Boldù with the Genius of Death [reverse] 1458

This bronze medal, Boldù with the Genius of Death, was created by Giovanni Boldù in the late 15th century. The medal encapsulates the historical and cultural milieu of Renaissance Italy, a period marked by humanist philosophies and a renewed interest in classical antiquity, yet existing alongside high rates of mortality. Boldù’s medal encapsulates a tension between life and death, mortality and immortality. The figures include a melancholic nude seated alongside the Genius of Death, a winged putto sitting next to a skull. These images would likely resonate with the cultural anxieties of the time, including an awareness of the ever-presence of death. Boldù's choice to depict allegorical figures in the nude is significant. The male nude suggests a classical influence, whereas the figure of the winged putto derives from both classical and Christian traditions. This amalgamation of classical and Christian iconographies would be characteristic of Renaissance art. By blending the symbolic and the personal, Boldù transforms a reflection on death into a meditation on human fragility.