Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and other Artifacts - Hardcover

Grebe, Anja

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1579129439 ISBN 13: 9781579129439

Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal, 2013

Synopsis

An unprecedented celebration of every Old Master painting in the Vatican, as well as hundreds of additional masterpieces in the papal collection, is included in this deluxe slipcased book and DVD-ROM set.

The Vatican is one of the most visited sites in the world and houses masterpieces like Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel; the Raphael frescoes; the works of Giotto, Fra Angelico, Titian, and Caravaggio; and some of the world's finest statues, manuscripts, architecture, and gardens, as well as the world's most precious Christian relics.

The Vatican: All the Paintings is a complete treasure trove of one of the most exquisite and important art collections in the world. Each one of the 976 works of art represented in the book -- including 661 classical paintings on display in the permanent painting collection and 315 other masterpieces -- is annotated with the name of the painting and artist, the date of the work, the birth and death dates of the artist, the medium that was used, the size of the work, and the catalog number (if applicable). In addition, 180 of the most iconic and significant paintings and other pieces of art are highlighted with 300-word essays by art historian Anja Grebe on such topics as the key attributes of the work, what to look for when viewing the work, the artist's inspirations and techniques, biographical information on the artist, and the artist's impact on art history.

An enclosed DVD-ROM contains every image from the book and allows readers to view many at a slightly larger size and to search and sort the paintings by type, artist, era, and date, or by location in the Vatican museums.

About this title

About the Author:

Anja Grebe teaches art history at the University of Erlangen- Nuremberg/Germany. She is taking part in numerous international research projects and exhibitions and has published extensively on medieval and modern art history. Grebe is the author of The Louvre: All the Paintings and The Vatican: All the Paintings. She lives in Erlangen, Germany.

Ross King is the author of the bestselling Brunelleschi's Dome and Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling, as well as the novels Ex-Libris and Domino. He lives in England, near Oxford.

Review:

This comprehensive and heavy tome illustrates all the works of art on display in the Vatican and underscores the variety of its art, including works that popes commissioned from painters as well as works that were accumulated for art appreciation and prestige beginning in the 17th century. The book is divided into 22 sections representing the museums and areas of the Vatican. This includes the Pinacoteca (painting gallery), with paintings given to or purchased by the pops or removed from altarpieces of papal churches. Also included are images of art from the Borgia Apartments, the famous Raphael Rooms, and Michelangelo?s Sistine Chapel. Lesser-known works are included, such as a collection of modern religious art and tapestry and maps. The diversity of the holdings is highlighted by such collections as the Pio-Clementine Museum of early Christian Rome, the Gregorian Etruscan Museum, which houses non-Western art. Not to be forgotten is St. Peter?s Basilica and Piazz, and its art including Michelangelo?s famous Pieta sculpture.

VERDICT This book, which has many beautiful color illustrations, its own slipcover, and a DVD that includes every work of art, will appeal to readers who are interested in the art of the Vatican.

About this edition

• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1579129439
• ISBN 13: 9781579129439
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 542