Securitas near an Altar [reverse] 1585 - 1590

Curator: Hello! Editor: We’re looking at "Securitas near an Altar [reverse]" by Lorenzo Fragni, dating to the late 16th century. It seems to be a bronze relief. It strikes me as quite an intimate object. What draws your eye when you look at this? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the materiality and the labor involved. Look at the precise carving required to render such detail in bronze, the way the artist shaped this resistant material. This speaks volumes about skill and workshop practices. How does the artist’s decision to create this image as a portable bronze relief inform its meaning? Editor: Well, it seems intended for personal use, not necessarily public display. But I'm not sure how the choice of bronze specifically might be important. Curator: Bronze, as a valuable material, elevates it above simpler tokens, right? The circular form and the inscription suggest a coin or medal. Consider bronze’s historical association with power and status in Renaissance Italy. How might that interact with the depiction of Securitas and the altar, the themes of security and ritual? It might prompt questions about the function and context. How were these items used? Editor: I guess it's about possessing, in a tangible way, ideas of Roman power and safety? Curator: Precisely! Its reproduction via casting allowed wider, albeit still limited, distribution of these ideals, shaping political and cultural perceptions of its patron. It hints at the artist’s participation in that complex power dynamic too. Editor: That's really interesting. So, we are not only looking at an image but at the means and impact of its production. Curator: Exactly. By examining the materiality, we gain a deeper appreciation of the complex social relations embedded in art.