DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68668#0028
6
THE WALL FRESCOES
adorned. He sits surrounded by the near
relations whom he had aggrandised, a man
with hard, regular profile, cold and aristo-
cratic. In front, pointing to lines in praise
of the Pope, kneels the Scholar, Platina,1
whom Sixtus is appointing librarian, his
finely-cut mouth and keen eyes contrasting
with the sensual, red-cheeked Piero Riario,
son of the Pope’s sister. Behind Platina is
Count Girolamo, brother of Piero, married
to Catherine Sforza, and behind the Pope is
the son of his brother, Raffaello — that
Giuliano, who was to succeed him hereafter
as Julius II., and to be so intimately con-
cerned with the artistic life of his day. We
see him here at thirty-one, a man with a
dark, energetic face, compressed lips, and
look of sombre fire and sadness.
The great age of painting has left us
many buildings which contain magnificent
picture shows, the work of the painter, or
painters, still remaining in the place for
1 A famous historian and member of the Roman
Academy who had been persecuted, imprisoned, and
tortured under Paul II., but who was honoured and
distinguished by Pope Sixtus. He died of pestilence, 1481.
THE WALL FRESCOES
adorned. He sits surrounded by the near
relations whom he had aggrandised, a man
with hard, regular profile, cold and aristo-
cratic. In front, pointing to lines in praise
of the Pope, kneels the Scholar, Platina,1
whom Sixtus is appointing librarian, his
finely-cut mouth and keen eyes contrasting
with the sensual, red-cheeked Piero Riario,
son of the Pope’s sister. Behind Platina is
Count Girolamo, brother of Piero, married
to Catherine Sforza, and behind the Pope is
the son of his brother, Raffaello — that
Giuliano, who was to succeed him hereafter
as Julius II., and to be so intimately con-
cerned with the artistic life of his day. We
see him here at thirty-one, a man with a
dark, energetic face, compressed lips, and
look of sombre fire and sadness.
The great age of painting has left us
many buildings which contain magnificent
picture shows, the work of the painter, or
painters, still remaining in the place for
1 A famous historian and member of the Roman
Academy who had been persecuted, imprisoned, and
tortured under Paul II., but who was honoured and
distinguished by Pope Sixtus. He died of pestilence, 1481.