2016-11-02 Wed

So far we have seen the French masterpieces and a works of art from Vienna and Italy. Let’s continue with our tour and explore more of such beautiful paintings appearing on banknotes.

500,000 lire (Italy): A vibrant and colourful banknote from Italy in circulation in 1997 has one of the famous fresco “The Triumph of Galatea” depicted on the obverse along with the artist Raphael. Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino was an Italian painter and architect of the High Renaissance. He is one of the traditional trinity of great masters along with Michelangelo and Leonardo Da Vinci. Many of his works are found in the Vatican Palace.
His best-known work “The School of Athens” which is in the Vatican Stanza Della Segnatura is depicted on the reverse of this note. It was painted between 1509 and 1511 in Apostolic Palace in the Vatican. The School of Athens is one of a group of four main frescoes that depict distinct branches of knowledge. The fresco has all the major philosophers and thinkers from Plato, Aristotle, and Socrates to Pythagoras and Ptolemy. Considered to be one of the masterpieces of Vatican this fresco has decorated this banknote too and indeed increased its beauty.

20000 Lire (Italy):A 1975 20000 Lire banknote from Italy features yet another master along with his famous masterpieces! The obverse of this green, brown and red note depicts Tiziano Vecelli or Tiziano Vecellio (Titan in English), a 16th-century Venetian school Italian painter. Titian was one of the most versatile of Italian painters. The note depicts his self-portrait along with a landscape from one of his frescos in the background.
The reverse depicts Titian's "Sacred and Profane Love" also called “Venus and the Bride” is an oil painting by Titian, painted circa 1514 from Galleria Borghese, Rome.

“What is life if full of care, we have no time to stand and stare”

Indeed instead of just spending the money, just for once let’s appreciate the beauty of their designs. There are so many more and we are very excited to explore such wonderful artworks. Stay with us and let’s enjoy this together. Read the previous articles here and here.

Happy collecting!