Maximiliaan en Maria, koning en koningin van Bohemen 1563 - 1564

This bronze medal of Maximiliaan and Maria, king and queen of Bohemia, was created by Leone Leoni, a sculptor in the Italian Renaissance, a period known for its revival of classical art and culture. During this time, art served as a powerful tool for projecting the status and authority of rulers, and the dual portrait reflects the importance of dynastic power and succession. Leone Leoni was a master of portrait medals. Through the intimate scale of the medal, a viewer in the 16th century would have felt a personal connection to their rulers. The medal's reverse depicts a woman standing holding a scepter, while a man is seated beside her. They might represent political virtues, such as justice and peace. The medal served as a carefully crafted image of power, designed to circulate among elites and shape perceptions of Maximilian and Maria's reign. It evokes not only a sense of awe but also invites reflection on the relationship between power, representation, and identity.