Pius IV (Giovanni Angelo de' Medici, 1499-1565), Pope 1559 [obverse] 1561

This is a bronze medal of Pope Pius IV, made by Giovan Federico Bonzagni. These kinds of portrait medals, like painted portraits, were a way for powerful people to circulate their image, broadcasting their authority. Made in Italy, this medal would have been produced during a tumultuous period, with the rise of Protestantism challenging the Catholic Church. Visually, the medal presents us with a stern profile. Note the highly ornamented robe: these visual codes were instantly readable to the people of the time. The face of the Pope, as well as the inscription, creates a clear statement of power. As historians, we can look at these medals, along with official documents and other cultural products, to get a sense of how the Catholic Church tried to maintain its authority in the face of considerable social change. Art is always contingent on its social and institutional context.