Speaker A
A 500-year-old mystery at the Vatican has just been solved.
CNN uncovers two lost 500-year-old oil paintings by Raphael in the Vatican's Hall of Constantine during restoration work.
Key Takeaways
- Raphael's lost oil paintings have been rediscovered after 500 years in the Vatican.
- The discovery was made possible through advanced restoration and imaging techniques.
- This find represents a major art historical and cultural breakthrough.
- Restoration projects can reveal hidden masterpieces and deepen understanding of Renaissance art.
- Research and restoration in the Vatican continue to hold promise for future discoveries.
Summary
- Two previously unknown oil paintings by Renaissance master Raphael were discovered in the Vatican's Hall of Constantine.
- The paintings depict the female figures Justice and Friendship and were part of an unfinished project by Raphael.
- Raphael planned to paint the entire wall in oil, a departure from the traditional fresco technique.
- The paintings were lost among later frescoes and only identified during recent cleaning and restoration efforts.
- Infrared imaging confirmed the paintings' unique oil technique and absence of preparatory drawings.
- Historical clues from Vasari's 15th-century writings hinted at the existence of these works.
- Fabio Piacentini, a chief restorer, expressed the emotional impact of rediscovering what may be Raphael's last works.
- Barbara Jatta, head of the Vatican Museums, called the restoration one of the most important projects since the Sistine Chapel.
- Restoration is ongoing and expected to continue until at least 2022.
- The discovery highlights the potential for further significant art finds within the Vatican.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
The Renaissance painter Raphael, who painted these famous frescoes in three rooms at the Vatican, began work on another room before his death.
Speaker A
But those paintings had never been found until now.
Speaker A
So coming from the three rooms that Raphael painted, we're now in the Hall of Constantine.
Speaker A
This room was used for lavish banquets by Renaissance Popes, and right now they're cleaning and restoring its frescoed walls, and they've made a once-in-a-lifetime discovery.
Speaker A
Two paintings by the master Raphael, depicting the female figures Justice and Friendship.
Speaker A
Raphael planned to paint the whole wall in oil instead of the traditional fresco technique.
Speaker A
But died before he could finish, and the figures were lost amidst the frescoed paintings done after him.
Speaker A
One of the Vatican's chief restorers, Fabio Piacentini, explains the thrill of their rediscovery.
Speaker B
It's an amazing feeling, knowing these were probably the last things he painted, you almost feel the real presence of the maestro.
Speaker A
A first clue to the existence of these paintings is found in this book from the 15th century, written by the historian Vasari.
Speaker A
Who said that Raphael had begun to paint two figures in a new experiment with oil.
Speaker A
But for centuries they remained unidentified in the Vatican.
Speaker A
Until they began cleaning these walls, to the expert eye, it was clear that these two figures were not like the others.
Speaker B
The way the paintbrush moves, even the subtlety of the point of the brushes used to create the small wisps of hair.
Speaker A
He says that clues that this is a genuine Raphael are seen in the confidence of the brushwork.
Speaker A
The unusual shades of color and the fact that there is no sign on these two figures of a preparatory drawing underneath.
Speaker A
This infrared photo confirmed to the restorers that these two figures were not like the rest, the oil paintings clearly showing through in this advanced technology.
Speaker A
For the head of the Vatican Museums, Barbara Jatta, the discovery is a major one, restoring the Raphaels in the whole room will take them until at least the year 2022.
Speaker C
She's probably one of the most important projects ever done in the last decades, apart from the Sistine Chapel.
Speaker C
Done, done in the Vatican Museums.
Speaker A
With so much history and artwork here, could there be yet other major discoveries?
Speaker C
But this is the beautiful thing of projects, of different projects.
Speaker C
So we are still working on that, we are still searching.
Speaker C
I mean, research, that's the, that's the good point of the research.
Speaker C
It never ends.
Speaker A
Delia Gallagher, CNN, Vatican City.
Topics:RaphaelVaticanRenaissance artoil paintingsHall of Constantineart restorationfrescoVasariart discoveryCNN
