Who Is That Pope In The Picture?

by Anura Guruge

That is Pope Julius II who was pope for nine years and three months between 1 November 1503 to 21 February 1513. He earned the sobriquet ‘the warrior pope’ for his unrelentingly ruthless machinations to wrest back control, and where possible extend the boundaries, of the papal states. In 1506 he famously donned full armor and led a military campaign to win back the cities of Bologna and Perugia. During his lifetime he was even referred to as ‘Il Papa Terribile’ given his uncompromising belligerent temperament coupled with an earlier reputation for worldly pleasure (which resulted in a number of offspring).

Julius II, however, will always be remembered for browbeating Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) to paint the now immortal Sistine Chapel ceiling. The chapel had been built, between 1473 and 148, at the behest of Julius’ uncle Pope Sixtus IV (1471-1484). The ‘Sistine’ (or Sistina in Italian) is derived from ‘Sixtus.’

Julius II’s fractious relationship with Michelangelo, which started in 1505 and continued way beyond Julius death thanks to the saga of Julius’ tomb, is much chronicled. This invariably overshadows Julius’ association with another sublimely gifted, but alack short-lived artist — Raphael Sanzio (1483-1520), best known just by his first name Raffaello.

Julius, possibly acting on the recommendation of his then chief architect Donato Bramante (who had been tasked with rebuilding St. Peter’s Basilica), summoned and commissioned Raphael, in 1509, to fresco a newly completed papal ‘courtroom’ (some call it a library). The outcome was the breathtaking Stanza della Segnatura (‘room of signatures’) frescoes that include ‘The School of Athens,’ ‘Disputation of the Holy Sacrament,’ and the tantalizing ‘The Parnassus.’

To have Michelangelo and Raphael working on commissions, at the same time, just a few hundred yards apart, would prove to be a unique and truly inspired achievement. There was a tacit competitiveness engendered between the two artist that drove them to even greater heights. There are stories of Raphael surreptitiously visiting the Sistine at night — and taken back by what he witnessed, modifying his ‘The School of Athens’ to include a brooding image of Michelangelo (as Heraclitus) in the foreground.

The bearded portrait of Julius II, featured here, was painted by Raphael c. 1512 — with the pope, most liking, sitting for him (given that this would have been around the time he had completed the Stanza della Segnatura frescoes.) To have a pope portrayed with a beard is unusual. Canon law as of the 13th century dissuaded popes from sporting beards. But in this instance Julius had grown a beard to mourn the loss of Bologna in 1511. It appears that he did not shave from June 1511 to March 1512. So this helps date this portrait.

So Julius II, the pope featured on this BLOG, despite his various political and military endeavors will always be known for his enormous role in promoting Renaissance Art.

All images are public domain images from Wikipedia.