Arcadópolis
Portrait of Pope Julius II
Raphael, 1511–1512
What you see
Julius II sits in a high-backed chair, turned three-quarters, his eyes lowered. His white beard and lined face fill the center. One hand grips a white handkerchief; the other rests on the arm of the chair. Behind him, the two gilded finials of the chair back rise on either side of his head, framing it.
The red of the velvet cap and cape dominates, its sheen revealing the texture of the fabric, against the white of his robe. Spot the rings set with red and green stones on his fingers, the row of buttons down the cape, the white fur trim of the cap and the fringes hanging from the chair’s finials.
About Raphael
Raphael Sanzio was born in Urbino and learned painting very young from his father, who was also a painter. His gentle Madonnas and harmonious compositions made him famous in Florence and Rome, where he decorated the pope’s rooms. He lived only 37 years but left an enormous body of work.
More by Raphael
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