A replica of Raphael’s allegorical figures was created
by the Italian painter of classicism Antonio Vigi in the Jasper Drawing Room.
Vigi recreated the figures after the 1837 fire in the new Malachite Hall in the
Winter Palace.
The central figure is called ‘Poetry’ from Raphael’s
series ‘Stanza Della Segnatura’ in the Vatican. I describe in my book Vigi’s
use of the old technique by order of Nicholas I in applying the figures on the
white imitation marble. The seams visible on the wall, misidentified as cracks,
reproduce the appearance of authentic marble.
Photograph (below) of Vigi’s replica of Raphael’s
allegorical figure ‘Poetry’ in the Malachite Hall
Photograph (below) or Raphael’s ‘Poetry’ c1508 in the
Vatican
The cupid on the left holds a tablet with the letters
NVMI NE and on the right AFFLA TVR. What words do the Latin letters represent?
If it was in English, Raphael would be known as another Nostradamus with the
premonition, 300 years in the future, that Nicholas I (N I) and Alexandra (AF) would
reign!
Photographs (below) of ‘Night’ and ‘Day’ allegorical
figures next to ‘Poetry’ in the Malachite Hall
Very interesting; I never knew the background of those images! One thing: in Ukhtomsky's watercolor of the room, there is a large, simple frame - gilded bronze, plaster, or simply painted on, I don't know - that surrounds and contains all three groups. I wonder when and why it was removed, and why it was never restored? (Frankly, I think that wall looks very odd without it.)
ReplyDeleteThe phrase is Latin, numine afflatur and means "inspired by the spirit". The usual word for the Holy Spirit is "spiritus" and "numen"
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. It clarifies for me a part of my book relating to the 2nd floor west section about Nicholas I and Latin!
ReplyDelete