Giuliano II de' Medici, 1479-1516, Duc de Nemours 1515 [obverse] 1739 - 1744

Editor: Here we have a metal carving from between 1739 and 1744, portraying Giuliano II de' Medici, the Duc de Nemours. It seems to be a portrait medal made by Antonio Francesco Selvi. I’m immediately struck by the rigid profile, how controlled and composed it seems. How do you interpret this work, and what aspects stand out to you? Curator: Well, the portrait itself might be a later rendering, but the figure it depicts, Giuliano de’ Medici, wielded power during a tumultuous period in Florentine history, right on the cusp of enormous change. While seemingly formal, the very act of commissioning and distributing medals like this one served as strategic propaganda. How can this form communicate power? Consider what messages this controlled image might send about dynastic strength and stability. Editor: Propaganda… that's a great point! It’s easy to get lost in the aesthetics and miss that this was actively trying to shape the narrative of the Medici family. Did the choice of metal also have significance? Curator: Absolutely! Think about the durability of metal versus something like paint on canvas. Metal, especially bronze, suggested permanence and incorruptibility – qualities those in power desperately sought to project. How does that link to contemporary understanding of gender, politics, and class? The Renaissance was also experiencing huge cultural shifts with emerging concepts of power. It's an intersectional space for conversations, then and now. Editor: I hadn’t considered how the medium itself contributed to the message. Now I am thinking about how powerful these historical images are in communicating particular ideas about leadership, even centuries later. Curator: Precisely. These medals aren't just historical artifacts, but artifacts actively engaged in a dance of power that is being replayed still today.