{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O156604"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O156604/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW3908/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2008BW3908/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"high","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2008BW3908","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2008BW3917","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London/ © the Rosalinde & Arthur Gilbert Collection, on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London ","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2018KR9575","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":{"_iiif_pres":"https://iiif.vam.ac.uk/collections/O156604/manifest.json","_alt_iiif_pres":[]}},"record":{"systemNumber":"O156604","accessionNumber":"LOAN:GILBERT.214-2008","objectType":"Plaque","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"This plaque depicts Bartolomeo Alberto Cappelari, Pope Gregory XVI, and was presented as a gift to Antonio Matteucci, secretary and treasurer of the Vatican Mosaic Workshop, in 1840. When a chronological series of Papal portraits were destroyed in 1823 at the Basilica of St Paul, the Vatican Workshop took charge of producing new versions in mosaic, and the tradition has continued ever since. A rectangular version of this portrait by Luigi Moglia can be found at the Hermitage, St Petersburg. \n\nRaffaelle Castellini belonged to an important dynasty of mosaicists active in the Vatican Workshop, where he became a professor at the end of his career. \n\r\nThe term 'micromosaic' is used to describe mosaics made of the smallest glass pieces. Some micromosaics contain more than 5000 pieces per square inch. The earliest attempts at micromosaic revealed visible joins between the pieces (known as tesserae) and a lack of perspective. Later artists such as Antonio Aguatti made huge advances in micromosaic technique, resulting in renderings that were truer to life. Glass micromosaic technique developed in the 18th century, in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop in Rome, where they still undertake restoration work today. \r\n\r\nSir Arthur Gilbert and his wife Rosalinde formed one of the world's great decorative art collections, including silver, mosaics, enamelled portrait miniatures and gold boxes. Arthur Gilbert donated his extraordinary collection to Britain in 1996.","physicalDescription":"Small circular micromosaic plaque with a portrait of the elderly Pope Gregory XVI wearing a fur-trimmed red chasuble, a gold embroidered orphrey and a white skull cap. The figure is depicted bust length facing the viewer. The mosaic is signed on the lower left (<i>Raf. Castellini f.</i>) and is in a gilt frame with a triangular stand.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Castellini, Raffaele","id":"A22346"},"association":{"text":"maker","id":"AAT251917"},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"mosaic glass","id":"AAT260731"}],"techniques":[{"text":"micromosaic","id":"x42499"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"glass micromosaic","categories":[{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"MET","id":"THES48599"},"images":["2008BW3908","2008BW3917","2018KR9575"],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"72","id":"THES49722"},"free":"","case":"CA002","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"plaque","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Rome","id":"x29106"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1839","earliest":"1839-01-01","latest":"1839-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection on loan to the Victoria and Albert Museum, London","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Diameter","value":"78","unit":"mm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Measured 01/02/24 IW","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Provenance: Sale, Sotheby's, Geneva, lot 348, 17/05/1984.  Petochi, Rome, 1985.\n\nHistorical significance: Raffaele Castellini (1791-1864) worked on the altarpiece <I>The Deposition</I> after Caravaggio (1565-1609) for the Basilica of St Peter's. He was working in the Vatican Mosaic Workshop from 1823 to 1841. He also produced a <i>Sybil</i> after Domenichino.","historicalContext":"Pope Gregory XVI, Bartolomeo Alberto Cappelari, reigned from 1831-1846. Cardinal G.Giustiniani commissioned this portrait from the Vatican Mosaic Workshop as a gift to Antonio Matteucci, Secretary and Treasurer of that workshop on 3 January 1840.","briefDescription":"Micromosaic plaque of Pope Gregory XVI. Rome, Raffaelle Castellini, 1839.","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Flanagans, William G.  'Collectors', <u>Forbes</u>, 29 May 1989, vol. 143, no. 11, ill. p. 318."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Gabriel, Jeanette Hanisee with contributions by Anna Maria Massinelli and essays by Judy Rudoe and Massimo Alfieri. <u>Micromosaics: The Gilbert Collection</u>. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd. in association with The Gilbert Collection, 2000. 310 p., ill. Cat. no. 35, p. 90. ISBN 0856675113."},{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Minter, Alice et al. <u>Masterpieces in Miniature: Treasures from the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Collection.</u> London: V&A Publishing, 2021, p.90, cat.63"}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[{"text":"Gregory XVI (Pope)","id":"N9031"}],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[{"text":"12. Plaque with Pope Gregory XVI\r\n1839\r\n\r\nRome, Italy; signed by Raffaele Castellini (1791–1864)\r\nGlass micromosaic\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.214-2008","date":{"text":"16/11/2016","earliest":"2016-11-16","latest":"2016-11-16"}},{"text":"Plaque with Pope Gregory XVI\r\n1839\r\n\r\nRome, Italy; signed by Raffaele Castellini (1791–1864)\r\nGlass micromosaic\r\nMuseum no. Loan:Gilbert.214-2008","date":{"text":"2009","earliest":"2009-01-01","latest":"2009-12-31"}}],"partNumbers":["LOAN:GILBERT.214-2008"],"accessionNumberNum":"214","accessionNumberPrefix":"LOAN:GILBERT","accessionYear":2008,"otherNumbers":[{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MM 277"},{"type":{"text":"The Gilbert Collection, Somerset House","id":"THES50384"},"number":"1996.634"},{"type":{"text":"Arthur Gilbert Number","id":"THES50383"},"number":"MM 297"}],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":["2024NW1723","2018LC0554","2019LR5136","2019LV1052","2019LW7937"],"recordModificationDate":"2026-05-18","recordCreationDate":"2008-06-19","availableToBook":false}}