Portret van Hertog Hercules (Ercole d'Este) van Ferrara c. 1830 - 1900

This bronze portrait medal depicts Ercole d’Este, Duke of Ferrara. Like other portraits of this period, it was made in Italy, probably in the 1470s. The image of Ercole is accompanied by an inscription naming him as Duke, while the other side shows a group of children reaching for stars, with an inscription that translates as, ‘Jupiter exalts our earthly affairs.’ This imagery creates meaning through a mixture of classical references to Roman mythology and associations with Italian courtly life. It is an example of Renaissance humanism, in which classical ideas of virtue and knowledge were combined with civic life. The medal was a new art form, intended to immortalize the sitter. It should be understood as part of a political culture in which displays of wealth and connections were important for maintaining power. To understand this medal better, historians would research the Este family, the social history of the Italian Renaissance, and the ways art served political power. The meaning of art is always reliant on its social and institutional context.