now part of the Vatican Museums.
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Pope Julius II established the Vatican Museums and initiated the rebuilding of the St. Peter’s Basilica in 1506.
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He later commissioned Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, known as Raphael, then a relatively young artist and his studio, to redecorate the existing interiors of the rooms entirely.
John the Evangelist writing, King David holding a lyre, detail from Disputation of the Holy Sacrament (1509-1510) by Raphael
At that time, Raphael was already a master Renaissance artist and a contemporary of Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci.
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A series of thematic frescoes were painted between 1508 to 1511 in these rooms. These paintings, as well as Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel ceiling frescoes, mark the peak of the High Renaissance in Rome.
Disputation of the Holy Sacrament
One grand work titled Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, painted between 1509 and 1510, formed the first part of Raphael’s commission.
Heraclitus (modelled after Michelangelo) detail from The School of Athens (1509) representing the theme of Philosophy by Raphael
Disputation of the Holy Sacrament shows a scene spanning both heaven and earth with Christ enveloped by the golden light of an aureole, with Virgin Mary on his right, and John the Baptist on his left, with notable biblical figures to each side.
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Biblical figures include Peter shown holding keys, Adam bared chested, John the Evangelist writing, King David holding a lyre, Moses embracing the Ten Commandments, Abraham brandishing a knife, and Paul with his right hand on the hilt of a sword and his left hand gripping a book.
Greek mathematician Euclid demonstrating a geometry theorem to his students, a detail from The School of Athens (1509) representing the theme of Philosophy, Raphael Rooms
Below the heaven, the earthen scene shows historical theologians, saints, and the figures of Pope Julius II, Pope Sixtus IV, Savonarola and Dante Alighieri – Italian poet, writer and philosopher.
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In addition to the Disputation of the Holy Sacrament, the Raphael Rooms are home to frescoes of other grand paintings, of which Raphael’s masterpiece, The School of Athens, is the most famous.
Raphael, self portrait, on the left, looking directly to the viewer, a detail from The School of Athens (1509) representing the theme of Philosophy by Raphael
Many great Greek philosophers, ancient mathematicians, philosophers, and scientists, are found among the twenty-one featured in the painting, with Plato and Aristotle placed in the center of the scene as the key figures.
Anaximander, on the left, Pythagoras, centre, a detail from The School of Athens (1509) representing the theme of Philosophy, Raphael Rooms
Great minds and thinkers of ancient times are identified through subtle details such as those of Socrates, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Heraclitus, Averroes, Euclid, and Zarathustra.
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Raphael included fellow Italian artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo in the grand painting. He used their likeness as the model to portray the characters of Plato and Heraclitus, respectively.
Hypatia, left foreground, Parmenides, right foreground, a detail from The School of Athens (1509) representing the theme of Philosophy, Raphael Rooms
He then cleverly inserted himself into the grand painting also, by including his self portrait peaking out from behind, at the bottom left, looking towards the viewer.
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Hypatia, philosopher, astronomer, and mathematician, standing at the bottom right, is the only other notable character who is looking at the viewer in the artwork.
The School of Athens is a masterpiece and one of Raphael’s best-known works. The mastery of perspective, use of classical themes, the prominence and resurgence of Greek and ancient philosophy, architecture and history in art, were defining characteristics of the high Renaissance.
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The School of Athens along with Disputation of the Holy Sacrament and two other grand frescoes in the Raphael Rooms are amongst the most famous and greatest commissioned works by Raphael.
Raphael’s frescoes feature prominently in the trove of the most iconic treasures in the Vatican Museums.
Text & Photos Cammy Yiu
