Pius V (Michele Ghislieri, 1504-1572), Pope 1566 [obverse] 1571

Editor: Here we have a bronze medal from 1571 of Pius V, sculpted by Giovan Federico Bonzagni. It's such a small object, yet the detail is incredible. What can you tell me about it? Curator: For me, this medal speaks volumes about the relationship between power, labor, and material value. Consider the bronze itself: where did it come from, and who mined it? The casting process, likely involving specialized artisans, highlights a crucial moment of production. The creation of multiples for dissemination reveals a strategy of mass production intended to broaden its impact beyond traditional high art audiences. Editor: So, the bronze is as important as the image? Curator: Absolutely. Bronze as a material wasn't neutral; it was tied to both industry and artistry. The medal's portability also changed its social life: its small scale ensured its circulation within select networks, where tactile handling and close viewing heightened its symbolic weight. Its materiality underscores economic exchange, power relationships and artistic ingenuity that defines this historical era. Think of this work as not just about Pius V, but about all those whose labor went into producing this artifact. Editor: I never thought about it like that before. The object itself tells a story about labour. Curator: Exactly! Its artistic design coupled with the labour involved transformed a commodity (bronze) into a propaganda artefact—a physical expression of papal power distributed on a scale rarely appreciated within Art History. Editor: Thank you, this makes me see the art differently and I'll be researching art process more deeply now.