Portret van Leo X - Gazette des Beaux-Arts

A nineteenth-century engraving from the Gazette des Beaux-Arts, depicting a profile portrait of Pope Leo X based on a study by Michelangelo.

This print originates from the Gazette des Beaux-Arts, a French periodical established in 1859 to document fine art and historical subjects. The image depicts a profile view of Pope Leo X, based on a sculptural study attributed to Michelangelo. The composition focuses on the facial features of the subject, rendered with precise, clean lines that define the contours of the nose, chin, and the papal cap. The artist employs minimal shading, relying on the clarity of the outline to convey the likeness.

The text below the image identifies the subject as a previously unpublished bust of Leo X by Michelangelo, noted as having been drawn in Florence by an artist named Gousset in 1835. This type of illustration was common in nineteenth-century art journals, which sought to disseminate knowledge of classical and Renaissance works to a wider audience. The print reflects the editorial standards of the period, prioritising accuracy and historical documentation over decorative embellishment.

As a piece of historical ephemera, this print offers a glimpse into the methods used by nineteenth-century scholars to record and share art-historical discoveries. The paper shows signs of age, consistent with its origin in a mid-nineteenth-century publication. The simplicity of the engraving makes it a suitable choice for those interested in the history of printmaking or the iconography of the Renaissance papacy. It provides a direct, unadorned representation of the subject, maintaining the character of the original sketch while adapting it for the printed page.