Karel V
1530
Medium
casting
Dimensions
392; 4.8
About this artwork
Schenking van mevrouw J.M. van Gelder-Nijhoff
Art Historical Context
Behold the intimate portrait medallion *Karel V*, a cast bronze depiction of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, crafted anonymously around 1530. Measuring just 4.8 cm in diameter and weighing a substantial 392 grams, this small yet weighty object captures the ruler's likeness with remarkable presence, likely intended as a personal token or collector's piece during the Renaissance era when such medals proliferated across Europe. Charles V reigned over a vast empire spanning Spain, the Netherlands, and much of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 to 1556, a time of religious upheaval, exploration, and i...
About the Artist
anonymous
In the vast tapestry of art history, "Anonymous" stands not as a singular individual but as a collective designation for countless unidentified creators whose works have endured across millennia. These artists, spanning prehistoric cave painters to medieval illuminators and folk craftsmen, produced the foundational layers of human visual culture. Prior to the Renaissance, when individual fame emer...