Professor Arnold Nesselrath is one of the Chief Curators of the Vatican Museums.
Veronica
Scarisbrick went round to call on him there this week to ask about an exceptional
exhibition currently taking place in the German City of Dresden at the “Gemaldegalerie
Alte Meister” .
The exhibition timed to coincide with Benedict XVI’s visit
to his homeland is called “Heavenly Splendour” and has as centrepiece a Raphael masterpiece
depicting Our Lady known as the “Madonna di Foligno” which is currently featured on
the cover of the catalogue of this exhibition. A catalogue which by the way is the
second most sold book in Germany right now.
A centrepiece coupled for the
first time in history, at least since Raphael’s day , with this artist's famous "Sistine
Madonna" housed in this German Art Gallery .
Perhaps Benedict XVI's exceptional
gesture in allowing this masterpiece to leave Vatican walls and the extremly successful
outcome of this exhibition may further implement this German Pontitff's reputation
as patron of art and artists.