The Vatican Museums
This three-disc set (five chapters per disc) introduces the Vatican Museums, discusses the origins of Christian art, and views Vatican City artwork (Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Etruscan). The Sistine Chapel, Raphael rooms, Loggia, Ethnological Museum, Apostolic Palace, Historical Museum at St. John Lateran, and Great Basilica are among the toured sites. An overview of the respective museum accompanies information on the various artworks found within each… the visual transitions and music choices are exceptional, and the extensive coverage offers viewers an important visual record of extraordinary artworks. Suggested for large public library art history and travel collections. --BooklistAlthough a visit to Vatican City would be a wonderful experience, this ambitious and handsomely packaged 8-volume roam through the city s museums and buildings is a) much less expensive than a real trip, b) offers a guided tour, and c) uses supporting contextual footage not found in your Fodor (print) handbook. We watched the sixth volume, The Ethnological Museum & The Picture Gallery, which featured a host of well-known (and lesser known) artworks chronicling, in essence, the pictorial history of Christianity, as well as a fascinating overview of religion in non-European cultures (examining death rites, conceptions of deities, and worship habits). As the program traces the early seeds of Christianity in these colonized countries, the artistic artifacts shown (initially, copies of European Christian symbolism) gradually give way to indigenous interpretations of Christianity. In one notable and symbolically complex example, we see a beautifully carved crucifix which depicts Christ bound to a cross comprised of African slaves. A thought-provoking series, this is sure to be quite popular in both academic and general collections. Three Stars. --Video LibrarianThis eight volume series showcases Roman, Etruscan, Greek, and Egyptian art in the various Vatican museums; the origins of Christian art and the Sistine Chapel; the Raphael Rooms. the Loggia and the Historical Museum at St.John Lateran; the Ethnological Museum and the Picture Gallery; the collection of modern religious art and the Apostolic Palace; and the Vatican City itself, including the Great Basilica. …a tour-de-force that will inform and dazzle the viewer. …especially recommended as a superb memorial fund acquisition for school or public library video collections. --Wisconsin Bookwatch