The Weekend in Black and White

This mosaic floor is in the Vatican Museum,
where thousands walk across it every day.
 It does look like it's seen better days—and it has
(worse ones too)!  I was told that it's
actually an ancient Roman floor. 

[To see more b/w photos, visit Dragonstar's meme.]

ABC Wednesday—M is for "Mary"

. . . and also for museum (the Vatican).
This piece of furniture—oversized
desk, armoire, cabinet?—dominates the 
room, which is saying something, 
considering the ornate gilded ceiling and 
the beautifully frescoed walls.

[To see more ABC posts, go here.]

in the Vatican Museum

One of my favorite rooms in the Vatican Museum
is the gallery of maps.  It was commissioned
in 1580 by Pope Gregory XIII, and it took the artist
(Ignazio Danti) three years to complete.
Unfortunately, the last time I was there (in February),
the museum was more crowded than I've
ever seen it—even in July—and this was the only
picture I even tried to take.

[Linking back to Blue Monday
at Magical Mystery Teacher
and to Macro Monday.]

Shadow Shot Sunday

You might not pay that much attention
to the shadows in this room
at the Vatican—it's one of the Raphael
rooms, where he painted his "School of Athens." 

[To see more Sunday Shadows, go here.]

The Weekend in Black and White

The view from one of the windows
at the Vatican Museum.

[To see more b/w images, visit
Dragonstar's meme.]

abc Wednesday—X is for "xenophilia"

xenophilia: an attraction to or love of foreign
people, manners, or [in this case] culture.
The ancient Greeks seen here in a fresco by
Raphael ("The School of Athens") can be
admired in the Vatican Museum.


[To see how others handled the letter X,
visit the abc Wednesday meme.]

Mellow Yellow Monday

These details of "The Coronation of Charlemagne"
are in my favorite part of the Vatican Museum,
the Raphael rooms.  Although Raphael is believed
to have made the design for this composition,
the work was probably done by a couple of artists
from his workshop.  Either way, I think it's stunning.

I also love it when the artist includes
a figure like this,  peering out of
the canvas—usually it's a
self-portrait, so I wonder if
this is Raphael (or one of his
colleagues) as a child.
[See more Mellow Yellow here.]