Artistic Representations of the Divine and Patronage During the Renaissance: Patronage in the Relationship of Julius II and Michelangelo

The nature of Catholic art during the Renaissance period, as manifested in the mutually beneficial though sometimes antagonistic relationship of patronage between the artists and popes of the period, can never simply be understood an expression of the individual art's vision of Jesus Christ, or even of an individual vision's expression in the face of a hostile authority. Rather, religious art during this period was an intensely social production and vision, a dialogue between religious leaders such as Pope Julius II and artistic producers such as Michelangelo. Popes commissioned artistic works and inspired, guided, and checked the artist's individual vision.

To properly understand the art of the period, one must eschew later representations of artists as individual laborers, toiling away from society, or even the idea that authority smothers artistic freedom and expression in the individual. One must instead embrace a notion of art as a religious, philosophical, and political tool of a hierarchical church authority that was less interested in individual vision than coherent theological expressions of the divine and of advancing political authority within the church. Although the individual artists may have included their own input into the work, this input was conveyed subtly, rather than overtly. However, the papacy's inspiration of the works of art, the papacy's occasional prodding of individual artists, and the ability of church money to make such vast, sprawling, and inspiring works of art 'happen' should not be disdained.

Pope Julius II, often known as a kind of warrior pope because of his influence in political as well as spiritual affairs, even more renown to the ages for his tireless patronage of the arts. He is also called the savior of the papacy, because of his integrity, relative to his contemporaries, and his restoration of legitimacy to the church...

Also, it is unlikely that Julius would have, had he lived after the reformation, been able to commission such anthropomorphic and expansive works of religious art, some of which were designed to commemorate his own personal memories and accomplishments, such as the commissioning of the tomb that first drew Michelangelo to Rome.
Julius II was chiefly known as a soldier before he took religious orders. His personal fame in the Vatican's history is due to his re-establishment of the Pontifical States and the deliverance of Italy from its subjection to France. Still, he did not forget his duties as the spiritual head of the Church. His appointments within the church hierarchy were remarkable in that they were said to be free from nepotism, a rarity in the Italian political climate of familial loyalty and war -- despite having fathered three daughters while a cardinal! He heard Mass almost daily. He often celebrated it himself. He worked to abolish simony from the church.

More importantly, this Pope saw art, and the physical manifestations of the church and God upon the earth as equally critical to the strength of the church's political and military strength, and how this strength was depicted in art. With an eye for planning as careful as that he applied to his military achievements, he enriched the landscape of Rome by adding many fine buildings to the city. He, more than any other pope before him, laid the groundwork in the Vatican Museum for the world's greatest collection of antiquities. Without Julius II there would be no Vatican Collection of art, most likely.

Julius II enjoyed a close relationship with many artists, including Raphael. The mosaics he commissioned from Raphael are reflective of Julius' intensely narrative and anthropomorphic vision of the Bible. But Julius' most stormy and artistically productive relationship was his relationship with Michelangelo. One of the most…