Urban VIII (Pope 1623–44)

Art Historical Context

This exquisite bronze medal, crafted by Roman artist Gasparo Mola in1638, captures a profile portrait of Pope Urban (Maffeo Barber), who reigned from 1623 to 1644. Measuring just 1 11/16 inches in diameter, it exemplifies the intimate scale of 17th-century plaquettes and medals, designed for private devotion, collection, or gifting among the elite. Urban VIII's pontificate marked a high point of the Baroque era in Rome, where he was a fervent patron of the arts, works from masters like Gian Lorenzo Bernini and commissioning grand architectural projects such as the Baldacchino in St. Peter's B...