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The Patrons of the in the Vatican are dedicated to Northwest Chapter the restoration, conservation and preservation of the works of housed in the multiple historic Patrons of the Arts in the galleries of the smallest country in the world. The PAVM aims to make art accessible to all and is committed to interpretation and . Issue 2 • Fall 2014 About the Patrons Our First Chapter Trip to The Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums are a unique group of people supporting the preservation April 2015 and perpetuation of the vast and unique of How We Put the Trip art contained in the Vatican Museums. Together: an Insider’s View, “New- The Patrons provide the main source of revenue for ness” and a Fun Art Focus! the Vatican Museums’ art restoration projects which An Insider’s View. The mission of NW include and sacred art from all traditions as PAVM, like that of all the Patron Chapters, a method to reach out to the thousands of visitors is to restore and protect the art in the Vati- that come each day. We also fund various artistic can museums. This trip is designed to thank and educational experiences for children and the us, as patrons, and to increase our sense of visually and hearing impaired, marking the first of connectedness with the museums, especially their kind in . the world class restoration work performed The Vatican Museums are the main generator of there. funds for the State as all papal masses and Our friends at Corporate Travel (the audiences are free of admission and entrance travel agency that organizes trips for many into St. Peter’s is gratis. Most people are chapters, including ours) and at the Pa- unaware that revenue from the ticket sales are only trons Office in the Vatican, have beenvery able to cover basic maintenance, insurance, security gracious to develop an absolutely amazing and staff, leaving little money for itinerary with unbelievable insider access. restoration or modernization. Highlights of Northwest PAVM We are justifiably proud about the res- That’s where the Patrons have played a valuable and Visit to Rome toration work our chapter is funding in the unique role. Patrons have raised the funds to restore April 25 - May 1, 2015 important Belvedere Courtyard, in many ways the nucleus of the Vatican collec- some of the most famous artistic treasures, such as: - Private after-hours tours of the tion. After the museums closes, we will be The Pauline Chapel Vatican Museums and - Private Cocktail Party in the treated to a private cocktail reception in The Rooms Belvedere Courtyard the Belvedere Courtyard (as well as an after The -Private Candlelight Dinner in the hours tour of portions of the museums Frescoes on the lateral walls of the Sistine Chapel Vatican Museums themselves). That same day, we will have a -Private Event at the Borghese private tour ofh the Sistine Chapel as well as All Patrons are able to stroll through the Vatican - Reserved seating at the Papal Audience a candlelight dinner in the museums! On yet Gardens, tour the Sistine Chapel privately, and tour - Behind the scenes visit to the the restoration laboratories buried deep restoration laboratories at the within . Vatican Museums Our Patrons are divided into local chapters that host - Art Tour - Private Tour of the Centuries Old Mosaic a variety of amazing and unrivalled events in the School that Created the Mosaics in St. local area to encourage enthusiasm for the arts. Peter’s Basilica - Scavi Tour beneath St. Peter’s Basilica For more information and - Special Tour of the Barracks membership benefits go to: - Mass Celebrated by Cardinal Bertello, Rome Office President of the Vatican City - Tour Papal Gardens in , www.vatican-patrons.org only recently opened to the public Northwest Chapter - Tour the newly opened S. Rosa Scavi The 30th Anniversary NWPatron’s Group visits www.nwpatrons.com with the restorer and in the Belevedere See Complete Itinerary PDF attached to this email Courtyard continued on page 2 people can enjoy the Other Related Websites of Interest Rome April 2015 wonderful park- Continued from page 1 like setting. We will http://smarthistory.khanacademy.org/caravaggio- another day, we will be guests at a lunch in visit the gardens in matthew.html the Vatican. the afternoon and http://www.italiannotebook.com/art-archaeology/ Although neither Rick nor I would ever follow-up our visit caravaggio-maddalena-ecstasy/ had guessed it, when other chapters have with a superb dinner visited the Vatican, the tour of the Swiss overlooking nearby Gardens at Castel Gondolfo looking at , not mosaics). Our pri- Guards barracks gets rave Lake Albano. vate tour of the Basilica will be followed by reviews. It is another “insider” A Fun Art Focus. Since we are an art- a private tour of the famous mosaics school experience because they are based organization, we thought it would so we can learn at close range how the mo- obviously closed to the public. be fun to have an art focus to our tour. We saics are constructed and restored. Although tens of thousands selected the artist Antonio Caravaggio. If Are you coming? We hope you can of people can attend a papal his own life story was not exciting enough, travel with us on this trip of a lifetime. audience when it is held out- we will be able to visit Caravaggio pieces Even for people who have traveled to Rome side, we should have very nice not only in before, this trip seats reserved as “guests of the the Vatican will offer a truly Vatican City.” muse- insider’s view The most successful Patron Chapters ums, but of the Vatican, are, like our chapter, comprised of people elsewhere together with from a variety of faith traditions or from in Rome. some new and no particular faith tradition. We make a Several really interest- big effort to be sensitive to that. There will are within ing experiences. be opportunities to attend Mass, but they walking Even if you are not a serious art student, are purely optional. One Mass, however, distance we think that it will be fun to learn about is another “insiders” experience: Cardinal of our Caravaggio (he was a character!), art restora- Bertello, the president of the Vatican City, The Calling of St. Matthew, wonder- tion and really wonderful mosaics. Although by Caravaggio has offered to celebrate a private Mass for ful hotel, there will be plenty of memorable dining us in the Vatican City. the Grand Hotel de la Minerve! We’ve also experiences for the whole group, we have arranged a tour of the , left parts of the itinerary open so that you which includes not only art by Caravag- can explore gio, but a stunning collection of . Rome in smaller There will be a private cocktail party for us groups as well. at the Galleria Borghese as well. We hope to see Since our Chapter is in the “art resto- you there in ration business” (so to speak), a private Rome in Spring tour of the Vatican museums restoration of 2015 on our laboratories is not only a must, but an first chapter trip! incredible treat. Museums from all over the - Tom James, Co-Chair, NW PAVM world, including the , come to visit To Register and observe these laboratories. We will get (l) The Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s for the April 2015 NW PAVM (r) Cardinal Bertello to see them up close and I mean, REALLY up close. Trip to Rome Newness. Many of you have been to Complete the form in the Rome before. This trip, however, will give attached itinerary you the opportunity to see things that will probably be new even to experienced travel- ers. If you have never been on a tour of the SAVE THE DATE Scavi (the excavations below St. Peter’s Ba- for our next silica, including an ancient Roman cemetery that houses the tomb of St. Peter), trust me, NW Patron’s Event this will be one of the most memorable ex- periences one can have on a trip to Rome! Sunday, January 18, 2015 To top that off, we will also see the newly The Restoration Laboratories Steve Jensen Studio open Santa Rosa Scavi, which has been Whether this is your first trip to St. 1424 10th Avenue the source of exciting international press, Peter’s Basilica or you have been there many particularly in travel circles. times, you have to be struck by the gor- Seattle As you have probably read, Francis geous mosaics, including the sheer volume 3 - 5 p.m. has opened up the gardens of Castel of them in the Basilica (unfortunately, some Invitation to follow Gondolfo, the papal summer residence, so people visit the Basilica and think they are http://www.stevejensenstudios.com Belvedere Perseus page 3 NW PAVM 2015 Project Update The restoration of Artist: Unknown our first project, the Date: Hadrian period, I-II Century AD marble statue of Per- Dimensions: 195cm - 6ft 4in seus, carved in late Materials: White Marble 1800 - early 1801 by , is al- Hermes was an Olympian god of Greek mythol- most complete. These ogy, son of Zeus and the Pleiad Maia. Known as the photographs are a messenger of the gods, he was quick and cunning and small hint at the beauty of this and show the difference between the cleaned and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and di- restored marble and its “before” conditon vine as an intercessor. He was protector and patron of (square swatches). travelers, herdsmen, thieves, orators, literature, poets, Why hasn’t this statue athletes, sports, inventors, and tradesmen. Hermes was been seen yet by the a notorious trickster and outwitted other gods for his public? Because Vati- own satisfaction or the sake of humankind. His attri- can Restorers are still butes and symbols include the herma, the rooster and working to find a way the tortoise, a satchel, winged sandals and a winged cap, to make the pedestal yet his main symbol was the herald’s staff—the Greek earthquake-proof without changing the exterior of the pedestal. kerykeion or caduceus, which consisted of two The conservators are hoping to be able to snakes wrapped around a winged staff. In the Roman use the same solution on future restorations of pantheon Hermes was named Mercury. statuary. Rest assured, whether the statue is on The origin and discovery of this Hermes statue is display to the public still not completely clear. Some documents state that in April 2015 or not, the Hermes was found between 1540 and 1543 in the you will be able Vigna Pallini near Castel St. Angelo not far from the to see it when the Vatican in the original mausoleum of Hadrian. The second theory of Pirro Ligorio was NW PAVM enjoys a that it was found during the pontificate of Paul III (1534-1549) at St. Martino ai Monti. private cocktail party In 1543, the statue was purchased by Paul III to decorate a niche in the Belvedere and in the Belvedere around 1560 was heavily restored by Guglielmo Della Porta. For many years it was Courtyard. identified with the , the favorite Greek youth and member of the entourage of the Emperor Hadrian. The alleged Antinous was later recognized as Hermes. In this Frequently Asked Questions work, he is represented in a rather thoughtful stance, mantel thrown over his left shoul- der and forearm folded, waiting to accompany the deceased in the afterlife. This wonder- How do I join PAVM? ful statue of Hermes is a Roman copy of the original from the school of Praxiteles (late Questions? contact Tom James classical period, 4th cent. BC). [email protected] Years later, Poussin saw in it as an aesthetic canon of ideal proportions. Winckelmann or Rick Altig [email protected] recognized it as a statue “of the first class” and expressed much admiration for what he How much does it cost? proclaimed “undoubtedly one of the most beautiful heads of a young man from Antiq- $600 per individual per year uity.” In 1683, Gérard Audran included it in his collection of engravings representing the $250 for junior membership (35 years Proportions of the Human Body Measured from the Most Beautiful of Antiq- of age and under) per year uity, meant for young sculptors. Oliver Cromwell acquired a bronze copy by Hubert Le Your tax deductible donation supports Sueur that had previously been a part of the collection of Charles I of . Other the Vatican Museums’ preservation rulers, such as Louis XIV of and Peter the Great, also obtained copies of the efforts.Your membership supports restora- Hermes. Copies of this work can also be found in art academies, such as those of Milan tion work, conservation projects, equip- and ment for the restoration laboratories, and . specialized restorers. What are the benefits of belonging to STATE OF PRESERVATION: PAVM? The restoration is particularly urgent. The statute needs a new stable support and the old glue used Patrons receive many exclusive benefits during the previous restoration must be replaced. The old glue is significantly damaging the statue in addition to the privilege of preserving and causing marble to detach. one of the world’s greatest collections of art, now and for years to come. RESTORATION PROCESS INCLUDES: • Diagnosis of state of the statue and pedestal • Possible recreation of the pedestal Standard Member Privileges • Scientific Research As visiting Patrons in the Vatican, guests • Documentation with 3D laser scanner • Photographic documentation are received in the Office of the Patrons • Stratigraphic analysis of the Arts in the Apostolic . They • Cleaning and consolidation of the surface are provided with: • Removal and replacement of iron nails with fiberglass, steel or new titanium materials (continued on page 4) from the 2014 Wishbook - http://www.vatican-patrons.org/hermes-3-541 page 4 (FAQ continued from page 3) Portland News •No waiting in line for entrance into the Museums - early entrance before the Oregon Hosts First Event Museums open Jennifer Lamb learned about PAVM while visiting the Vatican. She was •Complimentary tour of the Vatican so excited about the organization that she has lead the Patrons effort in Museums with a private, selected, Oregon. She and her husband, Bob, hosted Unveiling: ’s Vatican Museum Pieta on July 13 at the Lawrence Gallery in Mc- •Complimentary entrance into the Minnville, OR. Vatican Museums Michelangelo considered •Invitation to view areas of the Museums the Pieta to be the consum- closed to the public mate expression of both his personal talent and the •Viewing of a restoration in progress at divine inspiration that he the Restoration Laboratories alongside believed to be the guiding the Restorer hand behind his work. This •Tickets to a Papal Audience with special is the only sculpture he access seating ever signed. The Vatican •A visit to the International Director’s Foundation has licensed office located in the Arte Divine, represented by Lawrence Gallery, as •Special access to St. Peter’s Basilica At the Lawrence Gallery Opening, July 13. Jennifer Lamb, the exclusive distributor of •Entrance into the Vatican Gardens Lisa Altig and Cassandra Webster. the Carrera casting, made from molds taken from the •30% Discount at all Vatican Museum original. The result is precisely accurate and faithful to the original in every Gift Shops nuance and detail. We wish the new members of the Portland Chapter a warm welcome, •Subscription to The Vatican Museums successful future, and many years of enjoyment with their involvement in the Report from the International Director at Patrons Group. the Vatican If you live in Oregon, or have friends who might be interested in learning •Subscription to PAVM eNewsletter more, please contact: [email protected] •Invitation to Vatican ceremonies for LIKE us on important restoration unveilings that share in the legacy and heritage of the art of Facebook! the Vatican Museums Look who was •Membership in local Patrons Chapter featured on the and invitations to local and international Patrons of the Arts events in the Vatican Mu- seums’ Facebook How is my money handled? page on Septem- Membership dues and other contribu- ber 15, 2014. Be tions are controlled by the local chapter, sure to “friend” which selects restoration projects from the annual Vatican Wishbook. Projects are PAVM Rome and selected for the Wishbook by the look for frequent of their respective departments. updates on what is going on in Father Do I need to be Catholic to join PAVM? Mark’s office and No. Patrons come from all over the world, in the restoration representing various religious back- laboratories. grounds and bringing different experi- ences to the Patrons Chapters throughout North America and . While the “Jennifer Lamb, President of our Northwest Chapter in Portland, visited us along with collections are stored at the Vatican and, her friend after an eventful trip to . So lovely to see you! Your help with the historically, the church sponsored artists Patrons in Portland has been invaluable!” for many years, our mission is to preserve and restore artwork, creating an ongoing legacy of art to all future generations. Check Out Our New Chapter Website: www.nwpatrons.com