F. Francina, lived late fifteenth century [obverse] c. 1500

This bronze portrait medal of F. Francina was made by Giancristoforo Romano in the late fifteenth century, a time of increasing artistic patronage among the Italian elite. The medal presents us with a puzzle: we know the artist, but the identity of the sitter, Francina, remains obscure. The inscription tells us she was beautiful, but was she a courtesan, a noblewoman, or a member of the artist's family? What does it mean to memorialize this woman’s beauty? The fashion for portrait medals was revived during the Renaissance, inspired by ancient Roman coins. These medals served as personal mementos but also as a kind of propaganda, circulating idealized images of individuals among a select social group. These portrait medals can reveal information about the relationship between the patron and the artist, as well as the patron's self-image and social aspirations. To understand the medal better, we can consult inventories of the collections of the Italian courts. It's through this kind of social history that the medal's significance begins to emerge.