Portrait of Pope Pius V

Plus V Ghislerius Alexandrin Ord Praedicat Pont. Opt Max Aet SUae LXIII Pont Suianni MDLXII (Portrait of Pope Pius V 1567).

Inscribed at bottom, "NNF 1567"; Inscribed in cartouche: "Quale sit officium Pictatis id explicat almus Papa Pius quintus, qui Pictate scatet”.

Engraving, printed on contemporary laid paper, trimmed to the platemark, laid down on antique mounting, a light watrestain, otherwise very good.

From Ritratti di alcuni prencipi, et huomini illustri also titled Imagines quorundam principum et illustrium virorum published by Bolognino Zaltieri in Venice in 1568.

Pope from 1566-1572 and one of the foremost leaders of the Catholic Reformation, Pius V, bBorn Antonio Ghislieri in Bosco, Italy, to a poor family, he labored as a shepherd until the age of fourteen and then joined the Dominicans, being ordained in 1528. He was elected Bishop of Sutri in 1556, and served as an inquisitor in Milan and Lombardi, and then as inquisitor general of the Church and a cardinal in 1557. He was elected Pope on January 7, 1566. His six year pontificate saw him constantly at war with two massive enemy forces; the Protestant heretics and the spread of their doctrines in the West, and the Turkish armies who were advancing from the East.
He worked hard to unite the Christian armies against the Turks, and perhaps the most famous success of his papacy was the miraculous victory of the Christian fleet in the battle of Lepanto on October 7, 1571. In memory of the triumph, he declared the day the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary because of her intercession in answering the mass recitation of the Rosary and obtaining the victory. He has also been called ‘the Pope of the Rosary’ for this reason.

Pope Pius V died seven months later on May 1, 1572, of a painful disease, uttering "O Lord, increase my sufferings and my patience!" He is enshrined at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, and was beatified by Clement X in 1672. He was canonized by Clement XI in 1712.

Collector's mark at the lower right corner of Friedrich August II de Saxe (Lugt 971). 

Rare.