The article examines the artistic and historical legacy of popes named Leo, following the election of Robert Prevost as Pope Leo XIV on 8 May. It traces the name through figures like Leo I (Leo the Great), Leo IX, and Leo X, focusing on Raphael's iconic 1518-20 portrait of Pope Leo X with cardinals Giulio de' Medici and Luigi de Rossi. The piece also discusses Raphael's frescoes in the Vatican's Stanze and Loggia, which depict earlier Leonine popes, and highlights the Medici family's role in bankrolling the Renaissance.
This matters because it connects a contemporary papal election to centuries of art history, showing how papal portraiture and patronage have shaped Western visual culture. The article underscores the enduring power of Renaissance art to frame political and religious authority, while also reminding readers of the complex historical figures behind the name Leo—from saintly defenders of Rome to Medici rulers who commissioned masterpieces from Raphael and Michelangelo.