I am not sure if you all know this about me, but I LOVE to go to museums...art, history, science...I just really enjoy them. Out of all museums, I love ART museums...I was almost an Art major in college...I love the use of color, texture, composition, etc. On Wednesday, I was able to go to one of THE most important museums in Europe...maybe the world...The Vatican Museum. What an amazing opportunity! The kids got to spend time with their Aunt Carolyn and Jamie and I went to the museum...Amazing!
Thanks to my guide book, I bought our tickets online...well worth the extra money to pre-register for your tickets...we bipassed ALL of the lines! Went through security, got our tickets and were on our way before we even new it...we called my ticket voucher 'the magic paper'...
As with just about everything lately, it was not what I was expecting...at all! It was very crowded (apparently the Catholics celebrate the Assumption of Mary on May 14th so there were tons of people there), hot, narrow, you end up in a maze of corridors, stairways, and passageways as you loop through the museum. That being said...it was absolutely amazing!
It almost seemed as if the museum itself was more beautiful than the actual works of art. The decoration of each of the rooms, were absolutely spectacular! The ceilings are ornately decorated, the floors are exquisite, and the amount of marble used is just staggering!
Of course, the art is spectacular...though it is hard to know how wonderful it is...they certainly are not big on signs or telling you what you are looking at! What these artist could do with marble is just staggering!
One of my favorite parts was the flooring (I know it sounds weird), but the tile work is just amazing! They are so detailed and the tiles are so tiny...amazing! Here is a close up of that floor above...
This is from the map room...the ceiling is just amazing...so intricately detailed in everyway!
Now on to the art...again, while I certainly enjoyed the museum, I wasn't too sure what exactly we were looking at! But the parts I did know, were spectular...this pic is from the Raphael rooms...the sheer size is staggering! No wonder people were artists for a lifetime! This is a fresco...the colors were just amazing...
Then when you think that you have seen it all, you walk into the Sistine Chapel...honestly, it is breath-taking! And utterly fascinating...I took a picture before I realized I wasn't supposed to...oops! The painting style is very interesting...forget historical...Rome was the center of the world so all the biblical stories are set in a medditeranean landscape, wearing clothing for that time and place...fascinating!
Thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDelete~Jennie