Pope Pius II

Justus van Gent's Pope Pius II presents the humanist pope whose intellectual achievements and papacy Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini as pope Pius II represented the ideal of the scholar-ruler that Federico da Montefeltro himself aspired to embody. Pius II had been a poet, diplomat, and historian before his election as pope, and his inclusion in the Urbino studiolo created a direct link between the Duke's intellectual program and the papacy's highest literary tradition. Justus's portrait-like treatment gives the scholarly pope the same human presence he brought to the ancient philosophers, connecting recent history with the intellectual genealogy of the studiolo program.

Executed in Tempera on panel, the work showcases Justus van Gent's skilled technique, with particular attention to the interplay of light across the sitter's features. The handling of drapery and accessories demonstrates the skill expected of formal portraiture.