Portrait of Pope Sixtus IV

This portrait of Pope Sixtus IV, painted around 1545, is a posthumous likeness based on earlier portraits of the Della Rovere pontiff who ruled from 1471 to 1484. Titian likely created it as part of a series of papal portraits for a Farnese or other powerful patron interested in papal history. Posthumous papal portraits by Titian were often commissioned as part of dynastic series documenting the history of the Church, the artist's fame making him the natural choice for such commemorative commissions.

Despite being a posthumous portrait, Titian invests the figure with characteristic vitality through warm, rich coloring and the convincing treatment of the papal vestments' sumptuous fabrics.

This posthumous portrait was commissioned as part of a series honoring the Della Rovere family's connection to the papacy. The painting has undergone restoration and cleaning. As a posthumous likeness, it has attracted less scholarly attention regarding its accuracy. The canvas is in fair condition, with some areas of retouching and repair.