The art of papal Rome: exhibiting now at the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa.

In a year when it seems the Papacy is under attack by the media for everything it does or says, it is a welcome relief that it is being recognized on Canada's national stage for its contribution to culture and beauty. In fact, the National Post devoted an entire page to it in its May 28th Arts and Entertainment section.

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From May 29 until September 7, the National Gallery of Canada has mounted an exclusive exhibit of over 150 priceless paintings and drawings (of which twenty-five come from the National's own collection) which owe their very existence to various popes of the 16th century. The exhibit, named "From Raphael to Carracci: The Art of Papal Rome" gives viewers a rare window into the Papacy's role as a positive and indispensible patron of the arts, fostering a rich and precious collection of paintings and drawings now available to the world. Well-known artists include Michelangelo, E1 Greco, Raphael, Giorgio Vasari and Annibale Carracci. Half of the works have a religious theme, the other half display other artistic influences in Roman society of that era.

The popes, beginning with Julius II in 1503 and concluding with Clement VIII in 1606, used their enlightened patronage of art in the Western world for two reasons. The first was that they saw art as a vehicle through which Bible stories and religious truths could be conveyed. It was the same impetus that led to the creation of beautiful stained glass windows in churches. For most of the inhabitants of the medieval world, literacy was not common, so that learning had to come through the eye as well as the ear. The papacy also had another motive--to restore Rome from the backwater it had become to a Renaissance cultural centre of the Western world.

Because the 16th century papacy was wealthy in worldly goods, land and power, the popes were much sought after by rising artists as patrons, able to pay for commissioned works and also to attract new patrons because of their influence. Fortunately, many of these works subsidized by the Catholic Church survive today, although scattered in public and private collections world-wide. Those on display in this exhibit come from the public and private collections of ten different countries and reflect the individual preferences of each pope.

In a recent interview, the Gallery's Chief Curator, David Franklin, was quoted as saying, "Each pontiff had a certain regime of style. With the first popes like Julian II and Leo X, there is a great interest in Raphael and the Florentine artists, a style that focused on the human body and ... ancient art. It was very grand," Later popes are very anti-secular, according to Franklin, "so the rooms seem to close in on you and the images are more forbidding ... austere, focused on the martyrs." Towards the end of the 16th century, there is more light and a return to "more emotional principles." Franklin observes that the generous sponsorship of Sun Life Financial Inc., a modern-day patron of the arts, made the exhibit possible.

The Petrobelli Altarpiece

One of the outstanding works is the Petrobelli Altarpiece by Paolo Veronese. He ranks with Titian and Tintoretto as one of the great Venetian triumvirate of late Renaissance painters, particularly for his ability to convey colour and an extraordinary incandescence in his work. The presence of the altarpiece here is almost a miracle in itself. It is a tale of mystery, intrigue, criminality and incredible restorative work by our own Canadian experts.

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Veronese was commissioned in 1563 two cousins, Antonio and Girolamo Petrobelli to create a large altarpiece for their family chapel. Working with his craftsmen he fashioned a splendid arched work which had three main groups of figures standing in a triangle--a dead Christ supported by angels, the Petrobelli cousins (representing Sts. Anthony and Jerome) kneeling and receiving blessings from St. Michael, and St. Michael trampling Satan. Two centuries later, the work got into the hands of unscrupulous dealers who realized they could make a larger profit by separating the altarpiece pieces and selling each individually. The result was that one part ended up in the Dulwich Picture Gallery in London, England; another in Scotland's National Gallery; another in our own National Gallery. (A fourth fragment--the head of an angel--ended up at the Blanton Museum in Austin, Texas.) That story reminded me of an exhibit I saw in the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in which some triptychs that had been taken apart were reunited for the first time after hundreds of years of separation.

The piece titled The Dead Christ Supported by Angels was purchased by the first director of the National Gallery in 1925. Unfortunately, while enroute to a previous buyer it had suffered serious damage in its transatlantic crossing, having been placed upside down in salt water! It was so badly damaged that it was stored away in the Gallery's basement since that time. Attempts to restore it were extremely difficult, some experts even wondering if it could be done. But finally, through careful examination of other Veronese paintings owned by the National, it was restored to its former glory through the generosity of Friends and Donors of the Gallery, and now for the first time in hundreds of years all parts of this altar masterpiece are reunited and on display.

The complete story of this exciting work of rescue and restoration can be found in the 480-page catalogue published for this exhibit and available at the National Gallery Bookstore. The book also contains articles by 40 international scholars about the works exhibited and their importance in Western cultural history.

Various special events are scheduled during the run of the exhibit. Workshops on the drawing techniques of the old masters are open to public participation. A free concert by the Ontario Youth Choir on August 27th at 6 pm in the Gallery's Great Hall will feature Baroque selections.

This special exhibit will be on display only at our National Gallery in Ottawa. Audio guides are available for rent for $6. Tickets cost $15 for adults; $12 senior and students, $7 youths 12-19 years and $30 per family (two adults and three children) Children under twelve are admitted free. Hours: 10 am-5 pm and on Thursdays until 8 pm (free admission on Thursday after 5 pm).

Try to view this once-in-a-lifetime exhibit if you want to fill your summer with some special beauty and grace.

(Contact 1-888-541-8888 for information, or Ottawa Tourism www.ottawatourism.ca)

Lorraine Williams is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and of the Writers' Union of Canada.