Portrait Medal of Bernardo de Rossi
ca. 1520 (possibly cast seventeenth century)
Medium
Bronze (Copper alloy with an olive green to brown patina.)
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 9/16 in., 127.96g (6.5 cm)
Classification
Medals
Department
Robert Lehman Collection
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Robert Lehman Collection, 1975
Accession Number
1975.1.1275
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite *Portrait Medal of Bernardo de Rossi* by Francesco Francia, dated around 1520 (though possibly cast in the seventeenth century), exemplifies the Renaissance fascination with classical antiquity and individualized portraiture. Crafted in bronze—a copper alloy now graced with an olive green to brown patina—the measures 2 9/16 inches (6.5 cm) in diameter weighs 127.96 grams. Bologna-born Francia (c. 1450–1517), a master painter, goldsmith, and medallist, blended Northern Italian precision with antique Roman coin influences, making his works prized collectibles among humanists and c...
About the Artist
Francesco Francia · 1447–1517
Influential Bolognese painter of his period, noted for sweet, softly rounded Madonnas and portraits. Influenced by Costa, his partner, and by Perugino. Comment on works: Religious