The Bible, Images and Writing in the Vatican Apostolic Library”

Nr. 4, November-December 2017 he true joy which is experienced in the family is not something random and fortuitous. It is a joy produced by deep harmony among people, which allows them to savour the beauty of being together, of supporting each other on life’s journey. Pope Francis Happy Holidays Architectural “Masks” in the Library The Architect Marco Petreschi has established a friendly relationship with the Vatican Apostolic Li- brary, to which he has recently donated a collection of his own drawings, destined for the General Drawings Collection. Within the group of drawings, we can find designs for an underground library that drew its inspi- ration from the Piranesi style, as well as different architectural projects that stimulate the imagination of even an untrained observer. Professor Petreschi, an academic in Composition- al Architecture in Rome as well as abroad, is a visiting professor and guest lecturer at several universities in America and Europe. It has been said that he is “an author, who, heedless of the trends in style that have traversed Italy in recent decades, has unflinchingly fol- lowed his own path, a path that may be characterized as ironical in its attitude towards current affairs and their claims to power, physical in his affectionate relationship with materials and techniques to master them, subject to design as a complete and aesthetic control of space, never indifferent to history but careful to create a proper distance from it” (L. Molinari, 2007). The architectural proposals of Marco Petreschi are the fruit of a journey undertaken along the roads which span across history; the artisan identifies himself with the eras that he visits, and continues to put on the “dress” of each. The artist explains: “The architectural masks that I wear, which I put on while I draw, are useful to me every time I feel the need to exorcise con- straining circumstances that would limit the creativity of my work. This is a true means of escape from the op- pressive mentality of materialism and speculative eco- nomics. I do everything I can so as not to drown from the boredom, the indifference or the cynicism that pervade our society on a major scale.” His technical expertise blends with both imagination and elements from his strong personal sensitivity, on a journey that produces vivid, engaging and attractive “sights.” Piranesi’s “Another View of the Temple of the Sybil” has been Restored he art piece, “Another View of the Temple of Sybil” (c. 1760) by Giovanni Battista Piranesi (1720-1778), stored in the Ashby Collection (Ashby Stampe Cartella Piranesi 15 (19)), has just been restored thanks to the contribu- tion of Ars Graphica of Rome. This international associa- tion dedicated to culture, aims to create alliances among art historians specialized in prints and drawings, in order to encourage the exchange of ideas, and in particular, to promote the graphic arts as an opportunity for such ex- changes on the scientific and methodological level. This work, which is among the ones that the artist made to represent the monument of the ancient city of Tibur, is part of the great series the “Views of Rome”, which Piranesi began to etch during the second half of the 1740s, and which he continued to embellish in subse- quent years by including the illustrations of monuments outside of Rome, as in this case. Together with the series of the “Prisons”, this piece represents the most famous and well-known work ever produced by the artist. The print, which showed mechanical damages in the margins, as well as tears and holes of various sizes, re- ceived a mechanical cleaning; the tears were mended and the margins reconstructed with thin layers of tissue and paper of the appropriate color and thickness. Sub- sequently, it was flattened with light weights, after being slightly moistened. Thanks to this process, the print has now returned to its former glory. A Virtual Catalogue for Ancient Flemish Prints The Belgian Academy and the Dutch Institute of The works described belong to the Library’s Fon- Rome are promoting an international project begun do Antico, the precious collection established dur- on September 1st, Early modern prints from the Low ing the pontificate of Pius VI Braschi (1775-1799), Countries in Italian collections: A virtual catalogue, and containing over 17,000 prints by artists from the with the objective of creating a virtual catalogue of 15th to the 18th centuries, bound in 161 volumes, Renaissance and Baroque prints from the Nether- thirty of which represent the “Flemish School”. lands kept in Italian collections. The catalogue aims The volumes in the inventory include engravings to provide a useful tool for researchers interested in from the designs of Maarten de Vos (1532-1603), the artistic exchange that began at the time of the Jan van der Straet (1523-1605), Hans Vredeman de Renaissance between Italy and the Netherlands. The Vries (1527-c. 1604), Paul Bril (1554-1626), Piet- project has already begun with the composition of er Stevens (c. 1567-1624?) and Pieter Paul Rubens an inventory formatted in Excel; at a later date, the (1577-1640). Other engravers and editors present in collected data will be arranged in an online database these volumes include: Hieronymus Cock, Crispijn to be improved as the project progresses, with the van de Passe, the Doetecum brothers and members contributions and participation of the various insti- of the Collaert, Sadeler, Galle and Wierix families. tutions involved. The project will take several years to be complet- The Apostolic Library was one of the first institu- ed, but this first phase has already produced good tions to join this initiative, along with the Angelica results along with small “discoveries” related to the Library and the Casanatense Library. In 2017, from composition of the collection itself. It is appropriate September to December, Belgian art historian So- to say, according to the wisdom of Horace, “he who phie Suykens compiled an inventory of 546 prints has begun has the work half done”. preserved in five volumes (Prints V. 107-111). Aegidius Sadeler, after the invention of Paul Bril, “November and December,” 1615. Stampe V. 110 (61) “The Bible, Images and Writing in the Vatican Apostolic Library” A book entitled Bibbia, immagini e Scrittura nella Bib- The Vatican Library possesses many editions of the Bi- lioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Bible, Images and Writing in ble, both in manuscript form and print copies. The most the Vatican Apostolic Library), edited by Ambrogio Piaz- ancient manuscript is the Papyrus Hanna 1, made in the zoni, Vice-Prefect of the Library, has just been published late 2nd/early 3rd century (180-220 C.E.), which consti- by the Jaca Book press. The book was written on the sub- tutes the oldest copy of the Gospels according to Luke and ject of the Bibles that are stored in the collections of the John. The most recent copy in our collection is a beautiful Vatican Apostolic Library. Bible produced by Donald Jackson and arranged in seven largely sized volumes, by which the English New Revised Standard translation has been transcribed and preserved in a splendid facsimile edition. The oldest print edition is the first edition of the Bible published by Johann Gutenberg in Magonza, just after the middle of the 15th century. The Library possesses two copies of that Bible, one of which is made of parchment. The most recent edition (without considering digital copies) was made in 2017: it is an analogical version of the New Vulgate, the official Latin translation for liturgical use in the Catholic Church. The first part of the book focuses on the oldest copies of the text and the widespread circulation of the Bible in various cultures; the second part recounts the often extroar- dinarily beautiful productions of the sacred texts made from Medieval times up to the Renaissance; the third and last part presents the forms and the particular uses of the biblical text from the versions made for readings in Chris- tian liturgy, and the small-sized books used for study and preaching. The Vaticana at the Inauguration of the Museum of the Bible in ashingtonW On November 16th, the Museum of the Bible was in- augurated in Washington D.C., with 40,000 objects dis- played on eight floors, 430,000 squared meters – a museum of truly “biblical” proportions. The Prefect of the Apostolic Library, Msgr. Cesare Pasini, participated in the event, and diverse documents from the Vatican Library were loaned for a temporary exhibition. Within the museum, there is a section called “Vatican Treasures,” an exhibit showcasing pieces from the Vatican Library, which for one year will host some significant of its documents, namely the Barb. lat. 587, and the monumental volumes of the Urbino Bible, Urb. lat. 1-2. with written quotations from the Book of Genesis, The Apostolic Library is also featured in another ex- sculpted in bronze. The journey thus begins on a path hibition called “The Boundless Vanity of All: Ecclesiastes, to discover the biblical world in all of its possible man- Images and Ideas,” with six prints of Giovanni Battista Pi- ifestations; given the museum’s breadth, this path could ranesi on display. last for days and ends with a magnificent view from the To enter the museum, visitors cross the threshold of terrace, featuring a garden full of splendid plants that are the gigantic “Doors of Gutenberg”, which are decorated (serendipitously) biblical. Sixty Years After the Death of the “Great Old Man” Sixty years ago, Giovanni Mercati (1866-1957) passed away. Mercati was a “doctor” of the Ambrosian Library, then “writer” and Prefect (1919-1936) of the Vatican Li- brary, and finally, Cardinal Librarian of the Holy Roman Church (1936-1957).

Load more