Portrait of Pope Innocent X, Diego Velázquez

Portrait of Pope Innocent X

The pope wears the Anulus Piscatoris, the Fisherman's Ring, used to seal papal documents. Tradition, dating to the 13th century, holds the ring is ceremonially destroyed at the death of the pope to prevent forged papal acts. Innocent X's actual ring would be struck with a small hammer in front of the College of Cardinals in 1655. When Innocent saw the painting in 1650, he said only: Troppo vero. Too true. Now at Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome @doriapamphilj

Artist
Diego Velázquez (1599 to 1660)
Date
1650
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
141 × 119 cm
Collection
Galleria Doria Pamphilj, Rome
Image
Wikimedia Commons · Public domain