Giovanna Albizzi, Wife of Lorenzo Tornabuoni [obverse]
Medium
bronze
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 7.9 cm (3 1/8 in.) gross weight: 166.24 gr (0.366 lb.) axis: 12:00
Classification
Sculpture
Department
CSD
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Samuel H. Kress Collection
Accession Number
1957.14.882.a
Art Historical Context
This elegant bronze medal, created by the Florentine artist Niccolò Fiorentino in 1486, Giovanna Albizzi, young wife of Lorenzoabuoni. Measuring just under eight centimeters in diameter, the obverse captures her profile in the refined style typical of Renaissance portraiture. Such medals served as personal keepsakes and symbols of status, often commissioned to mark significant life events like marriages among Florence’s influential families. Fiorentino was a leading medalist of the late fifteenth century, known for his precise casting techniques in bronze that allowed for delicate details in ...