Rediscovering Renaissance Secrets: Raphael’s Hall of Constantine

A remarkable restoration project at the Vatican Museums has lately revealed new facts about Raphael’s work in the Hall of Constantine. The Hall is part of the Raphael Rooms in the Apostolic Palace and was recently fully reopened after ten years of careful conservation. Experts have discovered that Raphael experimented with painting techniques not previously documented in these Rooms. In particular two female figures, Justice and Courtesy, have been confirmed as original oil painted works by Raphael, a departure from the purely fresco method that artists of his time generally used. Metal nails found embedded in the walls of the Hall suggest that parts of the wall surface may have supported a resin-painted layer rather than just plaster, showing Raphael was more experimental than previously believed.Art Newspaper+1

The restoration has reshaped how art historians understand Raphael’s methods in his later career. For decades scholarship assumed that the Raphael Rooms, including the Hall of Constantine, were purely frescoes done with traditional fresco techniques. The confirmation that Raphael used oil paint directly on walls alongside fresco adds complexity to his working practice. Visitors now see these painted figures in their original context, not in isolation, which makes the discovery richer and more meaningful. The spaces themselves—wall, ceiling, light, architecture—are part of the picture, not just background.Art Newspaper+1

This restoration shows how much classic works still have to teach us when they are looked at with fresh eyes and advanced conservation techniques. It reminds us that iconic works by great masters are not frozen in time; they may hold undiscovered layers, traces of materials or methods that were lost, misunderstood, or hidden by later alterations. As more restoration efforts proceed it is likely that more “hidden stories” will emerge from other Renaissance, Baroque, or Gothic works.

References

Vatican Museums unveils fully restored Room of Constantine and new discoveries about Raphael’s technique. AP News, 2025. https://apnews.com/article/df8f19adfb4e33cad525887d493f4bd5 AP News

Restoration work on the Hall of Constantine reveals innovative painting technique by Raphael. The Art Newspaper, July 1, 2025. https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2025/07/01/raphaels-experiments-with-innovative-painting-technique-revealed-by-vatican-museums-restoration Art Newspaper