Papa Giulio II, di Cristofano dell'Altissimo, 1552-68 -FG

The elderly Pope is shown in three-quarter profile with a long white beard, wearing a red velvet camauro cap and matching mozzetta. He appears in a state of quiet contemplation, with downcast eyes and a somber expression against a dark, minimalist background. This painting is a mid-16th-century copy by Cristofano dell'Altissimo of the famous original portrait by Raphael.

Julius II was the primary patron of the Roman High Renaissance, commissioning Raphael's 'School of Athens' and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling. His papacy was defined by the 'Renovatio Romae', an attempt to synthesize classical antiquity and Neoplatonic philosophy with Christian theology.