Picture
1899 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This picture is signed with the initials R.F.S.P which stands for Reveranda Fabrica Sancti Petri - the administration responsible for the conservation and maintenance of St Peter's Basilica which includes the Vatican workshop. Augusto Moglia was involved in the restoration of some of the mosaics in Saint Peter's Basilica during his time at the Vatican Workshop, using the traditional mosaic technique. Here, he used the more desired technique of micromosaics to depict these newly-restored mosaics, and the picture was probably made for tourist demand or a diplomatic gift.
The mosaic shows the interior of Saint Peter at the end of the 19th century. The picture's viewpoint is set next to one of the crossing pillars of the basilica overlooking Gianlorenzo Bernini's baldacchino and the bronze figure of Saint Peter by Arnolfo di Camobio. This viewpoint is comparable to that of another mosaic in the Gilbert Collection that was created on commission of Pope Leo XIII (see Loan:Gilbert.121-2008). While this second work depicts an extremely busy Saint Peter's with people attending the Pope's blessing, Moglias's interior depicts a much quieter moment with only a very few figures interspersed against the large architectural backdrop.
The work is identified as a product of the Vatican Workshop with the letters R.F.S.P. for Reverenda Fabbrica Sancti Pietri next to the signature in red tesserae. In its present condition however, the mosaic remains a bit of a mystery: steel as backing material is rather unusual, as is the absence of a paper label of the Vatican workshop that one would expect to find on a work from this period. Nonetheless the signature on the mosaic leaves no doubt that the piece was made for this institution. Another unexpected find is that part of the backing in the left-hand corner of the mosaic has been replaced, and upon closer inspection, spots with slight differences in the colours of the tesserae can be detected in this area. Such anomalies could be evidence of a restoration of the mosaic - this in turn would explain the absence of a Vatican Workshop label.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
The mosaic shows the interior of Saint Peter at the end of the 19th century. The picture's viewpoint is set next to one of the crossing pillars of the basilica overlooking Gianlorenzo Bernini's baldacchino and the bronze figure of Saint Peter by Arnolfo di Camobio. This viewpoint is comparable to that of another mosaic in the Gilbert Collection that was created on commission of Pope Leo XIII (see Loan:Gilbert.121-2008). While this second work depicts an extremely busy Saint Peter's with people attending the Pope's blessing, Moglias's interior depicts a much quieter moment with only a very few figures interspersed against the large architectural backdrop.
The work is identified as a product of the Vatican Workshop with the letters R.F.S.P. for Reverenda Fabbrica Sancti Pietri next to the signature in red tesserae. In its present condition however, the mosaic remains a bit of a mystery: steel as backing material is rather unusual, as is the absence of a paper label of the Vatican workshop that one would expect to find on a work from this period. Nonetheless the signature on the mosaic leaves no doubt that the piece was made for this institution. Another unexpected find is that part of the backing in the left-hand corner of the mosaic has been replaced, and upon closer inspection, spots with slight differences in the colours of the tesserae can be detected in this area. Such anomalies could be evidence of a restoration of the mosaic - this in turn would explain the absence of a Vatican Workshop label.
Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Materials and techniques | Micromosaic with slate surround on metal, and wooden frame |
| Brief description | Interior of St Peter's Basilica. Micromosaic, Rome. Augusto Moglia, 1899. |
| Physical description | Rectangular micromosaic depicting the interior of St. Peter's Basilica, showing the area below the dome. In the centre foreground the architectural baldachin over the main altar is visible. On the right a boy and a woman with an infant stand before the seated bronze statue of Saint Peter; mosaic with slate frame set on metal backing, in 20th century giltwood frame |
| Dimensions |
|
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London |
| Object history | Provenance: Christie's, London, lot 74, 10/05/1990. |
| Historical context | Micromosaics have their roots in the larger mosaics of ancient Rome used to decorate their walls and floors. The first micromosaics were created in the 18th century, but it was not until Arthur Gilbert himself became interested in collecting them and invented the term 'micromosaics' that they became known as such. The tesserae are minute pieces cut from thin pieces of glass known as smalti filati, and some of the finest micomosaics can consist of as many as 5,000 tesserae per square inch (ca. 3 by 3cm). By the late 18th century Rome had become central to the production of micromosaics and sold them as souvenirs to wealthy foreigners visiting the city. From small elegant snuffboxes to large monumental tabletops, micromosaics could be used to decorate objects of all shapes and sizes. They could even be made to resemble full-sized canvas paintings, and indeed Arthur Gilbert himself mistook his very first micromosaic for a painting. When he brought it home to show his wife, he had to convince her that it was not in fact a cracked painting, as she supposed, but a mosaic. |
| Production | Vatican Mosiac Workshop, Rome |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Places depicted | |
| Summary | This picture is signed with the initials R.F.S.P which stands for Reveranda Fabrica Sancti Petri - the administration responsible for the conservation and maintenance of St Peter's Basilica which includes the Vatican workshop. Augusto Moglia was involved in the restoration of some of the mosaics in Saint Peter's Basilica during his time at the Vatican Workshop, using the traditional mosaic technique. Here, he used the more desired technique of micromosaics to depict these newly-restored mosaics, and the picture was probably made for tourist demand or a diplomatic gift. The mosaic shows the interior of Saint Peter at the end of the 19th century. The picture's viewpoint is set next to one of the crossing pillars of the basilica overlooking Gianlorenzo Bernini's baldacchino and the bronze figure of Saint Peter by Arnolfo di Camobio. This viewpoint is comparable to that of another mosaic in the Gilbert Collection that was created on commission of Pope Leo XIII (see Loan:Gilbert.121-2008). While this second work depicts an extremely busy Saint Peter's with people attending the Pope's blessing, Moglias's interior depicts a much quieter moment with only a very few figures interspersed against the large architectural backdrop. The work is identified as a product of the Vatican Workshop with the letters R.F.S.P. for Reverenda Fabbrica Sancti Pietri next to the signature in red tesserae. In its present condition however, the mosaic remains a bit of a mystery: steel as backing material is rather unusual, as is the absence of a paper label of the Vatican workshop that one would expect to find on a work from this period. Nonetheless the signature on the mosaic leaves no doubt that the piece was made for this institution. Another unexpected find is that part of the backing in the left-hand corner of the mosaic has been replaced, and upon closer inspection, spots with slight differences in the colours of the tesserae can be detected in this area. Such anomalies could be evidence of a restoration of the mosaic - this in turn would explain the absence of a Vatican Workshop label. Sir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996. |
| Bibliographic references |
|
| Other numbers |
|
| Collection | |
| Accession number | LOAN:GILBERT.122:1-2008 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | June 26, 2008 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
