Leo Martínez
Pope Julius II was a great patron of the arts, and he commissioned several works from the High Renaissance painter Raphael. One of the most famous is the Portrait of Pope Julius II, which was painted between June 1511 and March 1512. The portrait is unusual for its time and is said to have influenced papal portraiture for the next 200 years. It is now housed in the National Gallery in London. Aside from this, Raphael was also commissioned to decorate the papal apartments, most notably the Stanza della Segnatura, which housed frescoes emblematic of Humanist ideals.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Artist | Raphael |
| Subject | Pope Julius II |
| Medium | Oil paint |
| Surface | Poplar wood |
| Dimensions | 108.7 x 81 cm |
| Current location | National Gallery, London |
| Previous locations | Santa Maria del Popolo, at the entrance to Rome; the Borghese collection; the Angerstein collection |
| Copies | Uffizi Gallery, Florence; Chatsworth House |
| Date | 1511-1512 |
| Details | Pope Julius II is depicted wearing red and white and sitting on a dark burnished red chair with a green cloth background. |
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What You'll Learn
Portrait of Pope Julius II
Pope Julius II was a great patron of the arts, commissioning Renaissance painter Raphael to decorate the papal apartments (Vatican Stanze) and ordering the rebuilding of St Peter's in Rome. Raphael was also commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint the Pope’s personal library, creating four frescoes: philosophy, law, poetry, and theology.
One of Raphael's most famous works is the Portrait of Pope Julius II, an oil painting from 1511-1512. The portrait is unusual for its time and would go on to influence papal portraiture for the next two centuries. The painting is known for its lifelike quality, with contemporaries finding it so true to life that it was said to cause viewers to tremble. The portrait's intimacy and ceremonial significance were also unprecedented in papal portraiture. The three-quarter-length format brings the viewer very close to the elderly, war-like Pope. The portrait is also notable for its use of oil paint, with Raphael's handling of the medium considered masterful.
The portrait depicts Pope Julius II wearing a beard, which he grew as a sign of mourning for the loss of the city of Bologna in war. The original background of the painting featured a blue and gold textile with various emblems, but this was later overpainted by Raphael with a green cloth. The colours red, white, and green are repeated in the stones on the Pope's finger rings and are also the colours of the three theological virtues: charity, faith, and hope. The chair features two golden acorns, alluding to the Pope's family name, della Rovere (Italian for oak).
The Portrait of Pope Julius II was originally hung at the pillars of the church of Santa Maria del Popolo in Rome, on feast and high holy days. It now hangs in the National Gallery in London, with other versions and copies located in various locations, including the Uffizi Gallery in Florence and the Musée Condé in Chantilly.
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Madonna of Loreto
Pope Julius II commissioned the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael to create several artworks, including the famous Portrait of Pope Julius II and the Madonna of Loreto. The Madonna of Loreto is an oil-on-panel painting executed around 1511. The painting is also known as La Madona de Lorette in Chantilly, France, where it is currently housed in the Musée Condé.
For centuries, the Madonna of Loreto was exhibited alongside the Portrait of Pope Julius II, first at the Santa Maria del Popolo, then in private collections, and their location was unknown for a period. The paintings were removed from the church in 1591 by Paolo Camillo Sfondrati, the nephew of Pope Gregory XIV, and sold to Cardinal Scipione Borghese in 1608. The paintings were part of the Borghese collection in 1693, as evidenced by a small inventory number discovered through X-ray photographs.
The Madonna of Loreto is believed to be the original Raphael Madonna painting due to its extremely high quality and the presence of X-ray evidence indicating that Saint Joseph was painted after the Virgin and Child, suggesting that Raphael made changes to his original composition. The painting received its name from a copy at the Basilica della Santa Casa in Loreto, which was once believed to be the original. However, it is now known that the Loreto version is a copy.
The Madonna of Loreto has been a beloved and critically acclaimed painting for centuries. It was the subject of an engraving by Joseph Théodore Ricomme in 1814, for which he received a medal. Abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe also mentioned the painting in her 1873 memoir and travel guide, Palmetto Leaves.
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Frescoes in the Vatican Stanze
The Raphael Rooms, or "Stanze di Raffaello", are located within the Vatican Museums, specifically in the Apostolic Palace. They are part of the private apartments once used by Pope Julius II and subsequent popes. The Stanze is located right above Alexander’s Borgia Apartment on the third floor of the Palace of the Vatican, overlooking the south side of the Belvedere Courtyard.
Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael and his studio in 1508-1509 to decorate the interiors of the four rooms. Each of the four rooms has a distinct theme:
Stanza della Segnatura
The Stanza della Segnatura was the first room to be decorated by Raphael. The room takes its name from the Segnatura Gratiae et Iustitiae, the Vatican’s high court that used to sit in the room in the mid-1500s. At the time of Julius II, the stanza was used as a private library. The frescoes in this room include the School of Athens, the Disputation of the Most Holy Sacrament, and the Parnassus. They represent the three most significant categories of the human spirit: Truth, Good, and Beauty.
Stanza di Eliodoro
The Stanza di Eliodoro, or the "Room of Heliodorus", was painted between 1511 and 1514. The theme of this room is the heavenly protection granted by Christ to the Church. The frescoes in this room include The Expulsion of Heliodorus from the Temple, The Mass at Bolsena, The Meeting of Pope Leo I and Attila, and The Deliverance of Saint Peter from Prison.
Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo
The Stanza dell’Incendio del Borgo, or the "Room of the Fire in the Borgo", portrays episodes from the lives of various Popes. The frescoes in this room include Fire in the Borgo, The Oath of Leo III, The Coronation of Charlemagne by Leo III, and The Battle of Ostia.
Sala di Constantino
The Sala di Constantino, or the "Hall of Constantine", celebrates the triumph of Christianity over paganism. Raphael died before completing the frescoes in this room, and his designs were executed by his pupils.
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The School of Athens
The painting depicts a congregation of ancient philosophers, mathematicians, and scientists, with Plato and Aristotle featured in the centre, surrounded by philosophers, past and present, in a splendid architectural setting. The identities of most figures are ambiguous, but among those commonly identified are Socrates, Pythagoras, Archimedes, Heraclitus, Averroes, and Zarathustra. Italian artists Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo are also believed to be portrayed through Plato and Heraclitus, respectively. Raphael included a self-portrait beside Ptolemy, making him the second character looking directly at the viewer, the first being Hypatia, a woman in a white robe who stands between Parmenides and Pythagoras.
The gestures of Plato and Aristotle are thought to indicate central aspects of their philosophies. Plato's Theory of Forms is reflected in a sense of timelessness, while Aristotle's emphasis on concrete particulars is reflected in his focus on the physicality of life and the visible world. The building in the painting is in the shape of a Greek cross, which has been interpreted as a symbol of the harmony between pagan philosophy and Christian theology. The architecture was inspired by the work of Bramante, who is said to have helped Raphael with the design.
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The Sistine Madonna
Pope Julius II was a great patron of the arts and commissioned several works by the Italian High Renaissance painter Raphael. One of these works was the "Sistine Madonna", also called the "Madonna di San Sisto", an oil painting that is considered one of the world's most famous Renaissance masterpieces.
The "Sistine Madonna" was commissioned in 1512 by Pope Julius II for the church of San Sisto in Piacenza, and it was probably executed between 1513 and 1514. The painting depicts a vision appearing to saints in the clouds, with the Virgin striding towards the earthly realm while holding the Christ Child in her arms. She is flanked by Saint Sixtus and Saint Barbara and stands on clouds before dozens of obscured putti, with two distinctive winged putti resting on their elbows beneath her.
The "Sistine Madonna" is known for its influence on the German and Russian art scenes, and it was relocated to Dresden in 1754, where it achieved new prominence. The painting was rescued from destruction during World War II but was temporarily removed to Moscow before being returned to Germany in 1955. Today, it belongs to the Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister in Dresden and is considered one of the most famous works of art in the world.
The "Sistine Madonna" is one of the last Madonnas painted by Raphael, and it has been described by Giorgio Vasari as "a truly rare and extraordinary work". The painting is also notable for its influence on literature, arts and crafts, photography, and music, with many copies and interpretations created over the years.
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Frequently asked questions
Pope Julius II commissioned Raphael to paint his portrait, now known as "Portrait of Pope Julius II".
The portrait is unusual for its time and is said to have influenced papal portraiture for the next 200 years. It is known for its lifelike quality and the emotion it conveys.
The painting was initially placed on pillars during feast days or high holy days at the church of Santa Maria del Popolo, at the entrance to Rome. It now resides at the National Gallery in London, which houses the original version.
Pope Julius II also commissioned Raphael to decorate the papal apartments, including the Stanza della Segnatura, which housed frescoes emblematic of Humanist ideals.
One of the most famous frescoes in the Stanza della Segnatura is "The School of Athens", which represents Philosophy. This work is known for its blend of classical philosophy with innovative artistic techniques.
