Raphael, Portrait of Julius II—The Warrior Pope
Speaker: Dr. Heather Graham
The Warrior Pope? What Raphael's Iconic Portrait of Julius II Doesn't Show
The Renaissance artist Raphael depicted the powerful and controversial Pope Julius II in a portrait painted around 1511. This video looks beyond the quiet, contemplative figure that Raphael painted to the fierce “Warrior Pope” who shaped the High Renaissance in Rome. Raphael’s skillful hands reshaped reality, transforming a fiery, battle-hardened leader into a model of spiritual calm and dignity. Julius’s skillfully presented image reminds us how a portrait can persuade, manipulate, and mythologize.
Raphael, Portrait of Pope Julius II, 1511, oil on poplar panel, 42.7 x 31.8 in. (108.7 x 81 cm). National Gallery, London. Photo: © Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Video Chapters
0:00 The Man in the Chair
0:55 Portraits: The Art of Deception
1:16 The Warrior Behind the Image
1:36 The Papacy: Between Two Worlds
2:05 Julius II on the Papal Throne
2:38 Painting Power Appropriately
3:01 Symbols of Sanctity and Authority
3:52 Julius’s Beard
4:34 Image vs. Reality
5:25 The Afterlife of a Portrait
Learn more
See more resources about Raphael.
Learn more about early modern Europe.
Find more resources about the Italian Renaissance.
