Raffael Santi d´Urbino

Title

Raffael Santi d´Urbino

Description

Loggie di Rafaele nel Vaticano, with representations of pilasters from the Vatikan Loggias which Raffael has configured

ca. 1775

Artist

Volpato (1735-1803)

Giovanni Volpato (1735–1803) was an Italian engraver. He was also an excavator, dealer in antiquities and manufacturer of biscuit porcelain figurines. Giovanni Volpato was born in Bassano del Grappa. He received his first training from his mother, an embroiderer, and then studied under Giovanni Antonio Remondini. In 1762 he went to Venice and worked with Joseph Wagner and Francesco Bartolozzi, engraving several plates after Piazzetta, Mariotto, Amiconi, Zuccarelli, Marco Ricci and others.

Historical Description

Illustrations of the famous paintings were already made by Raphael's contemporaries. Especially in the course of the rediscovery of the Renaissance by neoclassicism in the 18th and 19th centuries, however, the frescoes were considered exemplary for architects and draftsmen. - In addition to the overview panorama, the depictions show elaborately detailed pilasters, paneling, ceiling elements, and two doorways with floral, figural, and architectural motifs. In the places that had been destroyed by weathering and wear in the original frescoes, Valpato and Ottaviani took the liberty of replacing them with elements from the wall hangings in the Vatican designed by Raphael. In 1509 Donato Bramante began the construction of three-story arcades on three sides of the Cortile di San Damaso (Damaus Courtyard) in the Vatican Palace. After his death, Raphael completed the complex in 1514. The second-floor loggia on the west side was decorated by Raphael and his collaborators between 1517 and 1519. Giulio Romano and Giovanni da Udine were especially active here. The basic idea was an ornamental decoration, especially of the pilasters, and a pictorial painting of the vaults with scenes from the Bible. The design was inspired by ancient decorations discovered in vaults under the ruins of the Baths of Titus. 13 vaults showed a brilliant combination of stucco and painting, of image and ornament. The Raphael team created an overwhelming variety of forms and motifs with enormous ingenuity in detail. The passage has gained great fame and importance as "Raphael's loggias". Regarding the dissemination of Raphael's pictorial ideas by means of prints, it can be said that for a long time almost exclusively the biblical scenes were reproduced. This happened especially in the 17th century with several complete editions. The pillar and vault decorations with their pioneering grotesque painting remained almost unnoticed for a long time. Against this background, the comprehensive graphic series "Loggie di Rafaele nel Vaticano", which was edited in the 1770s, is of utmost importance. With it, for the first time, almost the complete loggia design was available in high quality illustrations. Initially, since the late 1760s, Giovanni Ottaviani had worked with the painter Gaetano Savorelli and the architect Pietro Camporesi. The importance of their undertaking is evidenced by the fact that Pope Clement XIII (1758-1769) had given his approval. In 1772 Giovanni Volpato and then Ludovico Teseo joined them.