Portrait of Pope Julius II

The portrait of Pope Julius II was one of the best portraits that Titian an Italian painter ever made. It was developed in circa 1545.

This portrait has received so much recognition all over the world especially in a religious setting. Through this portrait, Titian does what most painters have always tried to achieve. He clearly shows the feelings of Pope Julius II just by using a couple of strokes and a canvas. Such brilliance was very rare during the production of this painting. For Titian, coming up with such a unique piece of art was not a hard task for him. He had the talent and skills needed and he knew exactly where to place every individual painting. He was known to be one of the best painters.

The high renaissance painter Titian used the oil technique on a panel to come up with this magnificent painting. During the Renaissance, the oil painting technique was very common among prominent artist. It is seen that Titian was also among the artists who preferred oil to tempera. The style used is mannerism which is also referred to as the last renaissance. This style was also widely used by artists of this times and is also seen used by one of the most prolific painters Leonardo da Vinci to produce some of the most amazing artworks.

The painting of Pope Julius II by Titian is nothing short of perfection. He delivers some of the greatest painting ideas and skills that were very rare during that period. To give life to the painting, he captures the Popes emotions as he stares into space. This is usually the highlight of this painting. During this period, such an amazing creativity was very rare. The wrinkles on his face are so real and the beard is exactly how it should be.

He captures it emanating from the pope's camauro slowly into a bush goatee that is well combed. The eyes are very well placed and drawn to precision. The face alone gives life to the whole painting. Most people describe it as a lifelike painting. The Pope’s clothes are well done showing every little detail from up downwards. Small but very significant features are added to give the painting a clear finish. These include the rings on his fingers, the small clothe held on his hand and the buttons on the side of his rob. The posture of the pope on his chair makes it even more real.

Titian was very keen to make sure that he achieved to bring forth all these details that made the painting to look perfect. As much as there were a number of great artists during the production of the painting, there were none who would showcase such level of expertise and ingenuity on a canvas. Titian made so many great choices and he ended up with a great piece. The painting is currently in Palazzo Pitti, a museum in Florence, Italy.