Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters, Plus More than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and other Artifacts

by Anja Grebe, Ross King (Foreword)

Discover the artistic wonders of the Vatican, from the Sistine Chapel to Raphael's frescoes and much more, with this deluxe slipcased edition of the  New York Times bestselling book  The Vatican: All the Paintings.

The Vatican is home to dozens of museums and palaces which together house one the finest art collections in the world. Every painting and fresco on display in the Vatican museums by the Old Masters—pre-19th century European painting—plus a selection of more than 300 other works of art including modern painting, sculpture, tapestries, and other artifacts, is collected in this unprecedented book.
 
Organized into 22 sections representing the museums and areas of the Vatican, including the Pinacoteca (painting gallery), the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, the Borgia Apartments, the Vatican Palaces, and St. Peter’s Basilica, The Vatican: All the Paintings includes 976 works of art. This slipcased edition features not only Christian art but also includes works from ancient Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, Rome, as well as many other works of religious and secular art right up to and including a selection of 20th century art and artifacts. One hundred and eighty of the most iconic and significant works of art are illuminated by art historian Anja Grebe with discussions on the key attributes of the masterpiece.
 
With an introduction by Ross King, bestselling author of  Brunelleschi's Dome  and  Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceilin g , this stunning collection of nearly 1,000 historic works of art is a must-have for every art lover, student, and armchair traveler.
 

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Italy, Art History, Religion, Reference

542 pages, Hardcover

First published October 22, 2013

Reviews

[BAM doesn’t answer to her real name]

2/18 Y’ALL! I am so upset. The book I got is from the early 70s or something. Old school paper from a school library. Fleeting glimpses of black and white photos and none of what should be there. So guess who requested a return label. Really perturbed

2/6 y'all I bought it! I'm hoping it's a bit of a coffee table book with tons of photos and such. But I just had to get it for that price point. Should come within the week

OMG this book has been on my WATCH FOR IT LIST for over a year it's typically about $65
I just found it for $38. What do I do what do I do
It's still a bit pricey for my current budget but it's half off.... HELP

2/12: EXCEPT NOOOO so it came in the mail today and it is like a 1970 copy that looks like it came from a catholic school library. The pages are brittle and hello. There are none of the photos just some black and whites printed along with the words. This is first time I have ever returned something to ThriftBooks. So disappointed. This was not even worth the half off price I was so excited about.

[Jenifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So helpful. I read this cover to cover following my trip to the Vatican museums. I loved seeing everything in detail and reading the descriptions. I learned a lot from this book, and loved knowing that I was seeing everything that I missed on our tour-guided trip through the museums. If I ever went back to Rome, I would use this book as a review and a great preparatory resource.

One thing; there was one painting that we walked by while in the museum. It caught my eye and caused a physical reaction in me amid all of that great art. It was of two individuals holding a collapsed body. Its decapitated head was on the ground nearby. It had the dark, rich colors of Caravaggio, but I can't find it among his paintings. And it doesn't appear to be in this book, unless my memory is playing tricks on me!!

[Pam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Vatican: All the Paintings: The Complete Collection of Old Masters Plus More Than 300 Sculptures, Maps, Tapestries, and Chief Artifacts is compiled by Anja Grebe and Introduction by Ross King. This magnificent book is simply wonderful. When you can’t go to the Vatican and go through the museum, this is the next to the best thing. In fact, simply that it is in English may push it ahead since unless you are with an English-speaking tour guide or can read Italian, you are lost as to what you are actually seeing. The paintings, etc. are accompanied by explanations and details about the paintings and the artists. It is not a book to sit down and read through at once, it is a book to be savored in small bites as you enjoy your trip through the Vatican.

[Amanda [Novel Addiction] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boy this was huge. But it was gorgeous. I loved being able to see the paintings in detail. Having visited the Vatican, it was great to be able to point to stuff I remember seeing, and be able to spend time really studying it. Since I was part of a tour group, I barely got to spend any time with the works of art.. sigh.

Also included with some of the paintings was some background information, which was much appreciated for a history buff like me.

[Tatiana Friar McDermott · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first time at the Vatican was in 2015. I was simply in awe. I didn’t know much, just that something in me was deeply moved. I couldn’t have guessed that nearly a decade later, I’d begin learning to sculpt—working quietly with clay, trying to understand form, balance, and expression. It’s been a slow and humbling process, but one that’s brought me closer to the kind of beauty I first felt there.

This book, Vatican: All the Paintings, brings me back to that sacred, overwhelming place. For someone like me, still learning and always curious, it’s a reminder of how generous art can be—how it keeps meeting you where you are.

I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Italy almost every year, and no matter where I go, I always find myself drawn back to the Vatican. There’s something about the art there that keeps calling me. I’ve visited those halls so many times, and yet each visit feels like the first—there’s always more to see, more to feel, more to learn.

[William McGlinchey]

Massive, high quality, detailed prints of an incredible collection. The organization is also perfect, could not ask for more out of this.

[Caroline Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book. The quality of the plates is magnificent. I would only wish for more of the large images. The introductory chapter essays and captions are intelligent and concise, and give a lot of information on provenance as well as revealing the evolution of the museums and architecture under the guidance of each pope. Love this book. I wish I owned it.

[Monique Mulligan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply gorgeous. It's heavy (3.5kg roughly) but that highlights the size of the collection in The Vatican. One for art lovers and art historians ... and for those who want to see the museums in the Vatican, but are put off by the 25,000 people who visit there each day.

Beautifully reproduced, with concise commentary.

[Virginia]

Amazing collection of photographs. You see the Sistine Chapel in its entirety as well as individual panels. I used this as a reference while reading Ross King's Michelangelo & the Pope's Ceiling. They really did complement one another.

[Elisha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful photographs and brief descriptions of paintings, sculptures and more housed at the Vatican. A gorgeous, visual book.

[Slightly Devious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another amazing collection of art.

[DuMont Buchverlag · Rating 5 out of 5]

• Die Vatikanischen Museen haben jedes Jahr mehr als 5 Millionen Besucher
• Die umfangreichste Dokumentation eines der wichtigsten Museen der Welt
• Im Schmuckschuber, mit Klapptafeln

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Opening the pages already brings me to a sanctuary. Love to have this for the Home as we cannot yet visit the real place.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heavy tome of a book, this is a picture book of all of the various pieces of art in the Vatican. Most of the book is consumed with paintings, though there are also maps, sculptures, tapestries, and even photographs of the Vatican gardens. There are several pull-out pages scattered throughout the book, including one which details the famous Sistine Chapel. I especially liked that the editors broke down the Sistine Chapel into small sections so that the reader can appreciate the detail in each small bit, which adds up to the whole ceiling. This is more of a coffee table book but an interesting one, especially for the reader who maybe can't afford a trip to the Vatican in person quite yet!