Processione di Sisto IV (detail) 

Antoniazzo Romano painted this fresco of the Procession of Sixtus IV in Rome sometime in the late fifteenth century. At this time, the popes were as much secular rulers as they were spiritual leaders. With its formal arrangement of figures, the fresco speaks to this concentration of power. Sixtus the Fourth sits enthroned with members of his court. The men are dressed in red robes that symbolize their high status as cardinals. At the feet of the pope kneels a man dressed in dark, simple clothing, perhaps symbolizing the subjugation of the common people to the church. What's fascinating to consider is how the imagery, with its connotations of hierarchy and authority, relates to the social and political context of the Renaissance papacy, for which historical documents and church records are invaluable resources. Examining such records may reveal more about the public role of art and the politics of imagery in the papal city of Rome.