Portrait medal of Giovanni Alvise Toscani 1470 - 1480

Lysippus the Younger created this portrait medal of Giovanni Alvise Toscani in bronze during the 15th century. These portrait medals emerged in the Renaissance as a way to immortalize individuals, but also to signal status and power. Giovanni Alvise Toscani was a lawyer, or "advocatus", as we see inscribed. Lysippus captures Toscani in profile, a style reminiscent of ancient coins, linking the sitter to classical ideals of leadership and intellect. But consider this object as more than just a celebration of male achievement. By commissioning and circulating such a medal, Toscani actively shaped his public image, controlling how he would be seen and remembered. In this small bronze object, we see the dawn of modern strategies of self-representation, of crafting one's identity for posterity. It speaks to the powerful human desire to leave a mark, to be known, and to influence the narratives that history tells.