Vatican City, Italy (Enclave of Rome): Vatican Museums: Gallery of Tapestries: Massacre of the Innocents
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Authors
Sheppard, Beth M.
Issue Date
20-May-19
Type
Image
Language
Keywords
Italy , Vatican City , Rome , Vatican Museums , Musei Vaticani , Art Museums , Sacred Art , Church Art , Greek Antiquities , Roman Antiquities , Gallery of Tapestries , Galleria Degli Arazzi , Raphael , Massacre of the Innocents , Slaughter of the Innocents , Life Cycle of Christ , Tapestries
Alternative Title
Abstract
The photo shows a tapestry designed by Raphael within the Gallery of Tapestries (Galleria degli Arazzi), which is part of the Vatican Museums. These are public museums that display about 20,000 of 70K works collected by the Catholic Church and the papacy throughout the centuries. The museums were founded by Pope Julius II in the early 16th century. Only the Louvre in France receives more annual visitors than the Vatican Museums. The museums consist of 24 galleries, with the Sistine Chapel being the last room visited. The tapestry pictured is from the left side of the gallery, which features a life cycle of Christ through twelve tapestries designed by Raphael and hung in chronological order. The first six cover Christ's childhood. The photographed tapestry is one of three disturbing depictions of the "Massacre of the Innocents" (or, "Slaughter of the Innocents"), in which mothers tried in vain to save their newborns as the babies were snatched and killed. The Bible says that the murders were ordered by King Herod, who had learned of the Messiah's birth.
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License
CC BY-NC-SA 4.0