Welcome to 2015's A–Z Challenge. This year I'm taking you on a tour of one of my favourite cities!

Friday 10 April 2015

I – Italian (art)

Section from School of Athens
The Vatican Museums contain fifty-four galleries and a tour will take in some but not all.

It would be easy to pass through and remember it as a blur. Perhaps I do, but Raphael’s frescoes were one element of my tour I do remember in more detail, especially his School of Athens in the Apostolic Palace. 

Many of the frescoes appear in art programmes or documentaries about Italian art. The School of Athens is often featured – perhaps because it’s said to include a likeness of Raphael himself. Various sources question that claim, but it hooked me and I have the photo to prove it. Incredibly it’s permissible to photograph the exhibits.

Raphael

8 comments:

  1. Visiting during the #Challenge. Love what I have found. Today I wrote for the letter H about The Hassler Hotel in Rome. I can't find any place to follow this blog. All this work going for nothing? if you don't build your readership? Help me out.

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    1. Ah! I'm just in this challenge for the fun of it. I shan't add to this blog after the 30th.

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  2. Oh you are so lucky to have seen this monumental painting. Despite some beef back and forth I thought most agreed it is Raphael. I love Art so much and used to look at painting when I was 4 years old(my favourite when I was little was Ruben's "Rape of the Sabine Women"-I did not know what that meant-I just loved the colours and how he created the lush fabric. Anyhoo I got off topic. Wonderful to have seen this-I am envious

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    1. Not off-topic (to me!) - when I see a special piece of sculpture it is often the fabric that draws me to it.

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  3. When I see a painting I like, I want to stand in front of it and take it in slowly. So many "Tourist Tours" don't give you enough time. BTW - how do you know that's Raphael?

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    1. I have several books on art and have read it more than once and I watched Sister Wendy-a great series where this nun talks about Art. I watch any type of art documentary and this is one of the key paintings they often talk about so it seems most are in agreement that it is him-may not be 100% but I go with what I have read and seen:) You are lucky to have seen this. I know what you mean about just taking in a painting. They can bring me to tears

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    2. I prefer to believe it is him!

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  4. Such rich colours and wonderful to know that you can actually take photographs to be able to enjoy them all again at home. So many places these days have restrictions on photography and it is so frustrating.
    Ann

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