Pope Julius II, the “Warrior Pope”, was the most successful – and fortunate – artistic patron of the High Renaissance in Rome. But we cannot fully appreciate him without also considering his successor, Pope Leo X. These two popes were a double act. Julius may have been the patron of the masterworks of the age, but Leo was the true connoisseur.
The sins of Leo X are many. The consequences of his reckless and extravagant reign are infamous. He bears a heavy personal responsibility for the unfolding of the Protestant Reformation. I have no intention of challenging the verdict of history. But I think it’s nevertheless important to recognise Leo’s cultural achievements. The High Renaissance in Rome reached its artistic culmination and fulfilment under him.
