Exhibitions and records of works of art
Prince Albert recognised the importance of photography to record and document notable exhibitions and works of art
The Prophet Jonah
c. 1857Albumen print? | RCIN 2864389
A photograph of a pen and ink drawing attributed to the school of Raphael now in the Royal Library, Windsor (RCIN 990804), which depicts the statue of Jonah in the Chigi Chapel (Santa Maria del Popolo, Rome). Annotated on the verso.
The statue is one of the sculptures of the prophets of the Resurrection in the niches of the Chigi Chapel: Jonah and the whale is attributed to Lorenzetto (completed by 1519 and based on a drawing by Raphael) as is the statue of Elias, which was completed by Raphael of Montelupo in c.1523; Abacuc and the angel (1656-1661) and Daniele and the lion (1655-1657) were executed by Bernini.
The Chigi chapel in Santa Maria del Popolo was the burial place of the Papal banker Agostino Chigi, who commissioned Raphael to work on a number of projects in Rome during the 1510s. Raphael was responsible for designing the chapel itself as well as all aspects of its decoration, which encompassed mosaics, sculptures, tombs and (probably) an altarpiece. The chapel remained unfinished at the deaths of both artist and patron in 1520.
A copy of this photograph (RCIN 854246) can be found in the Prince Consort's Raphael Collection, portfolio 47 (970607)
Creator(s)
After a work by the school of Raphael (Urbino 1483-Rome 1520) (draughtsman)
After Lorenzetto (1490-1541) (sculptor)
Attributed to Charles Thurston Thompson (1816-68)
(photographer)
Acquired by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert
Subject(s)
- Natural Sciences & Mathematics
- Biological sciences
- Zoology
- Animals
- Mammals
- Whales
- Mammals
- Animals
- Zoology
- Biological sciences
- Arts, Recreation, Entertainment & Sport
- Plastic arts
- Sculpture
- Statues
- Sculpture
- Plastic arts
- Places
- Europe
- Italy
- Lazio [Italy]
- Rome [Lazio]
- Santa Maria del Popolo [Rome]
- Chigi Chapel [Santa Maria del Popolo]
- Santa Maria del Popolo [Rome]
- Rome [Lazio]
- Lazio [Italy]
- Italy
- Europe
Object type(s)
- visual works
- photographs
- Natural Sciences & Mathematics
Bibliographic reference(s)
Clayton 1999 : Clayton, M. Raphael and his Circle. Drawings from Windsor Castle, London
pp. 168-171, no. 48P&W : Popham, A.E. & Wilde, J., 1949. The Italian Drawings of the XV and XVI Centuries in the Collection of His Majesty The King at Windsor Castle, London
no. 0811Jones/Penny 1983 : Jones, R. and Penny, N. Raphael, 1983
pp.105-111