Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of Art
AT-00009430About the Artwork
Spanish artist Pedro Berruguete spent a decade in Italy in the 1470s and 1480s, including a period in Rome during which he painted Pope Sixtus IV della Rovere from life. Here, the pope raises his hand in a gesture of benediction, blessing the viewer while meeting their gaze. Using white highlights to represent the glittering luminosity of the bejeweled garments, Berruguete accentuates Sixtus IV’s sumptuous attire, including the triregnum, or ceremonial triple crown and symbol of the papacy.
Provenance
James Jackson Jarves, Florence, after 1872; Mrs. Liberty E. Holden, Cleveland, 1884, by gift to the Cleveland Museum of Art, 1916.
Exhibition history
Inaugural Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (co-organizer) (June 6-September 20, 1916). The Twentieth Anniversary Exhibition: The Official Art Exhibit of the Great Lakes Exposition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 26-October 4, 1936). Form in the Arts. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 15-November 10, 1959). Pedro Berruguete: El Primer Pintor Renacentista de la Corona de Castillla. Museo Parroquial de Santa Eulalia, Paredes de Nava, Palencia, Spain (April 4-June 8, 2003). I Della Rovere: Storia di una Dinastia. Palazzo del Duca, Senigallia, Italy (April 4-October 3, 2004). Francesco di Giorgio e Federico da Montefeltro: Urbino, Crossroads of the Arts (1475-1490). Galleria Nazionale delle Marche, Urbino, Italy (organizer) (June 23-October 9, 2022).
Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.
Quick Overview
- Artist
- Pedro Berruguete (Castilian, c. 1445/1450-1503)
- Date
- c. 1476–82
- Medium
- oil on wood, transferred to canvas
- Dimensions
- Framed: 95.5 x 76 x 5 cm (37 5/8 x 29 15/16 x 1 15/16 in.); Unframed: 70.2 x 51.4 cm (27 5/8 x 20 1/4 in.)
- Type
- Painting
- Classification
- Painting
- Department
- European Painting and Sculpture
- Credit line
- Holden Collection
- Accession no.
- 1916.815
Open-access museum record · AT-00009430
Powered by Art Trackers