30 Years Restoring Raphael's Frescoes

It's taken longer to restore it than it took him to paint -- nearly 30 years later, the restoration of the frescoes painted by Raphael in the Vatican "is approaching completion", reports the Seattle Times. Whether the results will as spectacular (and controversial) as the restoration of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel we'll have to wait and see -- the Vatican hasn't released any photos. Restorers are quoted as saying that they've new "insights into how the artist worked, from mistakes he made in mixing plaster to how he transferred his exquisite designs from small pieces of paper to the sprawling walls of papal apartments." Read more about restoring Raphael's frescoes...

See Also:
• Artist Profile: Raphael (From About.com's Art History Guide)
• Review: Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling (From About.com's Medieval History Guide)