Renaissance Medals
In 15th century Italy, the medal emerged as a new art form. Its origins are much
debated. It is certain that ancient coins and their portraits of Roman emperors
inspired Renaissance artists to produce the first medals. The development of the
portrait as an art form is closely interlinked with early history of medals.
Pisanello (c.1395-1455) was the first artist to
produce medals. Working in northern Italy as painter and sculptor, he created true
portrait medals of many Renaissance rulers. This piece commemorates the marriage of
Lionello d'Este to Maria of Aragon in April 1444.
This gold medal, attributed to Candida, celebrates
the marriage of Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. By
marrying the exceedingly wealthy daughter of Charles the bold, Duke of Burgundy,
Maximilian greatly increased his influence in the Holy Roman Empire.
This fine example of German Renaissance art shows a
portrait of the German reformist Martin Luther. The portrait bears a striking
resemblance to a famous engraving by Lucas Cranach (1521), which also shows Luther
in his doctoral hat.
Both sides of this medal from late 16th century
England depict the route of Sir Francis Drake's circumnavigation of the globe in
1577. Drake was a privateer hired to plunder Spanish ships and territories, and the
first Englishman to sail around the world.
The Dutch medalist Nicholas-Gabriel Jacquet
created this medal celebrating the victory of the protestant forces over the
Catholic Spanish Armada in 1588. The legend "veni-vide-vive" ("come-see-live") is a
pun on the famous saying attributed to Julius Caesar, "veni,vidi,vici" (I came, I
saw, I conquered").
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