Vasari Art Codex

article news schedule Dec 22, 2025 visibility 5 link 10 artists, 1 gallery

10 art restorations in 2025 2725850

In 2025, a series of major art restorations unveiled transformative discoveries in masterpieces by Caravaggio, Raphael, and Artemisia Gentileschi, among others. Caravaggio's final work, *The Martyrdom of St. Ursula* (1610), owned by Intesa Sanpaolo, was cleaned ahead of Rome's "Caravaggio 2025" exhibition, revealing hidden faces and a soldier's helmet previously only visible by x-ray. At the Vatican Museums, a decade-long restoration of the Raphael Rooms concluded with the revelation that two allegorical figures in the Hall of Constantine were painted by Raphael himself, not just his assistants, rewriting art history. Meanwhile, Artemisia Gentileschi's *Hercules and Omphale* (ca. 1635–37), damaged in the Beirut explosion, underwent emergency conservation by the Getty.

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article news schedule Jul 22, 2025 visibility 4 link 5 artists, 1 gallery

raphael rooms restoration discovery 2662624

The Vatican Museums have completed the decade-long restoration of the Hall of Constantine, one of the Raphael Rooms, revealing that Renaissance master Raphael himself painted two figures—Justice and Friendship—in the hall, contrary to the long-held belief that the entire room was executed solely by his assistants after his death. Conservators identified Raphael's hand by his distinctive oil-on-resin technique, which differed from the traditional fresco methods used by his assistants Giulio Romano, Gianfrancesco Penni, and Raffaellino del Colle. The discovery was made during a meticulous restoration that began in March 2015 and finished in December 2024.

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article culture schedule Dec 2, 2025 visibility 2 link 6 artists

roman sculpture 2710619

This article explores the rediscovery of Roman sculpture during the Renaissance and its profound influence on artists like Raphael, Donatello, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci. It details how Roman sculptors, inspired by Greek methods after the conquest of Greece in 146 B.C.E., created highly realistic works that served both artistic and political purposes, glorifying emperors and reinforcing imperial power. The piece highlights six iconic Roman sculptures—including the Equestrian Statue of Marcus Aurelius, the Colossus of Constantine, Trajan's Column, and the Augustus of Prima Porta—describing their historical context, artistic features, and enduring legacy.

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article news schedule Mar 3, 2026 visibility 7 link 2 artists

sistine chapel restoration last judgement sweat 2749692

Vatican conservators are currently undertaking a delicate restoration of Michelangelo’s 16th-century masterpiece, The Last Judgement, to remove a white film caused by tourist sweat. The accumulation of lactic acid and calcium carbonate, exacerbated by record-high visitor numbers and rising temperatures, has created a "cataract" effect that obscures the fresco's original vibrancy. Using distilled water and Japanese rice paper, specialists are cleaning the monumental work to reveal long-hidden details in the figures of Christ and the surrounding saints.

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museum exhibitions schedule Jun 30, 2025 visibility 2 link 1 artist

vatican museums restored raphael rooms cleaning project 1234746433

The Vatican Museums have unveiled the final room of the Raphael Rooms in the Apostolic Palace after a decade-long cleaning and restoration. The project revealed that Raphael used a novel mural painting technique, applying oil paint directly to the wall rather than using traditional fresco. Restorers discovered a grid of metal nails embedded in the walls, intended to hold a natural resin surface for the oil paint, confirming earlier reports of this experimental approach. The room, dedicated to the Roman emperor Constantine, was completed by Raphael's students after his death in 1520.

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article local schedule Jul 24, 2025 visibility 4 link 2 artists

Ferris State alumni, faculty, and students recognized among leading regional artists in 2025 West Michigan Area Show

Ferris State University's Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) alumni, faculty, and students have been recognized in the 2025 West Michigan Area Show, a juried exhibition hosted by the Kalamazoo Institute of Arts. The 64th annual competition drew nearly 500 entries from 14 Michigan counties, with 64 selected for inclusion. Eleven pieces by artists with KCAD connections were featured, and three received distinguished awards from juror Hubert Massey, a Detroit-based artist and educator. Notable winners include Lee Ann Frame, who won the Ward H. and Cora E. Nay Director’s Purchase Prize and the Southwest Michigan Printmakers Excellence in Printmaking Award, and Tatsuki Hakoyama, who received The Martin Maddox Prize for Imaginative Realism. Other participants include professor emeritus Jay Constantine, alumni Beth Purdy and Jackson Wrede, and students Sydney Donath and Kaylee Dirkmaat.

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