The Vatican Museums Recommended in New Review

Janson Media's new three-disc DVD set, The Vatican Museums, was recommended by Educational Media Reviews Online. 'This lengthy presentation mirrors the huge collections of one of the world's most spectacular museums,' said EMRO, a database of video, DVD, audio CD and CD-ROM reviews of materials from major educational and documentary distributors and independent filmmakers. 'Although the Vatican Museum is sometimes thought of as one museum, it is actually many, and this set takes the viewer on a tour of a myriad of its highlights. The viewer will feel as if he or she is walking through the museums halls or flying over the outside buildings, always moving. This technique attempts to avoid the static feel of looking at paintings and sculptures that are simply sitting there - and it works.... With a background of instrumental music and choirs, the narrator explains the history of the art works, how they came to be in that particular museum, and the construction of the museum itself. The viewer will see and hear about furniture, tapestries, costumes, and armor, as well as sculptures, paintings, mosaics, friezes, frescoes, and more; the variety is overwhelming. The pieces and rooms are beautiful, and there is a real feel in the film for this space and the layout, including the size of sculptures when ceilings, floors, and arches are shown as they surround the pieces.'