TORONTO, Canada, May 27, 2002 — A major exhibition of priceless, religious masterpieces by some of the world's greatest artists, will travel outside of Italy for the first time this summer, to go on display in Canada. Over 140 artefacts from the Vatican and other Italian collections, will be on view at Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), June 8 to August 11, 2002.
The exhibit will coincide with the 17th World Youth Day celebrations, (July 18 - 28), and the anticipated visit of Pope John Paul II. During this time, hundreds of thousands of visitors from 150 countries are expected to gather to learn about and celebrate their Catholic faith.
The exclusive exhibition, (the ROM is the only venue in the world to host it), is titled "Images of Salvation: Masterpieces from the Vatican and other Italian Collections". Inspired by the Christian faith, the collection will feature paintings, sculptures and liturgical objects from the Vatican Museums, the Italian ecclesiastical museums and other private Italian collections.
Courtesy Royal Ontario Museum
Painting of St. John the Baptist from the Vatican Collection.
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"Images of Salvation" chronicles the birth, origins and history of the Catholic Church, from the creation of the world to the formation of the Vatican Basilica, and features pieces dating from the medieval period to the 20th century. Ancient biblical manuscripts, psalm books, models and drawings will be among the artefacts displayed. The theological concept of salvation weaves together the exhibition, which will include Michelangelo's early drawings for the Sistine Chapel, paintings by masters Guido Reni, Giambattista Tiepolo, and Luca Giordano, exquisite tapestries by Raphael and Rubens, and statues by Bernini and Donatello.
The Vatican Museums trace their roots back to 1471 and the collection on the Campidoglio in Rome, created by Pope Sixtus IV. This collection contained ancient bronze statues with the intention of giving back to the Roman people memories that belonged to them. In 1756 the first museum in the Vatican Museum complex, the Museo Sacro, was opened in Rome. Today's Vatican collection contains the largest assemblage of Greek, Roman and Egyptian antiquities in the world.
The "Images of Salvation" exhibition was curated by a team of Vatican scholars led by Prof. Giovanni Morello, Chairman of the Scientific Committee at the Vatican Museums.
Source: Bible Network News
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