Paul III (Alessandro Farnese, 1466-1549), Pope 1534 [obverse] 1549

This is a bronze medal portraying Paul III, made by Giovan Federico Bonzagni. Bronze medals like this one were made by striking molten metal with a die – a kind of mold, deeply engraved with the desired image. The resulting object is small, but dense with information. It testifies to the artist's skill in capturing a likeness, as well as the engraver's ability to render fine detail in metal. Note the texture of the Pope’s beard and the details of his garments. The medal also speaks to the Pope's own ambition. By having his portrait multiplied in this way, he was participating in a Renaissance tradition of self-promotion, echoing the coinage of classical emperors. Yet this is not just an act of vanity. It represents a shrewd understanding of how power could be circulated through images. The medal suggests the Pope's determination to leave his mark on the world, both literally and figuratively.