Franco Lercari [obverse] by Pier Paolo Galeotti

Franco Lercari [obverse] after 1552

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Artwork details

Medium
bronze, sculpture
Dimensions
overall (diameter): 5.58 cm (2 3/16 in.) gross weight: 54.51 gr (0.12 lb.) axis: 12:00
Copyright
National Gallery of Art: CC0 1.0

Tags

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portrait

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sculpture

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bronze

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11_renaissance

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sculpture

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italian-renaissance

About this artwork

Pier Paolo Galeotti cast this bronze portrait medal of Franco Lercari in the 16th century. The profile portrait, a revival of classical antiquity, presents Lercari as a man of importance and stature. Note the laurel leaves subtly integrated into the border; a symbol that transcends time. We see its roots in ancient Greece, where laurel wreaths crowned victors and poets, embodying triumph and honor. This iconography appears throughout history, from Roman emperors to Renaissance nobles, each time adapted to signify power and prestige. Consider the psychological weight of such symbols. The desire to emulate the glory of past civilizations speaks to a deep-seated longing for legacy and recognition. The laurel, in this context, becomes more than mere decoration; it is a potent claim to enduring fame, subtly influencing how we perceive the subject. The cyclical return of classical motifs reveals our perpetual quest to connect with an idealized past, continuously reshaping its meaning in our present.

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