Pope Clement XI 1700 - 1701

Ermenegildo Hamerani created this bronze medal of Pope Clement XI. Its circular form, reminiscent of ancient coins, evokes a sense of timeless authority. The profile portrait, rendered in meticulous detail, captures the Pope’s likeness with precision. Note how the incised lettering frames the image, creating a visual hierarchy that reinforces the Pope's status. The material itself, bronze, lends a weighty permanence to the representation. The medal operates within a semiotic system of signs, where the Pope's image, inscription, and the very medium of bronze communicate power and prestige. The medal’s design reflects a deliberate construction of papal authority through carefully chosen visual and material elements. Consider how the medal's form and iconography served to construct and disseminate the image of papal power during the early 18th century. This is not merely a portrait, but a carefully crafted symbol of authority, designed to circulate and reinforce particular meanings.