Review of V&A Raphael Cartoons
As museums are still months away from being able to even consider opening, online exhibitions are continuing to grow and enlist more compelling technology. ‘Explore the Raphael Cartoons’ by the Victoria and Albert museum is no exception offering viewers the chance to explore works by Raphael like never before. View here: https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/story-of-the-raphael-cartoons
Raphael Cartoon, The Miraculous Draught of Fishes (Luke 5:1-11), cartoon for a tapestry, by Raphael, about 1515-16, Italy. V&A Courtesy Royal Collection Trust HM Queen Elizabeth II 2021
The Raphael Cartoons are a collection of ten preparatory designs for tapestries depicting key events in the lives of Saint Paul and Saint Peter. In this free online exhibition all seven of the surviving designs have been captured in high resolution colour as well as analysed with infrared and 3D scans. Being able to zoom in and view the smallest flecks and cracks on the painted surface shows the viewer the art in a way that even the human eye could not find if the works were to be displayed in person. In fact, in physical form each cartoon is 5 metres by 3.5 meters, situated behind large glass cases one can imagine that in order to stand back far enough to view a cartoon in its entirety one would have an incredibly different viewing experience.
An online detail in colour and infrared of The Healing of Lame Man, by Raphael, about 1515-16, Italy. V&A Courtesy Royal Collection Trust HM Queen Elizabeth II 2021
The V&A museum has been home to these cartoons since the reign of Queen Victoria for it was Prince Albert who had a passion for Rembrandt and first commissioned the photographing of each of these works in the mid 1800s. In 2020 V&A began work to make the cartoons “more visible and legible” in honour of the 500th anniversary of Raphael’s death and these works were re-photographed deeper than just the painted surface. One particular detail that grabbed me as it was revealed is the tiny pin holes that would have been used to create a template for the tapestry weavers to transfer Raphael’s work.
An online detail of The Death of Ananias, by Raphael, about 1515-16, Italy. V&A Courtesy Royal Collection Trust HM Queen Elizabeth II 2021
When the museum can be reopened it has been suggested that QR codes will be placed alongside the works so viewers can scan, view, and zoom in on the works with their phone. Added features to enhance the viewing experience have also been revealed, such as a “spot the difference” game between Raphael’s drawings and the tapestries. Coming out of lockdown and hopefully moving away from pandemic restrictions patrons will surely be champing at the bit to occupy a public space and consume a form of media that can’t be downloaded, but this future proofing of the V&A will go a long way.
An online detail in colour and infrared of The Healing of Lame Man, by Raphael, about 1515-16, Italy. V&A Courtesy Royal Collection Trust HM Queen Elizabeth II 2021
Connecting great works with applicable digital content to create new experiences isn’t a new idea, but has certainly been pushed along with the current circumstances. Ana Debenedetti, the project’s curator, agrees that utilising mobile technology can transform the way viewers engage with the work and in her experience it is exactly what the public is hungry for - new ways of interacting. Of course another motivation behind this exhibition is preservation. Just as Prince Albert ordered visual documentation of the works in 1850 it is hoped that in centuries to come projects such as this will aid conservators when the fragile works of the work fail to survive forever.
An online detail in colour and infrared of The Sacrifice at Lystra, by Raphael, about 1515-16, Italy. V&A Courtesy Royal Collection Trust HM Queen Elizabeth II 2021