Nearly three hundred illustrations and a text reveal the entire range of the Vatican's artistic holdings, replete with priceless masterworks from all periods.

A great museum is not only a collection of works of art or artefacts of various interest and various importance: it is also a living organism which has its own history to tell. And if the museum is of ancient origin, this can be of great fascination in itself. It is enough to think of a collections formation; of its progressive development which, over the centuries, takes account of, and is shaped by, the cultural interests of the time. Or of the acquisition, sometimes fortuitous, of the various works. Or of the changing tastes reflected in their display, and the various methods used in their restoration; or of the political developments or doctrinal implications in which the museum may find itself involved. The Vatican Museums, whose origins go back to the early 16th century, exemplify all these concerns in a particularly comprehensive and fascinating way. Their initial formation, almost in the character of a private collection; their threatened dispersal in the Counter-Reformation; their recovery under the impetus of the intellectual revival in the 18th century; their development, also in defence of the artistic patrimony of the State threatened by exports, at the end of the same century; their subsequent enlargement up to more recent times, thanks to the distinguished patronage of the various Popes; and lastly their incorporation, at times exemplary, in the context of the Vatican Palaces, first with Simonettis Museo Pio-Clementino, then with Sterns Braccio Nuovo and more recently with Beltramis Pinacoteca and Passarellis Museo Paolino: all this constitutes not only a field of study, comparison, and reflection, but also at times an example which others have followed. The present book, ideally, would have required a far more extensive archival documentation than the author has been able to consult. It is to be hoped that the systematic exploration of the huge, but very scattered, archival sources available may make it possible in future to update, or to amplify, those parts of the book that were unable to benefit from this irreplaceable support. It may be claimed, nonetheless, that it has proved possible to reconstruct the history of the Vatican Museums in sufficient detail, and that this book may prove useful at a time when the history of collecting is arousing increasing interest. Contents: Foreword. I. The Antiquario delle Statue from Julius II to Paul III (1503-1549). II. The first Vatican collection of antiquities from Julius III to Sixtus V (1550-1590). III. From Clement XI to Clement XIII: the Museo Ecclesiastico and the Museums of the Vatican Library (1700-1769). IV. Clement XIV and the foundation of the Museum Clementinum (1769-1774). V. A great season for the Vatican Museums: the pontificate of Pius VI (1775-1799). VI. The works of art of the Papal State in Paris. VII. Reconstitution and growth of the Vatican Museums from Pius VII to Pius VIII (1800-1831). VIII. The foundation of new museums in the Vatican and at the Lateran by Gregory XVI (1831-1846). IX. The Vatican Museums from Pius IX to Pius X: the Museo Pio-Cristiano and the new Pinacoteca Vaticana (1846-1914). X. Reorganization and growth of the collections from Benedict XV to Pius XII: the building of a special gallery fro the Pinacoteca and the foundation of the Museo Missio-nario Etnologico (1914-1958). XI. From John XXIII to Paul VI: amalgamation of all the Papal Museums within the Vatican. Foundation of the Collection of Modern Religious Art and of the Museo Storico (1958-1978). XII. The Vatican Museums today. Bibliography: Abbreviations; Archival sources; Periodicals; General bibliography. Indexes: Topographical index of the works of art in the Vatican cited in the text; Analytical index.

Discover the artistic wonders of the Vatican, from the Sistine Chapel to Raphael's frescoes, with the New York Times bestselling book The Vatican: All the Paintings; now in a practical and elegant paperback format. The Vatican is one of the most visited sites in the world. It encompasses numerous museums and palaces, and houses one of the finest art collections known to man. Amassed by popes throughout the centuries, including several of the most renowned Roman sculptures and important masterpieces of Renaissance art in the world, the Vatican is a perennial source of awe and fascination. From Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel and his Pieta, to the Raphael frescoes, to the works of Giotto, Fra Angelica, Titian, and Caravaggio, The Vatican: All the Paintings is an unprecedented celebration of this great collection. The book is organized into 22 sections representing the museums and areas of the Vatican, including the Pinacotea, the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Borgia Apartments, the Vatican Palaces, and St. Peter's Basilica. Each one of the 976 works of art represented in this book -- including the 661 classical paintings on display in the permanent painting collection and 315 other masterpieces -- is annotated with the name of the painting and artists, the date of the work, the birth and death 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 paintings, sculptures, and other pieces of art are highlights with 300-word essays by art historian Anja Grebe and bestselling author Ross King. Here you will find information such as the key attributes of the work, what to look for when viewing it, the artist's inspirations and techniques, biographical information on the artist, and the artist's impact on history.

Discover the rich history and culture of some of the world¿s most influential historical places with these highly illustrated books, packed with informative and enlightening descriptions and information