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Papal view: the best popes in art in pictures | Art and design

Papal view: the best popes in art – in pictures

Inspired by the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI – the first time a pope has stepped down since 1294 – here's a look back at the way former pontiffs have been depicted in art

Mon 11 Feb 2013 16.06 GMT First published on Mon 11 Feb 2013 16.06 GMT

  • Portrait of Pope Leo X (c 1518-19) by Raphael

    The Renaissance master's painting is housed in the Uffizi gallery in Florence, Italy and depicts the pontiff amid a time of turmoil for the church, with Leo's authority challenged by Martin Luther

  • Pope Julius II (1511-12)

    This portrait is attributed to Raphael, who is thought to have made nine different versions. At the time it was unusual to depict the subjects of portraiture at angles other than in profile or head-on

  • Portrait of Pope Innocent X (c 1650) by Velázquez

    Acclaimed by some art historians as the finest portrait of all all time, this painting was reinterpreted in alarming style by Francis Bacon

  • Portrait of Pope Paul V (c 1605-6) by Caravaggio

    The pope's narrowed eyes have been attributed to myopia. The same pope later condemned Caravaggio to death after the artist was convicted for murder. This portrait is thought to have influenced Velázquez

  • The Portrait of Pope Pius VII (1805) by Jacques-Louis David

    was painted to thank the pope for assisting at the coronation of Napoleon I of France

  • La Nona Ora (The Ninth Hour)

    This 1999 sculpture by Maurizio Cattelan depicts John Paul II having been hit by a meteorite. Though some Catholics thought it blasphemous, Cattelan later explained that it was inspired by the pope's fortitude in continuing to work through old age and infirmity, and imagined how God might give him merciful release. Something Benedict XVI has figured out for himself.
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Reinaldo Massengill

Update: 2024-07-28

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