Lunedi Lunacy

When they first appeared on the scene Raphael's little cherubs from his Sistine Chapel Sistine Madonna* had a certain silly charm. Now they've appeared on everything from note cards, to CD covers, to fridge magnets, to rolls of toilet paper. And I'm honestly getting tired of seeing their cherubic little faces peering out at me from card stands and souvenir shop - and I actually saw a fridge magnet of their smug little faces with OTTAWA - CANADA and a maple leaf emblazoned on it. Ottawa???? Canada???? Sistine Chapel Sistine anything???? Raphael???? - oh yeah I see the connection.

All this to say I'm sick and tired of these two and have a feeling that all this new found fame may well have led them down the paths of unrighteousness.




Wait till the National Enquirer gets a hold of this one!

And I just got a message from my friend - pastry chef and photographer extraordinaire - Anna in Rome to correct an impression that I've had for years.  And I will confess as I wrote the above I was trying to remember Raphael's in the Sistine Chapel; I knew that he had done tapestries but wondered about anything else.  I should have done my research!

Just one thing -- although they come from a painting called "The Sistine Madonna," they have nothing to do with the Sistine Chapel.  I discovered this in the mid-nineties, when I visted the Old Masters' Art Gallery in Dresden. Ever since, I've thought Dresden really gets the short end of the stick in all this, as most people think those cherubs are in Italy. Ciao, Anna! 

And she adds that she should have mentioned  that it was painted for a monastery in Piacenza.

19 settembre/September - San Gennaro