Portrait of a Woman

Art Historical Context

This bronze portrait medal, created in northern Italy during the second half of the sixteenth century, offers a glimpse into Renaissance ideals of individual commemoration. Attributed simply to a “North Italian” artist, the work reflects the period’s widespread interest in portrait as a means of preserving likeness and status. Small bronzes like this one often commissioned by merchants, nobles, scholars who wished to distribute their image among friends and patrons, much like an early form of calling card or keepsake. Measuring just under seven centimeters across, the medal was cast in bronze...