To Commemorate the Pazzi Conspiracy, 1478 1478

Editor: So, here we have Bertoldo di Giovanni’s bronze relief, "To Commemorate the Pazzi Conspiracy, 1478". It feels quite dramatic for something so small; the figures are teeming with what feels like a desperate energy. What do you make of it? Curator: Ah, yes! Think of it as a newsreel, only cast in bronze. A frozen moment of Florentine intrigue, if you will. What I find captivating is how it manages to capture both a portrait and an event—a PR stunt carved in metal, intended to rewrite history after a bloody, botched coup! It's as if the Medici are saying, “See? We survived! And aren't we magnanimous for commemorating this… unpleasantness?” Notice how Lorenzo’s profile dominates the scene. It practically shouts, “Florence is me!” And how artfully violent that ‘attempt’ is. Makes you wonder, who *exactly*, do we think this piece was made *for*? Editor: It's fascinating to think of it as propaganda! But if it’s designed to sway public opinion, does that mean we shouldn’t consider it to be objective or necessarily historically accurate? Curator: Precisely! Always question the narrative, especially when it's bronzed and presented by those in power. Every element—from the inscription to the meticulously crafted figures—was carefully curated to paint a specific picture. The scene is almost *too* theatrical. Do we perhaps glimpse the anxiety and turmoil simmering beneath that veneer of Medici invincibility? Editor: I guess I never thought about propaganda and public relations existing back in the Renaissance. It gives a whole new context to portraiture and historical relief art like this. Thanks for the insight! Curator: The pleasure is all mine! Never take bronze at face value!