Portrait of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna

This 1517 portrait of Cardinal Pompeo Colonna depicts a powerful Roman ecclesiastic who would later play a role in the political intrigues leading to the Sack of Rome in 1527. Sebastiano's portraits of Roman cardinals established him as the premier portraitist of the papal court. His figures carry Venetian sensuous richness combined with the overwhelming physical presence that Michelangelo's influence brought to his Roman works. Sebastiano del Piombo's portraits represent one of the most significant contributions to the genre in the sixteenth century, combining the Venetian colorist tradition in which he was trained (under Giorgione and Titian) with the Roman monumental figure style he absorbed through his close friendship and collaboration with Michelangelo. His portraits have a quality of monumental presence unusual in the portrait format: the sitters occupy their space with an authority derived from the sculptural weight of his figure painting. His ability to synthesize the two dominant traditions of Italian Renaissance painting — Venetian color, Roman form — made him one of the most distinctive portrait painters of his generation.

The cardinal's crimson robes are rendered with the rich, deep color characteristic of Sebastiano's Venetian heritage, while the sitter's commanding presence reflects his Roman sense of monumental dignity.